CHAPTER X 



SAMPLES OF LEGAL EXPERIENCES 



IT was a good many years after my name had been 

 before the public as an official Consulting Entomologist 

 that I began occasionally to receive applications to furnish 

 what is called " expert" evidence regarding insect infesta- 

 tion of live crops, or of cargoes of flour. To work this 

 properly, and without risk of being confused under 

 examination by the host of questions, relevant or irrele- 

 vant, and, of course, made purposely perplexing by the 

 legal representatives of the opposing side of the case, 

 involved a most inconvenient amount of research and 

 also of mental strain. It was necessary to keep all points 

 in any way likely to be referred to, classed in order in 

 the mind, and available instantaneously without hurry 

 or confusion ; and sometimes also necessary in helping 

 non-entomological cross-examiners so to formulate their 

 questions as to admit of any answer being given. 



My first experience of anything of this kind was in 

 July, 1889, when I received a copy of a letter written by 

 myself on September 2oth of the previous year relative to 

 a certain insect attack, of which specimens, together with 

 samples of the infested plants, had then been sent me. 

 This letter was accompanied by an enquiry whether I 

 could swear to the accuracy of my statements. This, of 

 course, I had no doubts about. It was a perfectly simple 

 case, and I replied accordingly. The result was that one 

 morning before luncheon my sister came into my room in 

 perplexity, and announced that there was a " young man " in 

 my study who wanted to speak to me, but who he was, 

 or where he came from, or anything except that it was 

 just for a minute that he wished to see me, nobody had 

 been able to make out. I believe I guessed pretty well 

 the nature of the mysterious business ; but, as for explana- 

 tion, the young man was perfectly impenetrable, excepting 



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