626 
Tlie Biammid-baclc Moth. 
"The weather was wet in November, but subsequently very 
dry.'— T. F. 
" The weather was particularly dry ; my land was cultivated by 
steam power. No particular weed observed.'' — W. F. 
" The weather was observably wet in the previous autumn, but 
had no weeds to clean, so the weeds could have nothing to do with 
attack."— J. H. 
" Here (Branton, Alnwick) Ave do not clean our land until just 
before sowing ; the weather at the time could not have been better 
for cleaning land. I never sowed my land in better order ; they 
were all sown by May 21, which is considered early in this district. 
There was no particular weed noticeable." — W. P. 
"Previous autumn very wet; the land was cleaned in 
spring without any difficulty, and no particular weeds were notice- 
able."-J. Sr. 
" Fine autumn till October 20, after that till December 1 very 
wet ; no particular weeds." — J. Sn. 
" There was nothing in the weather to prevent cleaning the land, 
which is singularly free from any weed. We had an extraordinarily 
dry month in February." — J. B. S. 
The first half of the autumn was dry (very) and the latter half 
wasvery wet ; no particular weed was unusuallynoticeable." — R. "W. S. 
"Remarkably dry winter and spring; no particular weed." 
— T. H. W. 
"Exceedingly dry up to October, and where stubbles were broken 
up during harvest or immediately after (before the land got too 
hard and drv for ploughing), gave farmers a good chance of cleaning 
the land."— G. T. 
Summary. — The above observations show that in some districts 
autumn or winter weather was dry, in some wet, but this does not 
appear to have affected agricultural arrangements so as to prevent 
land being properly cleaned and prepared, nor to have caused any 
special weed growth, and also does not appear to have affected 
amount of caterpillar presence. 
Where, however, there were heat and drought (as mentioned by 
Mr. J. A. Begbie in this section, and by Mr. J. Swan on page 609), 
coinciding with the appearance or observation of the caterpillars, 
this proved most favourable to caterpillar ravage. These weather 
conditions were favourable to the grubs and unfavourable fqr plant- 
growth ; consequently, until the rains came the plants were almost 
powerless to restore the devoured leafage. 
6. Wliether this caterpillar is found to especially frequent char- 
lock ? 
" Tlie caterpillar of P. cruciferarum certainly does frequent 
charlock here. Hedge-mustard (^Sisymhrium officinale) and 
shepherd's purse (Capsella Bursa-pastoris) much frequented as food- 
plants." — E. A. A. . 
" Yes."— J. A. B. 
" No charlock."— J. B. 
