271 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



mangels that dressings of nitrate of soda and common salt will force the 

 growth of the plants, and that paraffin mixed with soft soap and water and 

 put on with a powerful distributing machine would be efficacious in making 

 the leaves distasteful to the insects, and prevent the maggots hatched 

 afterwards from attacking them. The eggs can be seen under the leaves in 

 infested fields." 



Plague of Tortrix viridana in North Wales.— The oak woods of this 

 district are again suffering from a very serious attack of the caterpillars of 

 Tortrix viridana. Some of the largest woods have almost the appearance 

 they present in winter, the brown branches of the oaks showing up in 

 greater contrast by the presence here and there of a tree of some other 

 species in full foliage. Though most of the insect-eating birds greedily 

 devour this moth in its perfect state, I have noticed very few birds feeding 

 on the caterpillars. The Chaffinch and the Great and Blue Titmouse, how- 

 ever, apparently do so. The moths are also largely eaten by two species 

 of Bat which take them chiefly from the leaves and branches — namely, the 

 Long-eared Bat and the Whiskered Bat, V. mystacinus. — G-. H. Caton 

 Haigh (Aber-ia, Penrhyndeudraeth, Merionethshire). 



The Mustard Beetle. — At the last meeting of the Linnean Society, 

 held on June 16th, Mr. F. Enock exhibited a large number of specimens 

 of this destructive little beetle, and gave an account of a visit which he had 

 recently paid to a field of mustard which had been attacked near Cambridge. 

 Every plant was more or less affected, the leaves being almost eaten up, 

 and the beetles were everywhere swarming. Walking down a single row of 

 mustard, sixty-five yards in length, he swept off with a butterfly-net enough 

 beetles to fill a glass-jar which he carried with him. On reaching home, 

 he counted a portion and, weighing the remainder, found that he had 

 collected upwards of 15,000. Some idea may therefore be formed of the 

 extent of injury done to the entire field. 



SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



Linnean Society of London. 

 May 24, Anniversary Meeting. — Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 

 Messrs. John Humphreys and Frederick Enock were admitted Fellows. 

 The Treasurer presented his Annual Report, duly audited, and the Secretary 

 having announced the elections and deaths during the past twelve months, 

 the usual ballot took place for new members of Council, when the following 

 were elected : — Messrs. E. L. Batters, William Carruthers, Herbert Druce, 



