LONG-HORNED CENTIPEDES. 
55 
bulbs of various plants, as of Potatoes, Parsnips, Carrots,” &c.; and 
that, according to Kirby’s observations,' they have been found de¬ 
structive to the last-mentioned of the above roots. 
The following notes sent me on the 20th of July by Mr. T. A. 
Ashton, of Temple Laugherne, Worcester, appear to point very strongly 
to the damage to his Hop-plant being caused by these centipedes, of 
which specimens were forwarded. It will be observed that the centi¬ 
pedes were found close to where the bine was gnawed, and where it 
was then fading ; likewise that after the centipedes were driven away 
from the surface of the ground by wet that less damage occurred. 
On July 20th Mr. Ashton mentioned that they had been making 
considerable havoc in his Hop-yard during the summer. They were 
only found in the old yards, and only in places there,—not generally 
distributed. The bine was gnawed off close to the crown, and the 
centipedes were found under the soil round the head of the stock, and 
in some instances in cracks in the stock itself. In no case were any 
of the centipedes to be found where the stock had been dead some 
time, as shown by the condition of the bine; all the specimens for¬ 
warded were found where the bine was fading, but not yet dead. 
It was also mentioned that the places in the yards where the 
centipedes were all found were limited to where the Hops had suffered 
from wet. After the rain had fallen (July 13th) the centipedes went 
lower down in the ground, and less damage occurred. 
I suggested that dressing the surface of the hills with ashes and 
paraffin might be of service, as being obnoxious to the centipedes,— 
and an application known by experiment on a good scale not to be 
injurious to the Hop-bine,—or that an application of “ emulsion,” as 
it is called in the United States (that is, of soft-soap and a little 
paraffin), applied as a watering, might be similarly useful; but Mr. 
Ashton did not think his own experience of mineral oil as a preventive 
satisfactory. 
The following observations of Mr. Martin Burl, of Elsenham, 
Bishops Stortford, refer to damage to Vetches or Tares infested by 
some amount of true Wireworms, but also by a much larger amount 
of the Geophilus, mentioned above. On the 28th of April Mr. Martin 
Burl wrote as follows :— 
“ Herewith I enclose specimens of insects, and would be glad to 
know if they would be the cause of my Vetches or Tares dying off, 
some few of which I also enclose ; they were sown in the autumn and 
came up very well, but have been losing plant the last two months ; 
and I am going to resow some three acres out of five, which is the 
extent of field. On digging over a piece to-day I find a very few of the 
ordinary wireworm, but a great number of the enclosed (‘ thousand 
legs,’ as we should call them).” 
