608 
The Diamdnd-hacJi Moth. 
the appearance as if lime had been sown on them. On looking more 
particularly, it was found that the plants were infested with small 
green caterpillars which had eaten the under side of the blade, 
leaving the thin film on the surface. In this way whole fields were 
destroyed. In other cases portions of a field seemed to escape with 
comparatively little damage.' 
On July 20 (the same date at which Mr. Andrew Balsillie, of 
St. Andrews, noted the great injury from caterpillar), Mr. David 
Carswell, writing fi'om Rathillet, Cupar, Fife, about nine miles west 
of St. Andrews, forwarded me specimens of diamond-back caterpillars 
with the observation that they were eating to a large extent a field 
of his yellow turnips. The following day he wrote me that he 
heard in the market great complaints of this green caterpillar as 
being all over Fife, and some fields eaten up ; likewise that when in 
the field that morning he saw a great many white moths ^ which he 
presumed were the progenitors of his caterpillars, and again on the 
23rd (notwithstanding very heavy rains) the moths were still 
about. 
In the following observation, though from subsequent communica- 
tion it was plain the attack was of diamond-backs, the little moths, 
as I saw them at first, were indistinguisliable as to species. 
On July 7, specimens of moths were sent by Mr. John Lee, of 
Coates, near Largo, Fifeshire, who mentioned that they were very 
numerous, especially on the turnips which he had not singled, but 
that no caterpillars were to be found even after careful search. On 
July 25, Mr. Lee further wrote that caterpillars were very numerous 
on the fields on which tlie moths had been seen flying. 
On July 22, Messrs. Drummond added to previous communica- 
tions regarding the diamond-back visitation : " We have complaints 
of it from east and north of Fife, of Kinross, and Forfarshire, in 
nearly all cases from the districts near the Firths of Forth and Tay, 
where the rainfall during the early part of the summer has been 
less than in most parts of Scotland. Over a considerable part of 
the area heavy rain has fallen since the beginning of the week, and 
we hope to hear that it has interfered with the ravages of the cater- 
pillar." 
On July 24, Messrs. Drummond further mentioned : "Additional 
specimens have reached us this morning, and we hear that there 
are slight attacks in our own neighbourhood." A communication 
sent by Messrs. Drummond, of Stirling, to the Stirlimj Jotirnal of 
July 24, gives another locality, and is of interest also as mentioning 
' Reasons for this are given under replies referring to effects of nature of 
land. 
* White Moths. — Tlie different colours and patterns of moths and butter- 
flies are given by small coloured scales on their wings— the powder, as it is often 
called, which remains after carelessly rubbing one of their wings on the 
fingers. These scales are very easily rubbed off, and when the specimens are 
old, or have been packed so as to shake about, it may very likely chance that 
nothing but the wliitish membrane of the wing remains, and tlie moth to a 
general observer would appear to be white. 
