o26 Hand-thrashed Rye Straw in France, [march, 



the air. The hay mite (Tyroglyphus longior), mentioned in 

 this Journal for December, 1908, p. 688, may also occur in 

 flour. 



False Scorpion, or Chelifer. — A minute creature, about 

 one-sixteenth of an inch in length, found at Firtsbury Park 

 adhering by means of its two (comparatively) large claws to 

 the leg of a common house-fly, was identified as a chelifer or 

 false scorpion. The false scorpions belong to the class 

 Arachnida, and get their name from a resemblance to the 

 true scorpions, from which they differ, however, in having no 

 sting-bearing tail. They live typically in obscure places, 

 among dead leaves, and decaying plani matter in stables, 

 mills, cScc, and in moist places under bark. The commonest 

 species is perhaps Obiscum musacorum, but another species, 

 Chernes nodosus, has also been taken hanging to a fly. Both 

 are harmless. 



Slugs. — The Board were informed in January that some 

 of the fields on a Yorkshire estate had become so infested 

 with grey slugs that at least half the crop in the case of barley 

 and oats was totally destroyed. The slugs also infested some 

 of the grass fields to such an extent that the herbage was 

 materially damaged. Slugs and snails are dealt with in 

 Leaflet No. 132, but in regard to the remedies suggested 

 therein it should be emphasised that where irritant dress- 

 ings are applied, they should be given at such times as the 

 slugs may be feeding — i.e., early in the morning or late in 

 the evening. Further, one dressing is not sufficient. Where 

 fields are badly infested, as in the case under notice, the 

 use of gas-lime would perhaps be best. The gas-lime should 

 be spread in the autumn, and be allowed to lie for six weeks 

 before ploughing it in. Both adult and young slugs are 

 killed by this treatment. 



In connection with the Order prohibiting the importation 

 of foreign hay and straw, the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries caused an inquiry to be made 

 Production of last year into the conditions under 

 Hand-thrashediRye which hand-thrashed and combed rye 

 Straw in France. stmw is produced in the North of 



France. 



It appears that in certain parts of the North of France in 



