92 
E. W. SILVESTEE — EEPOET ON INSECTS 
localities from which observations were recorded, the large cabbage- 
butterfly was observed, and that it was first seen as early as March 
5th. Mr. John J. Willis, writing from Harpenden, says : “ Owing to 
the unusually large numbers of Bieris Brassicce and Mamestra 
Brassicce during the present year, the cabbage tribe in the gardens 
of this neighbourhood are suffering terribly from the depredation 
of their caterpillars, sprouting broccoli and savoys being specially 
affected.” Dr. Brett sent me a specimen found as early as 
January 28th of this year by the Bev. Newton Price. This should 
rightly appear in next year’s report, but the early date induced me 
to think that its insertion here would be interesting, and therefore 
excusable. It is worthy of notice that, generally speaking, in 
field-cultivation, cabbage-butterflies are scarce, and this has been 
especially remarked in the large market-gardens on the rich alluvial 
tracts near Brentford and Isleworth, and the reason probably is 
because there is not the same relative amount of shelter in sheds, 
or amongst walls and palings, or neglected nooks, generally afforded 
in field-cultivation for the change of the caterpillar to the chrysalis, 
as there is in gardens. Bieris Rapes, the small white cabbage- 
butterfly, was observed at five of the localities, and the honey-bee 
came in for an equal amount of attention. Mr. A. E. Gibbs, of 
The Hollies, St. Albans, writes that the 1st of January being a mild 
day, bis bees were flying, and he saw them several times on the 
wing during the previous month (December, 1882). Erom Boyston, 
Mr. A. Kingston informs me that on January 20th the honey-bee 
was very busy on the wing in search of a spray of Jasminum nudi- 
florum. Mr. B. T. Andrews, of Hertford, does not tell quite such 
a happy tale, but one which points a useful lesson as the method in 
which a mild winter often diminishes the number of hybernating 
imagos. To quote his own words : “ The honey-bee, in conse¬ 
quence of the mildness of the winter, has often been enticed out, 
but only to get chilled and die, and it was not until the 5th of 
February that it attempted to do any work.” 
I do not consider these “ first appearances” call for much com¬ 
ment, so will pass on to the few notes on injurious insects with 
which I have been favoured. 
One of the great attacks of the year has been that of the celery - 
and parsnip-leaf miner-fly, Tephritis onopordinis. Both Dr. Brett 
and Mr. Willis report it as abundant, and in my own garden it did 
great harm. Although our county suffered much from the celery- 
miner, as Tephritis onopordinis is sometimes called, some gardens 
were fortunate enough to escape it. This fly is injurious by means 
of its larva or maggot, which feeds between the two coats of the 
leaf, and by separating them gives rise to the large discoloured 
blisters which in their spread destroy the foliage and are the 
characteristic mark of the attack. The fly may be seen in great 
numbers during May, and grubs may be found in the leaves until 
the celery is taken up at Christmas. So all trimmings should be 
destroyed and not thrown on the rubbish-heap, where the grub 
will simply avail itself of its opportunities, and, instead of dying, go 
