12 



CORN ANt) GRA^S. 



tree to nip these off when the caterpillars were found to be within, or 

 strong jarring of the branches to make them fall, and then destroying 

 the larvae, would do good. Spraying with Paris-green would be an 

 obviously useful treatment, and hand-picking still more so, where the 

 great spiny caterpillars were in reach, as thus, when they were full- 

 grown and seeking convenient place for turning to chrysalis-state, 

 much might be done towards preventing recurrence of attack ; but 

 generally speaking the large and beautiful insects are so scarce that 

 they might be left uninjured with little fear of consequences. 



COEN AND GEASS. 



"Antler," or "Grass" Moth. Chanms (jraminis, Stephens; 

 Cerapterijx (jraminis, Curtis ; and parasites of caterpillars. 



Char.5;as gkaminis. — Antler Moth and caterpillars. 



One of the most remarkable insect appearances of the past year 

 has been the widespread outbreak of vast numbers of the caterpillars 

 of the Antler or Grass Moth (well described locally as" the " hill-grub ") 

 in the S.W. of Scotland ; these attacks, as will be seen by the following 

 observations, and also as specially reported by Mr. Robert Service, of 

 Maxwelltown, Dumfries, "being more or less general over the hill 

 country of Kirkcudbrightshire, and over the adjacent sheep-farms in 

 Ayrshire, the Dumfriesshire hills, and the contiguous sheep-farm 

 districts in Lanarkshire, Peebles, Selkirk, and Roxburgh. Seven 

 counties were affected to my knowledge, and there may be more." — • 



(R. S.). 



So far as the presence of the moth is concerned, this species has 

 been recorded as widely distributed in England. It has been noticed 

 as occurring at many places from various south-coast localities north- 

 wards, and also over the Scotch border, and in some of these places as 

 being commonly found.* In Ireland the species is recorded as being 



* See Stainton's ' Manual of British Butterflies and Moths,' vol. i. p. 204. 



