226 EXPEKIMEXTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 



seen these flies in the gardens and on the farms. There are a great many about just 

 iiow.'' — C. E. Hope. 



This last important observation evidently refers to an Ichneumonid parasite. The 

 larviE sent by Mr. Anderson produced Meteorus vulgaris, Cress., a well-known parasite 

 of all kinds of cutworms, and the flies mentioned by Mr. Palmer, as reared at Ottawa, 

 from caterpillars sent from British Columbia, were the large muscid the Cattle Fly 

 (Muscina stahulans, Fallen), of which no less than 17 were reared from one sending 

 of caterpillars from Victoria. 



'JSTanaimo, August 27. — P. saucia is now coming out of the pupa state in con- 

 siderable numbers. So far as I can see in this district, the parasites have not done 

 very much for us. I have only seen one caterpillar attacked by hymenopterous para- 

 sites, and only a very few by diptera. Many caterpillars, however, have shrivelled up 

 in the pupal cell without changing.'— Eev. G. W. Taylor. 



Several correspondents mentioned finding the caterpillars dead on the ground, 

 or in the cavity made in the ground by the cutworms, before turning to pupae (or 

 chrysalids). Some of these were sent by Rev. G. W. Taylor, who had found them in 

 considerable numbers at Nanaimo. These were forwarded to Dr. Roland Thaxter, 

 at Harvard University, in the hope that a parasitic fungous disease might have been 

 discovered, but unfortunately no fungus could be detected. Dr. Thaxter writes : 

 "I looked at the saucia larvae soon after receipt, but found no sign of fungus. It 

 is possible that it may have been bacteriosis, but it would be impossible to determine 

 this from the material. Such cutworms are subject to Empusa aulicae, and I have 

 no doubt that if careful investigation were made during one of these invasions, this 

 or some other Empusa would be found destroying them.' 



, PREDACEOUS ENEMIES. 



Wild birds were occasionally spoken of as destroying these caterpillars, but as a 

 Tule the kinds were not specified. Robins are mentioned by Mr. Dashwood-Jones, 

 and the following letter is from Mr. J. R. Anderson : — 



' Victoria, August 15. — * I am sure you will be pleased to hear a good word spoken 

 in favour of the execrated old Crow. For some time before it was discovered that the 

 cutworm plague was upon us, I noticed first one, then several, and then a large number 

 of crows busily engaged among the grass on the lawns in front of the Government 

 buildings. On investigation I discovered that they were after the cutworms, and 

 good work they must have done judging from the assiduity with which they pursued 

 their labours. I have since had similar reports from several parts of the province, 

 and even the still more execrated Blue Jay has come in for a good word from some 

 quarters. The old adage is borne out that a certain gentleman is not always as black 

 as he is painted.' 



Chickens and ducks are mentioned by several observers as having done good 

 work. The following are among the most interesting records : — 



' Victoria, July 30. — I saw a remarkable thing yesterday. There were two 

 gardens close together with the same kind of soil, &c. One was beautiful, the other 

 was eaten bare by cutworms. Chickens had the free run of the first, in the other 

 there had been no chickens. In small gardens there would have been very little 

 trouble in keeping them clean.' — G. A. Knight. 



'Victoria, July* 28. — I turned the chickens into the garden, giving them water, 

 but no wheat, and they are working at the caterpillars all day, but cannot get rid of 

 them all ; they are in thousands, every handful of soil is full of them. Ducks seem 

 to eat even more than the chickens, but want some one with a rake to bring the worms 

 to the surface.' — J. W. Webb. 



Pigs were very useful at Agassiz. 



' August 6. — I intended to put down some poisoned bran, but I found nine of 

 my young pigs in the potato field, travelling regularly up the furrows, just moving 



