142 LETTERS TO MR. GIBB [CHAP. xv. 



and Mr. Moens were good enough to take in supplying me 

 with fresh specimens) as to the species of these bloodsucking 

 pests which you have in the Forest. Would you tell Mr. 

 Moens about this when you see him, with my compliments 

 and thanks ? I think you meet sometimes. I am longing 

 to hear something of the military experiences. 



October 8, 1895. 



I am very much obliged to you for your letter received 

 this morning, and (as you kindly allow me) I will just say 

 what I should particularly like, but please believe me I 

 should be very sorry to be really troublesome. First, about 

 the Hessian fly straw. If you came on some that had been 

 infested this would answer excellently. I have got some 

 " flax-seeds" and I could slip some in. But really the 

 " elbowed " straw (bent over) into an angle (fig. 16) is what I 

 want to show. I have excellent Gout specimens. One thing I 



i and 2, young and full-grown larvae ; 3 and 4, larvae magnified ; 

 5, female beetle flying ; 6, male beetle, slightly magnified. 



FIG. 26. BEET CARRION BEETLE, SILPHA OPACA, LINN. 



should particularly like is a little bit of Mangold leaf (say two 

 or three inches square) showing Mangold maggot blister. 

 I could dry this in blotting paper (like my pea- bean- and 

 clover-leaf injuries from Sitones) and with a good supply of 

 Mangold fly and pupae which I have got, I think this would 

 be very nice. I have good grubs of Carrion Beet beetle, 

 which would be difficult to get, and I think plenty of the 

 beetle (or at hand), but, for the mangold, if I could get 

 them, I should very much like some of the Spotted or Black 

 millepedes which were such pests earlier in the year. I 

 am afraid though it is too late now. The only other thing 

 which I am very much wishing for is a good specimen of 

 apple twig, injured by American blight. A bit from six to 



