Insects. 9545 



Life-History of A gratis Segetum {the Turnip Grub). 

 By Edward Newman. 



I BELIEVE I should rather understate the fact if I were to say that 

 I had received, through her Majesty's Post-office, one hundred con- 

 signments of this most injurious insect, together with details of its 

 ravages and demands for a remedy. It is taken for granted, from my 

 long course of observation, and frequent communications to public 

 papers on the subject of insect pests, that I possess a sort of omni- 

 science in these matters, whereas, the truth is, however we may seek 

 to disguise it, that the most learned and most observant of entomolo- 

 gists knows but little, very, very little ; and when he ventures on advice, 

 that advice, instead of being couched in the cabalistic figures of a 

 prescription, or a recommendation to purchase some nostrum of which 

 he, the entomologist, may be supposed the proprietor, is generally a 

 simple recommendation to the querist to allow Nature to take her 

 course. Thus, all my own observations tend to show that Nature is 

 her own physician, and that neither allopaths nor homoeopaths can do 

 anything better or wiser than allow Nature to work out her own cure. 

 In our own bodies we find that almost every disease can be traced, 

 more or less directly, to some interference with the course of Nature : 

 we eat too much, or drink too much, or interfere in some way with 

 Nature's laws ; inconvenience follows, and we demand a counter inter- 

 ference to balance the first. It is exactly thus with the world of 

 animals. Birds, insects, all living things, have their appointed food : 

 this is a law with which it is dangerous to interfere : the present 

 instance is as good an illustration of this as can possibly be given. 

 Nature supplies roots as the food for the turnip grub. Man increases 

 the supply of food prodigiously; Nature increases the number of 

 devourers prodigiously. The farmer does everything in his power, 

 and very properly so, to increase the crop of swedes, turnips, mangold 

 wurzel, potatoes, and so forth ; Nature does all in her power to increase 

 the number of the grubs so abundantly supplied with food : these 

 grubs are the especial and favourite food of certain birds — the par- 

 tridge, the rook, the starling. Following up the invariable law. Nature 

 multiplies the birds because of this superabundant supply of grubs; 

 man thwarts Nature, destroys the birds, and gives immunity to the 

 grubs. Thus we allow the grubs to increase — in fact, give them every 

 encouragement; they revel in the abundance we have provided for 

 them, and we wonder at their voracity, and demand a remedy for the 

 injury we have caused. This principle of interference is carried on 

 VOL. XXIII. y 



