266 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
were treated to a plentiful supply of dry sand, thrown up into 
the higher branches with a shovel, and over the lower ones 
through a sieve. The sand stuck thickly to the slimy skins 
of the grubs, completely covering them. Supposing the 
enemy conquered, no notice was taken of him for some days, 
when he was found to have recovered from the assault, and 
to be as vigorous as ever. It was then determined to test the 
sand experiment on a smaller scale. Several small branches 
of pear-trees were selected and marked, on each of which 
were six slugs, and these were well powdered over, and 
completely covered with sand. On examining them it was 
found that they had shed their sand-covered skin, and had 
crawled out as slimy as before. The sand was applied a 
second and a third time, with similar results. Ashes were 
next tried in the same manner as the sand had been, and 
were found equally ineffectual. Seeing then that sand was 
useless, the slugs were treated to a strong dose of hellebore 
and water, which soon finished them. Another experiment 
was tried with a solution of hellebore, and is thus re- 
ported :— 
“On the 13th of August, at 8 A.M., a branch of a cherry- 
tree was plucked, on which there were sixty-four slugs. This 
branch had only nine leaves, so it may be supposed it was 
thickly inhabited. A dose of hellebore and water was 
showered on them, about the usual strength,—an ounce to 
the pailful,—when they soon manifested symptoms of uneasi- 
ness, twisting and jerking about in a curious manner. Many 
died during the day, and only six poor sickly-looking 
specimens remained alive the following morning, and these 
soon after died. During the past season (1870) these slugs 
have been unusually abundant on our pear-trees, in many 
cases destroying the foliage so thoroughly that they looked 
as if they had been scorched by a fire, every leaf in some 
instances dropping from the trees, so that for a time they 
were as bare as in mid-winter. Nearly a thousand trees in 
the young pear orchard of the writer suffered severely. 
During the latter part of June and the early days of July we 
had no opportunity of inspecting these trees; and when we 
visited them on the 7th of July they were so much injured | 
that we thought they could not be much worse; and, as the 
slugs were then full grown and fast disappearing, and as the 
