IV PREFACE. 



amount, or peculiar development, of some kinds of crop injury as 

 of that caused by Gout Fly Maggot, pp. 6 — 11, is clearly refer- 

 able to unfavourable circumstance for plant growth, laying the 

 plants more than ordinarily under the power of the maggot ; in 

 others, as with the Gooseberry Eed Spider, pp. 32 — 38, the 

 amount of progagation was favoured by weather which left the 

 myriads of pests unharmed by soaking or clearing rains ; and 

 the great prevalence of Wasjis was another entomological visita- 

 tion obviously in great part due to the absence of unfavourable 

 weather at the time of commencement of their settlements ; pre- 

 valence of Aphides was also favoured by the same conditions. 



In the course of the year, I received enquiries regarding about 

 (or U2)wards of) 145 distinct species of infestation ; these for the 

 most part asking information regarding field and orchard insect 

 pests, but including among them what are often known as 

 insect allies, as the "False Wireworms," or Millepedes; Gall 

 Mites, and Red Spider, belonging to the Acarina; " Stem" and 

 "Root-knot" Eelworms (scientifically, Nematodes); and also the 

 excessively minute six-legged creatures belonging to the division 

 of the " Springtails " (scientifically, Collemhola), which do 

 mischief to roots underground, and in various other ways, 

 and of which both the leaping and non-leaping species were 

 sent me. 



Amongst crop attacks, the points regarding Mangolds which 

 were sent me included Leaf-maggot, Surface Caterpillars, Aphides, 

 and the "Pigmy" Mangold Beetle noticed in my Report for 1892, 

 which was again reported to me by Prof. Harker, from the 

 Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester; Mustard was infested in 

 various localities by its different beetle enemies, from the sprouting 

 of the seed in the ground to its final flowering and seed stages ; 

 Peas, Beans, and Vetches had their respective attacks, mostly of 

 beetle infestation in the seed for sowing, or of another kind of 

 weevil, the Sitones, on the leafage, or of Aphides smothering the 

 plants, — this latter damage to the Beans being in some instances 

 little lessened, and that to the reapers very much increased, by 

 the numbers of Wasps attracted to the " Plant Lice." 



Corn, taken generally, did not appear to be seriously attacked, 

 although Barley suffered greatly in some places from Gout. 

 Frit Fly Maggot was also present ; and Hessian Fly was a little 

 reported to me, the first record being sent by Mr. D. D. Gibb, 

 from Ossemsley Manor Farm, Lymington, Hants, received June 

 27th. Attack of maggot of Corn Sawfly was not once reported ; 

 but it certainly did occur to me whether if one or two instances, 

 where serious damage to crop by Hessian Fly was reported, it 

 might not have turned out (as sometimes in 1887), if more 

 critically examined, to be in part due to the falling of the straw 

 from Sawfly Maggot presence. Aphis attack was little reported 

 on any kind of corn. Various moth and weevil attacks to corn 

 stacked, or in granaries, were more noticed than is commonly 

 the case. 



