212 LETTERS TO DR. FLETCHER [CHAP. xix. 



Mediterranean flour moth (p. 179) has made its appearance 

 in Moscow ? It is now a few weeks since Dr. Lindeman 

 wrote me that it had been found there in a chocolate or 

 cocoa store brought by bags from London (England). Ap- 

 parently the enemy was descended on with full power, and 

 no delay, and he hoped it was stamped out. It puzzled me 

 at first how kuhniella came to be in chocolate, &c., but it was 

 suggested that these food-cake compositions were much 

 adulterated with flour. The pest is steadily spreading here, 

 and you will see in my Report that I have again reprinted a 

 portion of your directions. 



The weather has been so wet that very great breadths of 

 wheat-land have remained unsown, so at present I have had 

 little inquiry about the young plant pests, but with warmth 

 and sunshine I expect they will come with a rush. I am 

 just beginning a second edition of my little " Guide." 



August 22, 1892. 



After an operation on my knee the joint was right, but the 

 long suffering had lowered my health exceedingly and great 

 pain pretty constantly in the troubled limb, with occasionally 

 racking neuralgia, reduced me to such a state that I was 

 gravely warned recovery was hopeless unless I lessened 

 the enormous load of work. So as it was the engaged and 

 routine work of my " office " which was so very harassing, I 

 resigned my post at the Royal Agricultural Society as their 

 Consulting Entomologist, and I have ever since been steadily 

 progressing towards recovery. Sleep has returned, and the 

 ierrible pain of the neuralgia is gone, and I can work happily 

 and comfortably. 



I do not know how it happened, but the work (quite 

 beyond what seemed my work) amplified on all hands 

 Continental and Colonial, and revision of papers, &c., &c. 

 until it would have required a good man of business arid 

 a staff to see to it all. So I cut the Gordian knot. 



I hope not to make any difference at all in my Agricultural 

 Entomological work for the country, especially as referee for 

 the farmers and fruit-growers and the agricultural papers ; 

 also to continue my Annual Reports and in all ways to work 

 thoroughly. But this is very different to being obliged to 

 attend ex-qfficio to people and things who or which appeared 

 to me really often to take up time to little purpose, or even 

 to prevent attention to really important investigation. 



November 21, 1892. 

 One very great trouble last year was the fungoid attack to 



