THE VINE MOTH. 105 



The caterpillars of tliis Vine Moth are very numerous, 

 and no sooner is a plant to all intents and purposes 

 cleared of the caterpillars than lo ! the next morning the 

 plague would appear to be as bad as ever. Do not be 

 discouraged, this will not last long, for if persevered in for 

 a season, we must with the aid of birds and other natural 

 enemies, together with our own individual exertions and 

 co-oj)eration of our neighbours, keep this pest in sub- 

 jection. In small places, the somewhat original, though 

 old, plan of clipping the caterpillars in halves with a sharp 

 pair of scissors is not to be despised, and by this simple 

 method vast numbers of the caterpillars can be destroyed, 

 and which, if allowed to remain unmolested, would strip 

 a small vineyard in no time. 



Many persons imagine that the caterpillars of the Vine 

 Moth do but little damage, excepting that they eat the 

 leaves. This is only a portion of the harm done, becaiise 

 the vines when stripped of their leaves are thrown back 

 in growth, and if in fruit, the latter becoming quite 

 unprotected, frequently failing as a consequence to 

 reach maturity, and shrivelling up as they grow on the 

 plant. 



Amongst the natural enemies of this species of Vine 

 Moth are the tw^o well-known birds, commonly called the 

 bronze-cuckoo and pallid-cuckoo respectively. These 

 birds, which are included in our list, are very fond of 

 caterpillars generally, but particularly those of the Vine 

 Moth ; the singular fact being that although many of our 

 domestic birds will hardly touch this caterpillar, these 

 two cuckoos would appear to be singularly fond of them, 

 and destroy enormous numbers. 



Bronze cuckoos which for scientific purposes have been 

 killed, upon examination of their stomachs, were found 

 to be crammed with caterpillars of the Vine Moth under 

 notice. 



Another very useful ally to the vigneron is a small 

 light-brown plant-bug, Cuspicona^ which has a very 

 powerful proboscis, with which it pierces the larv^, and 



