DIAMOND-BACK MOTH. 141 



ject of Diamond-backs, I have now to inform yovi that the caterpillar 

 was observed early last week, or probably, say, the first week of July, 

 amongst my Swedes. So far the weather has not been favourable for 

 their development, and I myself could find very few. They were there, 

 but nothing can be done at the moment on account of heavy cold rain, 

 which will probably save a lot of trouble in getting rid of them." — 

 (J. P. S.) 



The reports sent in during July were not numerous, but showed 

 caterpillar ravage to be going on at various places widely apart, and in 

 some cases to be serious. Also they showed the irregular progress of 

 the stages of the attack, as though in some localities the caterpillars 

 were spinning up to pass into the chrysalis condition early in the 

 month ; in others, even in localities as widely separated geographically 

 as Kintore, in Aberdeenshire, N.B., and Swindon, Wiltshire, the 

 caterpillars were still at work, respectively, on the 28th and 29th of 

 the month. 



On the 4th of July the following notes were sent to me from High 

 Blaithwaite, Wigton, Carlisle, together with samples of the attack : — 

 *' I beg to enclose for your information specimens of the caterpillar of 

 the Diamond-back Moth, which I find infesting my Turnips. I also 

 enclose one plant to show the average size of the Turnips so infested. 

 I observed the moths in large numbers frequenting the edges of the 

 Turnip fields about a month ago, and I suppose these are from the 

 eggs then deposited. I do not think the caterpillar exists in such 

 numbers as to destroy the crop, but I suppose these will soon go into 

 cocoon, from which will emerge moths, which will breed a sufficient 

 number of a later brood which will be quite in time, under favourable 

 circumstances, to cause serious loss to the crop." 



On the 6th of July cocoons were sent me from Billinghay, Lincoln, 

 by Mr. Frank Gilbert, with the note, "When looking over our 

 Mustard this morning we found a large number of cocoons on the 

 plants." 



On the 11th of July, Mr. J. W. Moss, of Kelvedon, Essex (who 

 had communicated on the 5th regarding cocoons of the Diamond-backs, 

 of which the caterpillars had been doing much damage on two kinds 

 of Cress), wrote me further, " That the infestation was increasing 

 enormously, and totally destroying some portions of different crops, — 

 Cress, Cabbage, Broccoli, &c. ; and about an acre of Crimson Candy- 

 tuft (flower seed) is suffering terribly, and may perhaps be worthless." 



Amongst various specimens sent me from Kintore, Aberdeenshire, 

 on July 28th, as being then found on Turnip plants in the district, the 

 Diamond-back caterpillar was present; and on July 29th, a packet of 

 large Swede leaves badly eaten by caterpillars of the Diamond-back 

 Moth (the caterpillars being very numerous on them) were sent me 



