Bird Notes and News 



83 



Insect Plagues. 



Plagues of insects are, as foreseen by 

 nature-students, being continually reported. 

 In the Peak district a host of the caterpillars 

 of the Antler or Grass-moth have been 

 marching in armies of milhons over pasture, 

 cornfield, and garden, devouring as they 

 pass. This pest is mentioned in " Birds, 

 Insects, and Crops," p. 5. The Board of 

 Agriculture sent down an inspector to view 

 the ravages ; but what the district needs 

 is Birds. An official of the Board, 

 interviewed by one of the papers, -says : 



" These processionary attacks are very 

 rare in England, and are the nearest approach 

 we get to the devastating march of locusts 

 in other countries. In a short time, we 

 expect, the infested area will be visited by 

 Starlings, who will clear off an immense 

 number of pests." 



All manner of chemicals, etc., are being 

 suggested : but latest reports say : " Great 

 rehef is experienced owing to the fact that 

 large flocks of Books have appeared and 

 are eating up the pests. This is exactly 

 what occurred on the occasion of the last 

 great plague in 1874. It is suggested that 

 all Rook-shooting should be stopped for 

 two years at least, and that the authorities 

 protect Starhngs and all other birds found 

 feeding on the caterpillars." 



The Sheffield Telegraph (June 16), com- 

 menting on the report of j\Ir. H. S. Leigh, 

 Lecturer on Entomology, Manchester 

 University, says : " This fact at least is 

 estabHshed, that it is unwise to disturb the 

 balance of nature by kilhng off large numbers 

 of birds. We had better put up with 

 birds than be devoured by caterpillars." 



Ravages of the Turnip-fly are becoming 

 very serious in the East Riding of Yorkshire. 

 Several fields will have to be re-sown. 



In Lancashire and Cheshire acres of 

 cornland have had to be replanted because of 

 the ravages of the Wireworm and Whitebot. 



In Kent, says the Daily Telegraph 

 (June 7) there was promise of a very prolific 

 yield of apples this year. ' ' It is now generally 

 reported that the crops will be below the 

 average, due mainly to the Winter-Moth 

 caterpillar. Large acreages in East and 

 West Kent are practically bare of foliage, 

 and it is understood that iu other fruit- 



growing counties much the same state of 

 things prevails." One noted grower, it is 

 added, will consider himself lucky if he 

 gathers 2,000 bushels instead of the 15 000 

 he anticipated. The late E. Newman names 

 the Bullfinch and Tit as the greatest 

 destroyers of the winter-moth. Warblers 

 and other species help (" Birds, Insects,, 

 and Crops " p. 5). 



In Bucks rows of peas are being destroyed 

 by the pea- weevil. An allotment- holder at 

 Beaconsfield found his row of exhibition 

 peas reduced to a few withered shoots in 

 a night. 



^Ir. Robert Morley writes to the Times 

 (June 8) from the Dial House, Frensham : 

 " The long and very severe winter led to the 

 death by starvation of countless wild birds: 

 The house sparrow suffered greatly, and. the 

 birds died by thousands, as anyone who 

 observes will have noticed Only the 

 strongest sur\aved. Then came the Order 

 of the Board of Agriculture, taken up by 

 local councils, and the consequent wholesale 

 destruction of those left to breed, the 

 young birds being ruthlessly destroyed in 

 their nests. 



" Now as to the result. The season being 

 a favourable one, the fruit blossoms set to 

 such an extent that the prospect of a 

 heavy crop was general. No sooner was 

 the young fruit formed than a plague of 

 caterpillars, such as are taken by the 

 sparrows to feed their young, aj)peared. 

 These, not content with the leaves, have 

 eaten into the heart of the fruit, and the 

 crop in many orchards is almost destroyed. 

 I enclose specimens from my own orchard 

 to show the nature of the damage done." 



To this Mr. G. Bertram Kershaw, F.E.S., 

 responds (June 11): 



'■ It is to be feared that Mr. Robert 

 Morley's letter concerning the havoc wrought 

 by caterpillars on fruit blossom and 3'oung 

 fruit comes too late. Immense damage 

 has already been done by various lepidopter- 

 ous larvae, H. Brumata being, perhaps, 

 the most abundant. 



" It seems hardly credible that anyone, 

 with the object lesson of other countries 

 available, should suggest the destruction 

 of birds — even sparrows " 



