THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



187 



time resemble those of the skylark, but have 

 never the greenish tinge peculiar to the eggs 

 of that species. 



Varieties. — None known to me. 



NEWSPAPER 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



We have often lamented the want of in- 

 struction in natural history in our schools- 

 It would appear that even in those who are 

 generally assumed to know everything — 

 editors of newspapers— there is great need 

 for education on the same subject. In 

 certain mountainous districts of East Glam- 

 organshire there has suddenly appeared an 

 unusually large "swarm of caterpillars." 

 The following cutting from a midland news- 

 paper explains the matter : — 



"A Plague of Insects. — Immense swarms 

 of caterpillars have made their appearance 

 in the mountainous districts of East Glam- 

 organshire, causing great alarm and anxiety 

 to the farmers. In same places the moun- 

 tains have been fired for the purpose of 

 destroying the pest. The insects are of a 

 brown colour, with black longitudinal 

 stripes, and are about an inch and a half 

 long. The whole of the mountains lying 

 between the Greater Rhondda and Maesteg, 

 a distance of twelve miles, are literally 

 swarming with the insects, as well as the 

 ranges of mountains and valleys intervening. 

 Millions of the insects were found buried 

 in the peat-holes, gutters, and mountain 

 brooks in some of the localities. The crows 

 feed on the insects, and it is feared that the 

 pest will be carried to the fertile valleys, 

 and will there attack the young grain. 

 Anxiety is felt on account of the sheep, and 

 the flocks are being driven from the moun- 

 tains to other districts." 



Probably the larvae are those of Charaas 

 graminis, though the "black longitudinal 



stripes" does not correspond with it; but 

 the larvae of this species have been known 

 to appear in a similar way before, spreading 

 alarm and devastation. 



This paragraph, or some modification of 

 it, has been copied into almost every news- 

 paper in the kingdom, and has undergone 

 some surprising transformations in its pas- 

 sage. The following " improvement " is cut 

 from the pages of one of the most enter- 

 prising of the provincial dailies : — 



"Remarkable Occurrence. — A remark- 

 able occurrence has taken place in the 

 Rhonda Valley, acres of mountain sides 

 and tops being carpeted with the carcases 

 of insects rather larger than, but resembling, 

 caterpillars. The inhabitants are removing 

 them by burning. Specimens have been 

 sent to University College, London, for 

 examination." 



The oldest entomologist in existence would 

 be puzzled to say what that insect can be 

 which resembles, but is rather larger than, 

 a caterpillar. In the first account we are 

 told " the mountains have been fired for the 

 purpose of destroying the pest ; in the 

 second account this becomes, "The inhabi- 

 tants are removing them by burning." It 

 would be interesting, if it could be done, to 

 trace the gradual changes from the one 

 paragraph to the other and see how the 

 transformation had been brought about. 



While these paragraphs were startling 

 the ignorant, and the attention of every 

 entomologist in the kingdom was being 

 called to them by every one who knew of 

 their penchante for insects, there were appear- 

 ing in no less a paper than the London Stan- 

 dard, letters from various correspondents 

 respecting parasites in mackerel and other 

 edible fish. These extraordinary creatures, 

 in form like "white worms," made their 

 appearance on the plates at dinner-time, 

 emerging from the solid flesh of the fish, 

 and twisting and writhing about as they 

 emerged. In every case special attention 



