708 Reports of the Honorary Consulting Entomologist. 
habits also present. Specimens have also been sent of the small 
green willow-beetle, the Phratora vittilina, which had been 
causing serious injury to willow grounds near Ljmm, Cheshire, 
but was met by most careful and judicious co-operative mea- 
sures on the part of the growers. 
To all these and other applications sent in I have given the 
best attention in my power. 
August, 1884. 
Autumn Treatment for Prevention of Daddy Longlegs attack. — 
During this year, as well as on previous occasions, I have 
received many communications showing the great prevalence of 
daddy-longlegs' grubs in crops put in after broken-up pasture 
or clover ley. 
The undisturbed state of the surface leafage in such situations 
just suits the flies for egg-laying, and (when merely turned 
down by the plough) the grub easily comes up again to the 
crop. Any measures which will disturb the surface or make it 
poisonous to the hatching grubs are certain to be of use. 
Brush harrowing does some good by tearing up much of the 
surface rubbish in which the fly lays ; penning and hand- 
feeding sheep makes the land obnoxious for egg-laying, and the 
trampling and sodden state of surface kills any stray grubs. 
Early breaking up is very useful, as the fly looks for moist 
places, and this operation presents them instead with the dry and 
bare underside of the land-slice. But where special treatment 
is not convenient, much good may be done by applying in good 
time (that is as soon as, or before, the daddy flies appear) such 
regular agricultural dressings as will destroy the top herbage, 
and thus prevent it attracting the flies, and will likewise kill the 
hatching grub, and in due time, when mixed and worked by 
cultivation, be useful for manure. 
Heavy dressings of lime fresh from the kiln, and spread hot ; 
gas-lime at the rate of about 2 cwt. the acre, if caustic, or in larger 
proportion after some six months' exposure ; salt at from 6 to 
12 cwt. ; and lime and salt mixed, may all be expected to be ser- 
viceable. Salt acts well at about 10 cwt. per acre by also 
destroying couch or twitch ; and gas-lime is useful as rather 
increasing than lessening the value of the farmyard-manure 
applied, and likewise preventing small lumps spread about from 
becoming shelters for attack. 
It is no harm to kill the surface vegetation at the autumn 
dressing, and the heavy application, when mixed in the land, 
will do nothing but good to the next crop. 
Winter cultivation cannot be trusted to as a means of getting 
