198 The Grass or Antler Moth. By James Hardy. 



continued till the beginning of August, when they were destroyed 

 by great flocks of crows and heavy rains. After the rains, great 

 quantities were found on the sides and at the joinings of the 

 rivulets. They were not confined to this parish, but extended 

 to Liddisdale, Teviotdale, and Annandale." (Sinclair's Stat. 

 Acct., xii., pp. 610, 611). It is not quite certain that the cater- 

 pillars were those of the Antler Moth, as the author says " they 

 were of a green colour, and about an inch long ;" the discrepancy 

 in colour is perhaps owing to defective observation. In June 

 and July 1802, a similar undue multiplication of these caterpillars 

 described as " a smooth light brown caterpillar with dull yellow 

 stripes," occurred on the high benty land of the parish of 

 Yarrow around St Mary's Loch, and consuming every thing 

 green ; and though thousands of crows and other birds fed con- 

 stantly upon them, they gradually spread into the boggy and 

 finer pastures." " Where a burn intercepted their progress, 

 they lay in heaps by the side — some heavy rains at length 

 drowned or swept them into drains, many of which were totally 

 stopped." (Eev. Dr Eussell, parish of Yarrow, New Stat. Acct., 

 p. 41). 



These are the statements from the usual sources, but I have 

 been enabled to consult two of the original authorities, in works 

 now hidden away in great libraries and difficult of access, and 

 have pleasure in reproducing them as contributions to the insect's 

 history. 



The first is an article in the Farmer's Magazine, iii. (1802) 

 entitled " Account of the Worms which infested the High Sheep 

 Farms in Tweeddale in the months of June and July last." 



" The worm appeared about the middle of Jane on the high-lying farms 

 at the head of Yarrow Water, and latterly on those situated at the head of 

 Megget and Tweed. In shape it is something like the common kale-worm, 

 though smaller ; and they were found in greater numbers upon the dark, 

 than upon the sunny side of the hills. A similar devastation visited the 

 sheep pastures in this country in 1759 ; and from what I can learn, the 

 state of the weather, in the winter and spring months of that year, was 

 nearly such as we experienced this season. 



The chief devastation was committed on the high farms in the districts 

 above-mentioned. In many places the surface of the ground was quite 

 brown, after being ravaged by these insects. Patches, from half-an-inch 

 to an inch square, were totally covered with them ; and the herdsmen 

 could not safely sit down, unless they first trod them to death, for a con- 

 siderable breadth of ground around which they meant to place themselves. 

 If this precaution was neglected, worms were found crawling all over the 



