COLEOPTERA. 97 



the house like a storm of hail. It would be preposterous 

 to imagine that these swarms of ladybirds had been 

 produced in this country and had flown to sea in the 

 teeth of an east wind, simply to be blown back again ! 



" When we remember the smallness and feebleness of 

 some of our migratory birds, such as the chiff-chaff and 

 willow-wren, that cross the seas to this country during 

 the stormy weather of early spring, the advent of these 

 swarms of ladybirds is robbed of much of its wonder. 

 But the interesting questions are Whence came they ? 

 Where did they collect in such prodigious numbers ? 

 What was the home that fed the larvae from which the 

 beetles sprang ? Or if, as seems probable, they had 

 many homes, what impulse brought together these mil- 

 lions for a common emigration ? If you kindly give 

 insertion to this letter, some intelligent observers of 

 nature on the other side of the Channel may perhaps 

 answer some, at least, of my queries." 



The services of these little creatures are most consi- 

 derable. Their larvae, looking like little black speckled 

 crocodiles, are among the most voracious of insects, and 

 their food is the aphis, which although it has other 

 enemies, seems to be kept in check chiefly by the lady- 

 bird itself and by its larvae. They are peculiarly valuable 

 in hop gardens, hops being very liable to the attacks 

 of these flies. It was interesting to compare the nume- 

 rous newspaper reports of the " fly " damaging the hop- 

 crop in 1869, with those of the freedom of the crops 

 from fly in 1870, in connexion with the arrival of the 

 Ladybirds in 1869 too late to affect the crops of that 

 year. 



It is impossible to find space within the narrow limits 

 H 



