478 INSECTS AT HOME. 



This is a small and inconspicuous Moth, but it does far 

 more damage than many JMoths of mvicli larger size and more 

 conspicuous colouring. The larva of this insect is to turnips 

 what that of the last-mentioned insect is to the cabbage, and 

 with tliis difference, that whereas the Cabbage caterpillar 

 works above ground and may be detected by the eye, the 

 Turnip caterpillar works for the most part below the surface 

 of the earth, and the only evidence of its presence is the 

 drooping state of the plant. When very young, it feeds upon 

 the leaves of the turnip and many other plants, such, for 

 example, as the carrot, or some flower, and in that stage may 

 be removed by hand-picking ; but, when it grows larger, it 

 descends towards the earth, fixes upon the upper portion of 

 the root, just where it joins the stem, and there gnaws a 

 groove completely round the stem, the entire plant often 

 dying from the injury. It grows with great rapidity, and, 

 when about thi-ee-quarters grown, burrows into the earth and 

 attacks tlie root itself, beginning near the bottom, burrowing 

 deeply into it, and gnawing large hollows in it. 



These caterpillars are only too familiar to agricultuiists. 

 They are nearly smooth, grey-striped more or less, and covered 

 with little shining, round spots, from each of which proceeds a 

 short bristle. As a rule, the gardener cannot mistake in 

 killing every brown-looking caterpillar that he finds beneath 

 the ground, for it is sure to be one of those beings that 

 make havoc among the crops, and the greater because their 

 ravages are carried on out of sight. It is principally in 

 search of these destructive caterpillars that the rooks frequent 

 turnip-fields. When the birds are seen busily digging with 

 their powerful beaks, they are engaged in the search after 

 the turnip caterpillar, and not trying to eat the turnip 

 itself. 



The whole history of this Moth is a very interesting one, 

 but our space is diminishing so rapidly that we must pass on 

 to other insects. 



The pretty insect which is shown on Wpodcut LIV. Fig. 4, 

 is popularly called the Lesser Broad Border {Tryphcvna 

 janthina). It forms one of a group called the Yellow Under- 

 wings, because the ground hue of their lower wings is bright 



