220 LETTERS TO DR. FLETCHER [CHAP. xx. 



beetles), with observations (fig. 26). I like your Report very 

 much ; there is an immense amount of good, sound, 

 straightforward information, both scientific and practical, 

 in it, and it is quite an example of honest dealing with your 

 body of observers. I have been very much interested in 

 your Silpha notes, and I wonder whether we could get our 

 farmers to try poisoning the cutworms, "surface cater- 

 pillars " as we call them here. I wonder whether I should 

 not do well to follow your example and have short notes of 

 anything interesting, even without giving a long story. 

 These embody a great deal of useful information, but with 

 us who are so behindhand in entomological information, I 

 have been afraid that without a full account and a figure the 

 readers would be all abroad. I was very much gratified to 

 see the honourable place you give my name among your 

 colleagues. Indeed this pleases me very much. 



I was very much interested with what you told me of 

 overplus of wasps having accompanied deficiency of rainfall 

 in one portion of your part of the world. Our Press has 

 been very kind to me, and I was particularly pleased with 

 one remark, that (although retired from the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society) I had not ceased to be the " Consulting 

 Entomologist of the Agriculturists of Great Britain." 



Just now I am running a leaflet on Bryobia prcetiosa 

 (Gooseberry red spider), through the press, and this morn- 

 ing I had an order for 3,000 copies ! Just think of that, and 

 without the firm even seeing it ! 



April 9, 1894. 



I am trying to bring kerosene, or mineral oil emulsion 

 more forward as an insecticide. I have given a number of 

 the best recipes in one of our leading agricultural journals 

 " The Farmer's Gazette," Dublin with the information that 

 for those who cannot manage permanent combination of 

 the constituents, the so-called "antipest" makes a good 

 substitute. 



It appears that " formalin," as the trade name is called, is 

 being brought out as a disinfectant. Mr. A. Zimmermann 

 has been trying the effects as an insecticide on greenhouse 

 plants, and he considered it so bad for the insects, and 

 beneficial rather than hurtful to the plants, that he wanted 

 my co-operation in getting it tried. Dr. Bernard Dyer told 

 me he thought it would be well worth trial. 



The point that occurred to me was could we use it against 

 the Flour moth, E. kuhniella ? At present we have got some 

 flour well impregnated with emanation from some of the 



