248 Field Note. 



30th ; House Martin, May 1st ; Tree Pipit, May 2nd ; Sand 

 Martin, May 6th ; Redstart, May 6th ; Spotted Flycatcher, 

 May 6th ; Wood Wren, May 6th ; Landrail, May 13th ; 

 Whinchat, May 13th ; Whitethroat, May 13th (none seem to 

 have stayed so far as yet gathered) ; Nightjar, May 17th ; 

 Swift, May 26th ; Garden Warbler, June 3rd ; Blackcap, June 

 3rd. Matthew Barr, of Walsden, records Sedge Warbler for 

 May 25th, an addition to the usual score which annually visit 

 Upper Calder Valley. 



The Caterpillar Plague in South = west Yorkshire. — 



The much-published account of the caterpillar plague on the 

 high hills in the south-western portion of our county induced 

 a few of us to visit some of the district on June 24th. Passing 

 through Birds' Edge, Crow Edge, Hepshaw, Carlecotes and 

 Dunford Bridge, we saw nothing at all unusual with any of 

 the crops in the fields. Leaving Dunford Bridge and cultiva- 

 tion behind, we proceeded over the high Saltersbrook Ridge 

 towards Woodhead. Directly we came to the Cotton grass 

 bog, numbers of caterpillars of the Antler Moth (Charceas 

 graminis) were crawling about in the road. Pulling up the 

 grass revealed many larvae just under the surface of the 

 ground. On the summit of the ridge the larvae were in 

 very great numbers, crawling about in all directions. It was 

 quite impossible to walk without killing some at every step. 

 A rough square yard drawn in the road enclosed twelve live 

 larvae and a number of dead ones. Incredible numbers had 

 been crushed to death in the roadway by passing traffic and 

 perhaps a greater number had died by being washed into the 

 streams. The cotton-grass bog on this ridge is a vast one, 

 extending for many miles, and as the larvae were always 

 plentiful all the way from Dunford Bridge to Woodhead, a 

 distance of four-and-a-half miles, it must be past comprehension 

 to imagine the number of larvae feeding here at this time. 

 The species is always abundant on these wild uplands, the 

 males flying freely in the sunshine during August. During 

 the time spent among the larvae, it is interesting to note that 

 no other larva of any species was seen, with the exception of 

 a single wireworm. — B. Morley, Wind Mill, Skelmanthorpe, 

 June 27th, 1917. 



The above note refers to S.W. Yorkshire, but enormous 

 numbers of larvae have occurred elsewhere. Altogether it has 

 been an extraordinary occurrence, the number of caterpillars 

 having been prodigious, even allowing for probable exaggeration 

 by the daily newspapers.— G.T. P. 



Naturalist, 



