OF INJURIOUS INSECTS. 
87 
it afterwards there for several years, The climate is soft and mild, 
and the ground a tongue of mucli-wooded land, about three-quarters 
of a mile wide, lying between the Severn and Wye, about 150 feet 
above the medium tide-level. 
Liparis auriflua. Yellow-tail Moth. Mr. Dobson mentions 
. the larvae being very common at New Malden, Surrey, about July 6tli, 
and the moths at the end of August. These larvae are occasionally very 
destructive, especially to Whitethorn ; and in 1782 were so excessively 
and generally injurious that (see Stephens’s ‘Entomology,’ vol. ii. p. 66) 
orders were issued for prayers to he read in all the churches to avert 
their ravages. In the present case their appearance is coincident with 
excessively wet weather, as Mr. Dobson notes that from June 1st to 
July 27th there were not two dry days consecutively. 
Aphides —taken generally—seem to have varied much in amount 
of appearance in different localities. Mr. Malcolm Dunn mentions 
that the first insect attack of note occurred about June 20tli, when 
myriads of Aphides made their appearance on Apple, Pear, and Peach 
trees. They quickly over-rail the young growths, injuring the wood, 
and crumpling the leaves so as to cause them to fall. The fruit on 
the Pears and Peaches, being already of some size, suffered no material 
injury; Apples, on the contrary, were in many instances still in full 
flower, and the Aphides attacking the blossoms caused them to fall off 
prematurely, to the severe injury, and, in many cases, the entire loss, 
of the crop. In a very few days (three or four at the most) of 
favourable weather these pests did an immense amount of injury, 
attacking most of the plants that they affect in vast numbers; hut a 
heavy night’s rain swept all that were exposed to it entirely away, and 
the cold wet weather of July prevented those left doing much harm 
during the rest of the season. Some trees, and especially Beech, 
suffered severely during this outbreak of Aphides , some parts of Beech 
hedges in the district being so badly injured that they lost their 
leaves, and will probably succumb to the attack. Mr. Dunn observes 
that for an attack on a scale of such magnitude there is no practicable 
cure; but for plants of a moderate size, in the open air, syringing with 
diluted tobacco liquor or strong soapsuds is generally a very effective 
and most commonly-used remedy. Mr. Mosley, writing from Hudders¬ 
field, mentions that Aphides have been exceedingly numerous on almost 
everything; and at Addington, Bucks, Mr. Matlieson notices the Green 
Fly as having been most troublesome on Plum and other trees. He 
also mentions the prevalence of a white Aphis on the roots of vegetables 
to such an extent as nearly to destroy some of the crops, such as 
Lettuce and some kinds of Cabbage. The Green Fly is also observed 
