PEA ENEMIES. 195 
are altogether a failure, and few indeed are the gardens in 
which autumn- or winter-sown peas look really well. The seed 
germinated kindly, and there was a good early plant. The severe 
winter weather possibly had its effect, but the great mischief on 
our garden rows and in general field culture has been wrought 
since February or March. First the leaves were eaten and 
notched, and finally the whole plant disappeared. 
The most careless observers blamed the ungenial weather ; 
then came those who looked amongst the smaller mammals, as 
mice or rabbits, for their enemies, but nine out of every ten 
gardeners, I believe, blamed the much-maligned sparrows. Garden 
netting and wire pea-guards were brought into requisition, but 
the peas continued to waste as fast as ever; nor did the tile 
mouse-traps or the feather stringing avail anything. 
The result of these attacks is seen everywhere, for many 
thousands of yards of pea rows in our gardens have been dug up 
as useless, and some hundreds of acres in field culture have been 
ploughed up. The effect is patent, the cause is latent. Where, 
however, the careful observer took his lantern and examined his 
gradually diminishing pea-plant after dark, he probably would 
meet with his numerous, but tiny, enemies in the shape of an 
insect (Sitones), a myriopod (Polydesmus), and a_ crustacean 
(Oniscus) ; thus would he become satisfied that it was not the slugs, 
and see why his lime and ashes had not the desired renovating 
effect. 
These destructives have all been especialiy busy this spring, 
and with most disastrous results on our green pea crops. The 
little beetles (Sitones lineatus) will be at once recognised when 
found; but here is the difficulty, as from their general habit 
of falling to the ground when alarmed they may very easily be 
overlooked by a casual observer, since their colour and shape 
is almost a perfect match with the particles of soil amongst 
which they feign death for a short time. A quick eye, however, 
they will not escape, and just now pairs of Sitones are especially 
common sitting on the dilapidated pea plants, im cop.; they 
may readily be collected in almost any weather, though they are 
not above seeking shelter on a rough or inclement evening. In 
one year (1836) Mr. John Walton collected and set upwards of 
one hundred pairs so taken, and their display, not unnaturally, 
excited the risibility of the illustrious Curtis. These were used 
