XXXIV PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



which had destroyed the cotton crop in India. Mr. E. Doubleday 

 remarked upon this communication that the moth, the larva of 

 which had so seriously injured the cotton crop in the United States 

 in 1846, was probably the Noclua Xyl'ina of Say. It was allied 

 to the genus Ophiusa, but would not come under any European 

 type. In Louisiana and Mississippi it had destroyed one third 

 of the crop, yet he had never himself met with it in his journey 

 in the United States, nor seen it in any collection, neither did any 

 drawing of it exist in the vast collection of drawings of Georgian 

 insects made by Abbot, now in the library of the British Museum. 

 He was indebted to his learned friend Dr. Harris for specimens 

 of it and its larva, as also for many details on its habits which he 

 had not felt justified in publishing, as Dr. Harris was preparing a 

 treatise on the subject. 



The President read an extract from the Halifax Times relative 

 to the insects which destroy the turnip crops in Nova Scotia. 

 This was particularly interesting, from indicating very clearly an 

 insect of an order of which no species was hitherto known to be 

 injurious to this crop. The writer says, " the principal eneimy to 

 turnips and cabbage of every kind, while in the seed leaf, is the 

 hopper or ground flea. It is a species of Podura, has no wings 

 of any kind, is nearly globular, of the size of a pin's head or less; 

 and by the help of its forked tail it hops with great agility. They 

 are not plentiful on new land, but on all old cultivated ground 

 they are to be found on every square inch. They will not sit on 

 damp ground, for this reason the small stones, chips, or anything 

 that will quickly dry, should be raked from the top of the ridge 

 before the seed is sowed, and after sowing it should be rolled or 

 trampled hard, and a small quantity of salt sprinkled on it. The 

 best salt for this purpose is that which always keeps damp, owing 

 to a small quantity of muriate of lime which is mixed with it. 

 A thin layer of sea weed spread over the drills is a perfect security 

 against the hoppers, and a little straw or worthless hay from the 

 top of a stack will prevent them from doing much damage. In 

 some places in a cold spring turnips are attacked by a beetle as 

 large as a flea, with a spotted or striped shell, which can fly, but 

 as it usually travels by hopping, it does much less harm to the 

 covered plants than to those which are entirely exposed." 



The writer then alludes as follows to a Lepidopterous larva 

 allied to those called cut-worms* in Canada, Nova Scotia, and the 



* The name cut-woim is applied to the larva; of various species of Agrotis, for 

 a detailed account of which see Harris's Report, p. 321, et seq. — E. D. 



