824 
Annual Report for 1893 of the Zoologist. 
are whitish, fleshy, and of clumsy appearance, on account of the 
thickness of the posterior end, which usually appears somewhat 
darker, the contents of the intestine being partially visible through 
its walls. The head is hard, of a dark yellow colour, and furnished 
with powerful jaws. There are three pairs of rather long, jointed 
legs, immediately behind the head. The body is much wrinkled 
across, and is generally more or less curled up. 
There are obvious difficulties in the way of dealing with this 
pest in meadow land, where no great amount of disturbance of the 
ground is admissible. Nor are surface dressings likely to be very 
effective in the case of a pest which can burrow out of harm’s way. 
The cockchafer larvae are somewhat slow movers, however, and it is 
probable that a dressing of alkali waste, which is very obnoxious to 
them, applied when rain is expected, would destroy considerable 
numbers of the grubs. 
In a case of this kind the farmer’s best hope is in the crows and 
other birds which will certainly be at work on the field, and which 
should be encouraged, regardless of the amount of grass they 
pluck up. Probably moles would soon clear the field of the 
grubs, but many farmers would regard the cure as worse than the 
disease. 
If the infested land has in its. neighbourhood plantations of oak 
or other trees upon the leaves of which the mature cockchafer feeds, 
it may be worth while to make war upon the pest in this stage during 
the summer months. 
Surface Caterpillars. 
These creatures, which are the larvae of various Nocture, or night- 
flying moths, have wrought much damage to turnips, mangel, and 
other crops during the year. The caterpillars operate chiefly at 
night, and for the most part underground. The injury done is 
obvious, but the cause is easily overlooked, and it is therefore not 
surprising that various quite innocent insects are constantly sent by 
applicants for advice, and that the true culprits are not found until 
they are desired to search in the ground surrounding the roots. 
Thus the very useful larvae of the lady-bird have been often 
suspected of causing the damage. No doubt a considerable amount 
of “green-fly” was present in the crop, and they were the object 
of the lady-bird’s attentions. 
Most of the “ surface-caterpillars ” — or “ cut-worms,” as the 
Americans call them— which were forwarded for examination proved 
to be the larvae of the “Heart and Dart Moth ” ( Agrotis exclamationis), 
though it is not always easy to distinguish this species with certainty 
from A. segetum, the “ Turnip Moth.” 
Treatment . — Correspondence with farmers who have suffered from 
this pest has elicited nothing very new with regard to the best mode 
of treatment. 
With the exception of hand-picking, as to the expediency of 
which there is much difference of opinion, there is little that can 
