The Diamond-back Moth. 
605 
quarters soot and one-quarter lime, and sown on the plants. I am glad, 
however, to say that the top dressing of nitrate of soda and salt that 
I have given mine, combined with the heavy rains, has already 
afforded an impetus to the plants ; so much so, I think they are 
growing away from the little pests and will now do, I hope." 
Two days after, that is, on Aug. 1, Mr. Taylor reported further 
" that the heavy rains appear to have killed all the caterpillars, and 
very few cocoons are left on the leaves, but the roots are slow in 
recovering. One of our tenants at Gorton used a ' scuffler ' (filled 
with boughs) on some swedes which were not hoed out ; this 
answered very well, and the plants are now growing well." 
Later on Mr. Garrett Taylor favoured me with further valuable 
information in reply to my circular, which is given subsequently 
under the respective headings of inquiry. 
The following observations are for the most part notes of isolated 
local or district observations, but are recorded, as it is presumable 
attack was more widely distributed, and in any case they are links 
in the chain of evidence showing that the infestation was present 
at greater or less intervals from Aberdeen to Dover, also on our 
western coast, and not wholly absent inland. 
Durham.~-^lv. Rowland Burdon, of Castle Eden, forwarded 
specimens of the moths and caterpillars on July 24, with the 
following information : " I have a field of swede turnips close to the 
sea — some 12 acres — almost every leaf of which is covered with these 
caterpillars, and in the same state as the enclosed specimens — and 
as there are quantities of these small moths ilying about, I fancy 
they are the source of the mischief. 
" The attack only commenced a week ago — we had dry weather 
till St. Swithin, and every day till yesterday since then has been 
wet more or less. The swedes would be meeting in the rows in a 
fortnight, but now look as if the whole field would be spoilt." 
Essex. — About August 7 very characteristic specimens of 
cocoons were sent me which had been spun on seeds of a crop of 
cress near Kelvedon. These gave me the opportunity of rearing 
very perfect specimens of the diamond-back moths. 
Kent. — On July 31, Mr. Montague Kingsford, of Littlebourne 
near Dover, reported that he had found that day in a 3- acre piece of 
Brussels sprouts, that a caterpillar had ravaged the leaves from 
underneath, and had almost destroyed the plant. He also found 
traces of it in a field of thousand-headed cabbage some distance froir. 
the Brussels sprouts. Specimens sent were for the most part spun up 
Salop. — On Aug. 3, Mr. T. H. Ward, of EUerton Grange, New- 
port, Salop, in reference to previous communication regarding 
caterpillars affecting the turnips, forwarded me specimens which 
showed the attack to be of the diamond-back caterpillars, then ravag- 
ing the leaves, and also some of the damaged leaves accompanying. 
The following note refers to observation of the caterpillars at 
Treathro, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. Mr. W. Reynolds, writing on 
July 28, reported : " Enclosed I beg to send you samples of turnip 
