o*' Injurious insects. 
27 
which we have notes, excepting at Inverurie, near Aberdeen, where 
Mr. Tait mentions that on the whole there was less injury than usual. 
With regard to remedies for this insect I am favoured with a note from 
Mr. McCorquodale, of Scone, which I have great pleasure in inserting, 
as the application of hellebore powder appears to me very perilous, 
excepting where it can be kept thoroughly under the eye of the 
superintendent. Mr. McCorquodale says:—“Twenty years ago I 
dusted my bushes with white powdered hellebore, and ten days after 
(being dry weather from the time they were dusted) a tart was 
prepared of berries from these bushes. After partaking of the tart we 
all got seriously ill, but recovered, and next day we were all right. 
Since that period I never again made use of hellebore for destroying 
caterpillars on Berry bushes. The remedy I have used ever since 
instead of hellebore, with equal success, is flower of sulphur. It is 
easily applied by dusting it over the bushes with a pepper-box while 
they are under the morning dew; or, if during dry weather, the bushes 
ought to be watered and then dusted. It is only necessary to dust the 
lower part of the bushes if taken in time. The use of sulphur is 
perfectly safe, and berries may be used at any time after its application.” 
Mr. R. Service mentions it as very destructive at Maxwelltown, from 
June 5tli onwards. At Ormskirk, Lancashire, Mr. R. Scowcroft 
mentions it had been much observed through the neighbourhood for 
, its destructiveness, the larvae taking to the Currant bushes after 
finishing the Gooseberries, of which they even attacked the fruit. At 
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and Tranmere, Cheshire, it is also mentioned 
by Mr. Mosley and Mr. Gardner as very injurious, the bushes in both 
localities being in some cases stripped of their leaves. Mr. Bairstow, 
of Huddersfield, adds, “ The Gooseberries have been devastated by the 
larvae this year.” Mr. J. B. Bridgman, of Norwich - , says, “ N. Ribesii 
is doing great mischief in the gardens, stripping Gooseberry and 
Currant bushes of every leaf, leaving only the stalks and larger veins 
remaining ; ” and, writing from Maldon, Mr. Fitch mentions the great 
abundance of this Sawfly everywhere. Hand-picking did not save the 
leaves of his Gooseberry bushes from being speedily reduced to 
skeletons, the quantity of food consumed in the time being almost 
incredible. Mr. Anderson mentions that near Chichester the first 
brood of Nernatus Ribesii made their appearance from June 3rd to 17th 
on the Gooseberry and Currant trees. He notes that the eggs are 
laid in the nervures of the leaves, and the presence of the larvae first 
shown by numbers of minute holes in the leaves, looking as if they 
had been riddled with shot; also that the habit of the larvae appears 
to be to attack the lowest branches first, and work upward till they 
