ORDERS. 35 



shows a small four-winged Fly of this order, which 

 lays each egg accompanied by a small quantity of 

 sticky matter. This, drawing out into a fine thread 

 with the egg at the extremity, gives it the appearance 

 of being stalked, as shown in the figure. 



In the following pages the orders of insects which 

 most affect the welfare of the agriculturist are entered 

 on successively, with descriptions of the most impor- 

 tant characteristic distinctions of the divisions of 

 these orders both in appearance and habits ; also 

 life-histories of some of our worst insect attacks, 

 •with means of prevention and remedy ; and obser- 

 vations as to how knowledge of the history of the pest 

 gives us at the same time knowledge of how it lies 

 best under our power. 



Information of this kind is useful to all who have 

 to do with growing farm crops, or fruit or forest trees ; 

 and year by year, as more and more land is taken into 

 cultivation (as we are especially seeing now in the 

 case of the fruit growing industries), we may expect 

 to find that the feeders will multiply where the food 

 is constantly grown on one spot, and that increased 

 knowledge of how to counteract the increasing evil 

 will be needed. 



I would by no means advocate, excepting for those 

 who intend to make Entomology a special study, that 

 they should spend their time in tedious research into 

 matters of structure and classification and the like, 

 tending to no practical result, and requiring to be 

 conveyed in words almost useless for common field 

 service. But the knowledge of the life-history and 

 habits of the pests (always more or less reducing the 

 amount of crops throughout the country) is a plain 

 matter, which with a little help may be easily acquired 

 to a very serviceable extent. We may learn what 

 agricultural influences we can bring to bear on them ; 

 and how, by knowing in what form they pass the time 

 when not at work, we may, with least expense and 

 most surely, turn them out from their shelters. And 



