874 On the occurrence of certain Insects, by James Hardy. 



but I have found the reference, which is " Gardeners' Chronicle," 

 1848, p. 524. Mr. Westwood recommends to powder the trees 

 with lime, or syringe them with gas-tar water. I prefer to look 

 at them as they are, although they have a withered look 



Gooseberry Caterpillars. — These are also the product of a 

 saw fly. They were scarce here last year, after two years preva- 

 lence. Others have not been so fortunate. About them and 

 other insects, I have the following notice from Mr. Simpson Bu- 

 glass, Ayton Gardens : " I do not remember of a year like last 

 for wasps and aphides. I need not mention instances, for most 

 trees and shrubs were swarming with them. We beat the goose- 

 berries into a sheet, and destroyed great quantities of them, and 

 the caterpillars at the same time. The year 1879 was a bad 

 season for caterpillars. We have tried different ways to get quit 

 of them, but the beating stick and sheet is the most effectual. 

 Strike the bare wood of the branches, and a very light stroke 

 will suffice to shake them into the sheet, then dig a hole and 

 bury them in it. We cleaned the bushes in a short time." 

 Every entomologist knows how successful a collection can be 

 made with an umbrella into which the bushes are shaken ; and 

 this is a practical application of it. 



Lepidoptera and other Insects. — Plusia Gamma so prevalent 

 in 1879, was absent here in 1880. I did not see one; another 

 observer remarks that in 1879, '' during sunshine you could not 

 look at a flower that they were not on, while this year I only saw 

 two." Cynthia Cardui was almost as scarce. I only saw two on 

 a gravel walk near the house on June 2nd ; perhaps chosen for 

 warmth. For two years Earwigs have been unfrequent ; and I 

 did not observe any Clegs; but "Horse-flies " {Stomoxys calci- 

 trans) were plentiful, and came early into houses. "Cuckoo-spit," 

 has been very prevalent in summer 1879-80 ; ferns in particular 

 were withered by it, as if a shower of acid matter had fallen on 

 them. 



Wasps. — Wasps were very scarce in 1879, but were complete 

 pests in 1880. Females, I observed, were abroad late in the 

 woods in November, 1879 ; and two or three nests had been ob- 

 served in summer in the Pease dean woods ; the first that year 

 was seen May 12. When fishing in July, I saw extraordinary 

 numbers about hedge-rows, and by planting sides, of the common 

 wasp, and they frequented the burn sides, and oozy swamps to 

 quench their thirst. The excessive quantity of Aphides in the 



