Where are the Insects ?" — Mr. Mosley has put a question which 

 deserves the attention of every naturalist — using that word in its widest 

 acceptation ; but I take leave to doubt whether its true answer is in 

 accordance with his inference — namely, that the scarcity of insects during 

 the past year is due to recent legislation in regard to birds. I abstain 

 from criticizing Mr. Mosley 's estimate of the bird-population of England, 

 beyond giving my opinion that it is exaggerated ; but one thing to me is 

 obvious. No Act of Parliament can make a cup that is full hold any 

 more, and no Act of Parliament can have made birds with which this 

 couutry was already fully stocked more numerous than before. JS"ow this 

 was the case vrith nearly all the species Mr. Mosley names, and 

 accordingly on those species recent legislation has had no effect whatever. 

 They are species that without exception have never been subjected to 

 direct and continued persecution that could have thinned their numbers, 

 because it is only persecution of that kind at the breeding season that has 

 such an effect. Again, it is notorious that in the numbers of our com- 

 monest birds, such as those named by Mr. Mosley and several more, there 

 has been witliin the last few years a very great diminution. It is 

 perfectly clear to me that the excessive severity of several winters in 

 succession, and, still more, the inclemency of two springs, destroyed the 

 individuals of some species of birds to such an extent as had not been 

 known for many years — certainly not within my memory. Whether these 

 exceptional seasons have produced the scarcity of insects I do not pretend 

 to say. Finally, I would submit that Mr. Mosley 's assertion that "the 

 bird-laws have interfered with the balance of Nature " is wholly incorrect. 

 The only possible effect they could have would be to restore that balance, 

 which, in the case of wild fowl and sea birds, had been so rudely upset 

 by continued and direct persecution during the breeding season — a 

 persecution that was rapidly leading to the extermination of not a few 

 species, a result that, I x^resume, Mr. Mosley himself would deplore. — 

 Alfred Newton, Magdalene College, Cambridge, 3rd Dec, 1883. 



" Where are the Insects ?" In the last number of the Naturalist Mr. 

 Mosley offers a sensational explanation on the above subject, in which, I 

 think, he oversteps all reasonable bounds. Let us examine the basis 

 from which Mr. M. obtains such wonderful results. It is nothing less 

 than an assertion that the ichole of the insect-eating birds of England 

 destroy 300 caxerpillars each per day. This, I maintain, is much too 

 large a number, even if they fed on caterpillars alone, which is not the 

 case, and I doubt if larvae form more than 25 per cent, of their food. 

 That a pair of blue-tits are calculated to destroy 600 caterpillars per day 

 during the breeding season may be true, but then these tits are pre- 

 eminently caterpillar hunters, and a pair might destroy 600 small, but 

 not moderately-sized caterpillars. But Mr. M. bases his calculations on 

 a pint measure containing 500 caterpillars, and which he estimated to 

 weigh about one pound, and consequently 600 caterpillars would weigh 

 almost one and a quarter pounds. There is no doubt birds are gifted 



