66 INSECT PESTS 



the primeval jungle. He tears up trees and flings them 

 down like straws. He gores mighty beasts like the bear 

 and the sabre-toothed tiger that impede his progress, 

 and eats up whole plains of herbage. Clearly it would 

 seem to want something pretty big to get rid of such an 

 animal. Yet what does nature do ? She accomplishes 

 her task by the apparently negHgible action of a small 

 fly, coupled with the puny attacks of a certain 

 biped, physically helpless in comparison, but possessed 

 of a brain. The latter creature was determined to occupy 

 those forests and green prairies for himself. He dug pits 

 for the mastodon and drank his blood, he brought his 

 family meat all the week (without coupon), he learnt 

 to make fire and draw pictures on the wall, and he brought 

 home to his modest little collection of wives those tiger- 

 tooth necklaces, anklets and leopard-skins which were 

 the favourite items of their wardrobe. So passed ele- 

 phas 'primigenius, while early man was learning the 

 rudiments of agriculture and embroidery. And all 

 because of a fly. So you see there is something to be 

 thanldul for in the presence of pests after all. In fact 

 we might even say that mainly because of that fly there are 

 motor-buses in the Strand, and you can take a tenpenny 

 fare from Walthamstow to Ealing to-day. Who is going 

 to say that it isn't the little things of life that matter 

 most ? 



This is the position to-day with regard to insect pests. 

 Work is going on, often unseen and unheeded, though 

 not always insignificant, which we ought to understand 

 if we expect to preserve ourselves and ensure our sus- 

 tenance in the future. See remarks on Warble Fly, page 

 24. 



The methods of nature are endlessly diverse. Nothing 

 can exhaust her infinite variety. Witness the curious 

 history of the liverfluke in sheep, described elsewhere. 

 Again, some of her expedients are most incredible, 

 instances of which we may have to notice as we go on. 



