OF HARTING. 3/1 



phidarice and Allantus viridis we have netted in bye- 

 lanes fringed with wild flowering plants, and the slimy 

 larvae of a species of Selandria, probably Cerasi, we 

 have often seen on the leaves of pear trees trained 

 against the garden wall. Of the pretty little black- 

 and-orange coloured Athalia centifolice in the perfect 

 state, we need scarcely say we have taken many 

 specimens ; but for every such capture we have 

 certainly seen thousands of its larvae, perhaps millions. 

 This statement will probably take no one by surprise 

 who has had an opportunity of walking across a 

 turnip field infested by the notorious " niggers." Very 

 fortunately for agriculturists, such opportunities do 

 not present themselves often, but we have a re- 

 collection of two seasons in succession, if not three, 

 when nearly every turnip leaf in the parish was 

 devoured by the black larvae of this species. Two or 

 three attempts were made here and in the adjoining 

 parishes, to destroy the devastating legions of these 

 larvae, but with such doubtful success, that the plague 

 was not even checked. Salt and soot were liberally 

 sown broadcast over the plants, and in one instance 

 a flock of sheep was driven across a field or two, yet 

 although no doubt thousands of the pests were on that 

 occasion trampled into the mould, a sufficient number 

 of them escaped to show the failure of the experiment. 

 It was at last suggested that all the ducks in the 

 parish should be invited to a succession of "nigger" 

 banquets, but considering that these grubs were 

 swarming all over the South of England at the same 

 time, all the ducks in Europe, if "requisitioned" for 

 the purpose, would have been unequal to the task of 

 subduing them with sufficient despatch to save the 

 plants. The inevitable result then of these visitations, 

 was that the turnip crops, with very partial exceptions, 

 were utterly ruined, and all, or nearly all, the turnip 

 lands on this estate were ploughed up again. We 

 have met with other species of Athalia, but neither of 



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