1895-] WINTER MOTH CATERPILLARS 121 



accompanying the caterpillars from the Peckforton Hills, 

 though not so fully as I could wish, for disasters befell the 

 letter, and it arrived by special messenger from the Post 

 Office, with the announcement that the things had got loose, 

 and were creeping all about ! Any way but little remained 

 to judge by, so I report on what was visible. Most of the 

 caterpillars were loopers (fig. 30), and the largest proportion 

 of these, though differing so much in colour, appeared to 

 me to be the Cheimatobia bnnnata. As you know there 

 may be every variety of shade in these Winter moth 

 caterpillars, from pale green down to smoky brown or 

 almost black. Another kind of which I only find two 

 specimens (small and very small, respectively), look as if 

 when grown they would be the Mottled Umber moth, which 

 is so injurious this year. There are just single specimens of a 

 few other non-looper kinds, but at this present time all the 

 kinds come under only one method of (feasible) treatment, 

 and I am afraid this (even if feasible) would be much too 

 costly on such a great scale. Washing with Paris-green or 

 London-purple, or with kerosene emulsion, would be the 

 right thing, or our British form of the emulsion, made by 

 Messrs. Morris, Little and Son, Doncaster, and sold, I 

 believe, at a very low price (consequent on the large demand 

 for it), under the trade name of "antipest." This only 

 needs diluting. But when we come to dealing with great 

 areas like the Peckforton Woods, I believe that the only 

 really practicable way of, in some degree, lessening the evil, 

 and counteracting its effects, is throwing water from some 

 large engine. If a fire engine and a supply of water were 

 available this might do a great deal of good. 



I was consulted by the late Sir Harry Verney about "an 

 ancestral oak " at Clayden, which appeared nearly cleared of 

 leafage, and I advised playing the house fire engine on it 

 and the plan succeeded. The moisture falling around the 

 tree pushed on the second leafage and (conjecturally) saved 

 the tree. But with woods it is most difficult to manage 

 application. I am afraid I am only able to say what would 

 be best, if it could be done. 



For the future it is a grave consideration, and consultation 

 is very desirable, as to what means could reasonably and 

 safely be employed to destroy the caterpillar in the ground. 

 They will probably be very soon leaving the trees, and 

 burying themselves just below the surface, and will most 

 likely reappear, in moth form, and ascend the trees, 

 beginning in the early winter, and thus eggs will be laid to 



