^90 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



boards, thinldnp; eollectinp; was over for the year. The night of 

 Nov. 2ncl, however, tempted me to try the gas-lamps again; and, 

 to my surprise, I took four Miselia oxj/acanthce, a moth I never 

 saw before in the district, although it is marked "common" on 

 the list ; five Himeria pennaria, two Diloha, e^riihocephnla, one 

 Asteroscopus sphinx (cassijiea), and one Calymnia pyralina, all in 

 capital condition. Cheimatohia brumata, Hi/hernia defoliaria, 

 Oporahia dilutata, and Anchocelis pistacina were also well repre- 

 sented. The nights of the 3rd, 6th, and 7th saw me at the 

 lamps again, of course with a ladder, when all the insects just 

 mentioned occurred freely, with the exceptions of M. oxyacanthce 

 and A. pistacina, which disappeared on the 7th. The weather 

 broke up again on the 8th, with storms of wind and rain ; and 

 to-night, as I write, it is difficult to believe I was moth-catching 

 only a few hours ago. 



Chester, Nov. 9, 1891. 



CURE FOR THE RAVAGES OF THE LARV^ OF NEMATUS 

 BIBESII AND ABRAXAS GROSSULARIATA. 



In the interesting lecture delivered this month by Mr. G. C. 

 Bignell, F.E.S., before the members of the Plymouth Institution, 

 on "The Hessian Fly and other Insects injurious to Farm and 

 Garden Produce," he mentions those two pests, Nematus ribesii 

 and Abraxas grossulariata, which attack the currant and goose- 

 berry bushes. The larvae of the latter have been most abundant 

 this season, and many are the loud and deep complaints I have 

 heard from neighbours. 



It may interest your readers to hear of an effectual remedy 

 which does not seem generally known, judging from my expe- 

 rience. I first saw it used in Lanarkshire, where large quantities 

 of small fruit are grown for jam- making, and to supply the 

 Glasgow markets : — Take as much hellebore as would cover a 

 penny, and mix it well in one gallon of water ; syringe the 

 bushes. When the weather is dry, the particles of hellebore will 

 stick to the leaves, and the larvse are poisoned at once on eating 

 them. I have on several occasions entirely destroyed swarms of 

 larvae in twelve hours. If rain does not fall after this, the bushes 

 should be syringed well with clean water. 



The pupse of the sawfly would no doubt be destroyed by the 

 method recommended by Miss Ormerod, but it would be heavy 

 labour when the grower has many acres of fruit trees. I there- 

 fore think it is desirable to exterminate as many in the larva- 

 state as possible. I have never heard of any inconvenience 

 caused by the use of hellebore in the manner I suggest. Abraxas 

 grossulariata larvae are most abundant in May, when the fruit is 



