IV 
PREFACE. 
competitive Prize Essays on Warble, sent in by students (past 
and present) of the Agricultural School, Aspatria; I have to 
offer my thanks to the Principal, Mr. W. C. Taylor, for his 
co-operation. 
During the last year attention to the subject of prevention of 
farm insect-pests has been steadily gaining ground, and much 
increased means of information placed at general disposal. 
The Reports on Injurious Insects now being prepared for 
the Department of Agriculture by Mr. Whitehead, give short, 
clear accounts of the history and habits of our commonest 
crop-pests, so plainly worded that every one can understand 
them, and, from the mass of sound and clear information they 
contain, are to be thoroughly recommended both for study and 
distribution.* The good figures given add much to their value. 
The benefit of giving plain instruction on these subjects in 
schools in agricultural districts is shown by the useful knowledge 
gained by the boys at Aldersey Grammar School, Bunbury, 
Cheshire, under the careful teaching of the Head Master, 
Mr. W. Bailey. Without taking them off the regular studies, 
and to the satisfaction of their fathers, the amount of plain 
useful knowledge gained has been so great as to elicit enquiry 
from the Consulting Entomologist of the Department of Agri¬ 
culture, Canada, for service in the Dominion. 
The re-arrangement of the cases of insects injurious to 
crops, fruit, and timber, belonging to South Kensington Museum, 
which is now in progress, promises to be of practical service. 
The insects exhibited are for the most part those which are 
serious in their ravages, and, as far as is possible, they are 
shown in their various stages (either by specimens, drawings, or 
models), with samples of injury caused by them accompanying. 
The plan now followed of placing the various kinds of insects 
which attack any individual crop (or kind of fruit, &c.), together 
with the name of the crop or fruit in plain letters at the top of 
each case, removes all difficulty as to reference. An enquirer 
has only to look for the word “Apple,” “Cabbage,” “Oak,” or 
whatever it may be, at the top of the case, and then may see, 
• * No. I. ‘ Beports on Insects Injurious to Hop Plants.’ Price Twopence. 
No. II. ‘ Beport on Insects Injurious to Corn, Grass, Pea, Bean, and Clover 
Crops.’ Price 4^d. Sold by Messrs. Hansard, Great Queen Street, London, 
W.C.; Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, East Harding Street, London, E.C.; 
Messrs. Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh ; and Messrs. Alexander Thom 
and Co., Dublin. 
