290 
in  the  world  of  naturalists,  presenting  on  the  26th  of  December, 
1844,  a written  memorial  in  which  were  set  forth  at  length  the 
results  of  successful  experiments  carried  on  by  him  in  the  sur- 
roundings of  Desio,  in  the  province  of  Milan. 
I will  relate  enough  of  it  to  illustrate  the  method  he  followed. 
Having  observed  which  species  of  insects  mostly  infest  the  plants 
cultivated  in  his  garden  at  D'esio,  where  most  of  the  experiments 
had  to  be  carried  on,  he  decided:  (1)  To  employ  climbing  cara- 
bids  to  hunt  all  the  herbivorous  (phytophagous)  insects  hidden 
under  the  bark  of  posts  and  plants,  in  the  crevices  of  walls  and 
under  the  bricks  of  the  surrounding  wall.  (2)  Staphylinids  to 
destroy  the  insects  which  nest  in  flowers.  (3)  Ground  carabids 
for  all  ground  species  or  such  as  gnaw  the  roots  and  for  all  cut- 
worms and  other  herbivorous  insects  found  on  the  ground,  hence 
especially  for  the  larvae  and  other  recently  born  forms. 
These  experiments  lasting  nearly  two  entire  seasons  resulted 
so  satisfactorily  that  Villa  drew  from  them  the  following  con- 
clusions : 
(1)  The  disappearance  of  herbivorous  insects  and  specially 
of  cut-worms  which  had  been  multiplying  for  several  years  in  the 
places  selected  by  me  for  experiment  must  be  attributed  to  their 
destruction  by  carnivorous  insects  placed  there  for  that  purpose. 
(2)  The  carnivorous  insects  after  being  taken  to  the  places 
selected  for  experiment,  having  found  food  and  hiding  places 
suited  to  their  habits,  multiplied  with  the  exception  of  Procrustes 
coriaceus  and  Chlaenius  Schrankii , the  former  preferring  plain 
mud  as  food  and  liking  a cooler  temperature,  the  second  being 
accustomed  to  inhabit  moist  places,  especially  the  edges  of  water. 
This  memorial,  the  importance  of  which  in  the  history  of  ap- 
plied entomology  is  without  question,  was  published  by  Villa 
during  the  following  year.  It  appeared  under  the  title : “Carni- 
vorous Insects  Used  to  Destroy  Species  Injurious  to  Agriculture.” 
and  added  to  it  is  a table  enumerating  the  principle  carnivorous 
insects  of  the  Milanese  district  which  may  be  employed  for  the 
destruction  of  herbivorous  insects ; also  an  “Extract  of  the 
Award”  of  the  technical  commission  of  judges  and  some  “ad- 
denta”  relative  to  the  observation  made  in  the  meantime  and 
which  he  concludes  with  the  following  passage  which  I take 
pleasure  in  reproducing  in  its  entirety : 
“May  I be  permitted  to  hope  that  others,  taking  an  interest  in 
the  subject  which  gives  hope  of  general  usefulness  and  in  which 
I for  my  part  have  the  firm  intention  to  multiply  observations  and 
experiments,  may  derive  some  profit  from  the  facts  which  I have 
set  forth,  and  may  I be  permitted  to  wish  that  it  may  not  be 
long  before  the  farmer,  informed  of  the  nature  of  his  surround- 
ing objects  and  distinguishing  those  which  may  be  useful  to  him 
from  others  which  live  on  his  labors,  he  may  not  have  to  con- 
found any  longer  the  one  kind  with  the  other  in  general  and  blind 
