Annual  Report  for  1910  of  the  Zoologist.  319 
no  special  comment.  Included  in  the  list  were  surface 
caterpillars,  root-fly  maggots,  turnip-gall  weevil,  mangold-fly, 
asparagus  beetle,  celery-fly,  and  also  millipedes  and  eel-worms. 
Sporadic  cases  of  attack  by  other  pests  came  to  band,  but  they 
were  in  most  instances  of  little  importance.  In  one  case  of 
celery-fly  attack  the  leaves  of  the  plants  were  observed  to  be 
eaten  away  as  well  as  blistered  in  the  usual  manner,  and  some 
caterpillars  were  found  to  be  at  work.  On  examination  they 
proved  to  be  very  young  caterpillars  of  a tiger  moth,  but  their 
presence  was  probably  quite  accidental.  It  is  chiefly  in 
connection  with  crops  of  this  group  that  a question  of  practical 
agriculture  arises  to  which  it  is  perhaps  worth  while  calling 
attention.  There  are  indications  that  pests  are  more  frequently 
conveyed  to  crops  by  the  medium  of  farmyard  manure  than 
was  the  case  some  years  ago,  and  it  has  been  suggested  that  the 
old  plan  of  allowing  the  manure  to  “ heat  ” thoroughly  before 
use  is  less  practised  than  formerly,  the  view  being  that 
valuable  manurial  matter  is  lost  in  the  process  of  “ heating.” 
The  result  would  naturally  be  that  certain  insects  in  the 
manure  which  were  formerly  killed  by  the  heat  evolved  in 
fermentation  would  now  survive  and  endanger  the  crops  for 
which  the  manure  was  used.  The  practical  agriculturist  will 
be  better  able  to  judge  if  this  change  of  practice  is  really 
taking  place.  If  it  is,  it  may  be  worth  while  considering 
whether  such  unfermented  manure  cannot  be  treated  in  some 
way  before  distribution  so  that  the  insects  in  it  may  be  killed 
without  any  destruction  of  its  nitrogenous  elements. 
Fruit  Pests. 
No  new  fruit  pests  have  been  reported,  but  advice  has  been 
given  with  regard  to  apple-sucker,  apple-blossom  weevil,  pear 
midge,  winter  moth,  gooseberry  saw-fly,  red  spider,  various 
aphidaj,  mussel  scale,  raspberry  bud-moth,  and  raspberry  beetle. 
Cases  of  unsuccessful  banding  for  winter  moth  have  been 
observed,  and  they  have  always  proved  to  be  due  to  two 
causes — too  late  banding,  and  insufficient  attention  to  the  bands, 
so  that  the  preparation  used  upon  them  has  been  allowed  to 
become  dry.  To  be  effective  the  banding  should  be  completed 
not  later  than  the  first  week  in  October,  and  the  bands  must  be 
kept  in  such  a condition  that  insects  cannot  walk  over  them. 
There  is,  of  course,  much  to  be  said  for  those  who,  intending 
to  spray  in  the  spring,  think  that  all  caterpillars  may  as  well 
be  accounted  for  by  that  means  alone  and  that  banding  is 
unnecessary  ; but  there  is  nothing  to  be  said  in  favour  of 
banding  late  or  inadequately.  The  expense  is  incurred  and 
the  object  is  not  attained. 
A bad  attack  of  raspberry  beetle  ( Byturus  tomentosus ) 
