102 SHORT NOTICKS. [1900 



Other marlnngs are observable, and also varieties of marking, even up 

 to the caterpillar being entirely black ; but by the above-mentionetl 

 dififerences in colour of the two kinds of caterpillars, those of the raoth 

 and sawfly may be distinguished from each other without further 

 description. 



In regard to those of the sawfly, of which such numbers appeared 

 last year near Tarporley, the life-history is that when full-fed they go 

 down into the ground, where they turn to chrysalids in brownish or 

 yellow-brown cocoons, from which the sawfly may come out in summer 

 in about three weeks' time ; or, in the case of the late broods, will 

 appear in the following spring, when the Gooseberry and Currant 

 bushes are coming into leaf. 



The flies are four-winged ; the wings transparent and iridescent, 

 and about half an inch or rather more in expanse. The colour of the 

 flies is yellowish ; the body between the wings with some large black 

 marks in the female, in the male almost entirely black ; abdomen 

 yellow or orange in the male, the back of abdomen black excepting tip. 

 The customary methods of dealing with this troublesome infesta- 

 tion have been given at great length in my Annual Reports, and in 

 reasonably abridged form in my Handbook of fruit pests, pp. 101-108 

 (title given preceding at p. 101) ; but on June 4th of the past season 

 I was kindly favoured by Mr. William Bailey, Head Master of the 

 Aldersey Grammar School, Bunbury, Tarporley, Cheshire, with the 

 following observation of the great number in which the caterpillars 

 had appeared, and also the great number which had been collected by 

 the pupils at the school, where attention is constantly given to service- 

 able practical study of habits of common insect pests, and means of 

 reducing their numbers : — 



" This year we have quite a plague of the Gooseberry and Currant 

 Sawfly caterpillars. The numbers collected and brought to school by 

 the boys in the three lower classes in the school on Wednesday, 

 Thursday, and Friday in last week totalled no fewer than 9765. The 

 boys in the upper part of the school handed in 5072 of these grubs." — 

 (W. B.) 



Returns were also given of the numbers of other kinds of destruc- 

 tive caterpillars collected by the boys. 



But with regard to the sawfly caterpillars. Besides the immediate 

 good effect of lessening presence of this bad insect pest by the large 

 number named, amounting collectively to 14,837, I have just noticed 

 the subject, as (at the present time when so much is being said about 

 drawing attention to natural history in rural districts) this gives an 

 example of what may be really done in a locality of no great area, and 

 in short time, also without expense, and with full approval of all 

 concerned, towards clearing away farm and garden pests, and at the 



