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dark twigs. They live exclusively beneath the soil and, 
although they devour a considerable amount of dead 
vegetable matter, their staple diet seems to consist mainly 
of the roots of various plants. They are specially common 
in damp parts of meadows, wherever there is rank herbage, 
Soccally grass. Leather Jackets feed mostly at night 
when they often come to the surface of the soil. When 
fully fed they turn to elongate pupa, which force their 
way to the surface of the soil, where they may be often 
seen projecting for about half their length vertically out 
of the ground. The Crane Flies issue late in the spring 
and lay their black spindle-shaped eggs on or near the 
surface of the ground. These eggs give rise to the Leather 
Jackets which eventually transform into a second brood 
of Flies appearing in great numbers during August and 
September. The late brood of Crane Flies is always more 
abundant than the spring one, and their eggs develop into 
larvee which remain beneath the soil all through the winter. 
They are often abundant in garden lawns in low-lying 
districts, and it is advisable in such cases to roll heavily 
and keep the grass closely cut.. Rolling at the proper 
seasons crushes the pupz and if done regularly after dark 
a large number of the larve would probably also be 
destroyed. When present in large numbers thorough turn- 
ing of the soil in the autumn and winter renders the larve 
accessible to rooks, starlings, and other birds which prey 
upon them in large numbers. A good soil dressing 1s 
1 to 2cwts. of nitrate of soda to the acre, and although 
Leather Jackets are susceptible to its effects, they are by 
no means always eradicated. Gas lime is only doubtfully 
effective. Theobald advises the use of traps of partially 
buried turf as a device for enticing the Flies to lay their 
eggs, and also to attract the larve from the adjacent soil. 
To arrest local attacks in parts of lawns and beds 3 oz. of 
carbon bisulphide to each square yard injected by means 
of a Vermorel injector, or other suitable instrument, to a 
depth of about 6 inches is usually quite effective. 
The Pear Midge (Dzdlosis pyrivora) (4) is one of the 
worst enemies of pear growers. All varieties appear to be 
attacked by this Insect, but it is not known to affect any 
other kind of fruit. The adult Midge is only about }in. 
long and is blackish-grey or black in colour; the female 
can be distinguished from the male by the abdomen ter- 
minating in a long pointed egg-laying instrument or 
