221 



REVIEW. 



Report of Observations of Injurious Insects and Common Farm 

 Pests during the year 1884, tvith Methods of Prevention and 

 Remedy. Eighth Report. By Eleanor A. Ormerod, 

 F.E.Met.Soc, Hon. Consulting Entomologist to the Royal 

 Agricultural Society, &c. Simpkin, Marshall & Co. Royal 

 8vo, 122 pp. 



We are glad to receive another of these valuable Reports, 

 showing the good work that is being organised by Miss Ormerod 

 throughout the country. In the Preface it is stated that " The 

 attention bestowed on the very important subject of insect 

 prevention is showing year by year that the national losses are 

 not by thousands, but by millions, of pounds. The loss in the 

 hop failure of 1882 was estimated at a million and three-quarters, 

 that from turnip-fly of 1881 at over half a million pounds 

 sterling." 



The subjects especially dealt with this year are Birds and the 

 depredations of sparrows, Hop-aphis, and Warble-fly. In writing 

 of the birds the rej^orter is very careful to state that "nobody 

 wishes to destroy the small birds broadcast. We should suffer 



severely if their presence generally was lessened But with 



regard to the one item of sparrows, its special habits make this 

 bird an exception to what we may fairly call our regular feathered 

 friends." This is demonstrated by evidence from many careful 

 and competent observers ; amongst others Mr. A. Moiineux, 

 member of the Committee of Agriculture of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of South Australia, writes : — 



" The sparrows here have driven off nearly all our insectivorous birds, 

 which of course are small, and have generally soft bills and a timid nature ; 

 but the sparrow will eat nothing but seeds, while seeds are available. When 

 there are no seeds they will eat fruit, — when there are no seeds or fruit they 

 will condescend to kitchen vegetables (or zonal pelargoniums); but if none 

 of the foregoing are to be had, and the dog, the pig, and the cows cannot 

 be robbed, the sparrow will stay his hunger with Aphides or soft grubs and 

 caterpillars." 



The plague of Charceas graminls larvse in South Wales is 

 described and illustrated by a map of the district, some ten miles 

 in diameter, where the ravage was great. 



