Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 157 



the middle of October ; the majority have reached maturity by the 

 end of September. 



The larva varies in colour from pale ureen to grey or deep green 

 and even reddish-grey ; it has a pale dorsal line and semi-lozenge- 

 shaped darker marks along the back from the fourth to the eleventh 

 segments ; the spiracular line is somewhat paler and there are five 

 dark oblique bands below ; the twelfth segment is distinctly humped ; 

 the first two pairs of the dorsal markings are always deepest in hue, 

 the head is green and the thoracic shield has two dark green to 

 brown patches. That they vary in colour according not only to the 

 plant upon which they live, but also upon the same plant according 

 to the part of the plant attacked, is well known. Buckler figures 

 (" Larv. Brit. Butt. & Moths," vol. iv., pi. Ixvi.) four larvje from Pteris 

 aquilina ; the green ones occurred on the green parts of the leaves, 

 the brown on the brown parts. 



When mature the larvae reach about an inch and a half in length, 

 fall to the ground and change into a brown pupa in the earth beneath 

 where they have been feeding and remain in that condition until the 

 following summer. 



PeEVENTION and FiEMEDIES, 



In gardens hand-picking is advisable; it is a sure means of 

 lessening attack. Where they occur in large numbers on gooseberry 

 and fruit bushes it would be best to spray with some arsenical wash. 

 It is said that if they are shaken off the plants, and then the grouutl 

 drenched with cold water, especially if the weather is hot, violent 

 purging is brought on, and the caterpillars are reduced to mere 

 skins (Ormerod). 



Crardeus that have been attacked by Dot-Moth larvic should 

 be lightly forked over so as to expose the pupte and so place them 

 wliere they can be devoured by birds. It would be worth while to 

 let ducks run over the infested ground, or if an orchard, fowls ; both 

 ducks and fowls devour the pupa3 readily. 



A Plague of Earwigs. 



A lady wrote to the Board concerning a plague of Earwigs in a 

 garden. 



The only way to get rid of Earwigs appears to be by trapping 

 the insects, and the destruction of rubbish, old bark on trees, etc., 

 during the winter. 



The best way of trapping them is to place some baskets filled 



