24 
CORN AND GRASS. 
the grubs appeared at the same time in the frame and in the remaining 
portion of the turf-heap. Hot lime applied in good quantity to 
some of the grubs, which were caught for experiment, hilled them in 
about two minutes ; but lime and soot applied to check attack (in small 
quantities) had no effect, and the attack was presently checked by 
hancl-picking in the evening. 
The point of whether the grub is commonly to be found on the 
surface of the ground between dusk and dawn is of considerable 
importance relatively to best time for rolling; but the observations 
seem to leave this matter where it was, namely, that the grubs some¬ 
times come up, and sometimes stay below the surface at night. 
Mr. Berry Torr favoured me by having special observation taken 
at Westleigh, near Bideford, when bad attack (as mentioned above) 
was going forward, and the grubs were found on the surface in large 
numbers at about 1 o’clock in the middle of the night. This was in 
February. 
On the 10th of May, Mr. Scott wrote me, from Sutterton Grange, 
Spalding, relatively to search for Daddy Longlegs grubs above ground : 
—“I have looked for the grub at 8, 9, 10, and 11 p.m., but have not 
yet seen one above the surface of the ground. I found them an inch 
or so under the surface, the same depth as in the day.” 
The following notes give a few observations of the presence or 
absence of birds on infested fields , but it cannot be said that the labours 
of the Rooks were wholly satisfactory, neither that the operation of 
clearing off the grubs appears good for the domestic fowls. 
The following note, sent on February 22nd by Mr. T. Wreford, 
from Clannaborough, Bow, N. Devon, refers to a great visit of Rooks 
accompanying great presence of “ grub ” :—“ A field of wheat tilled on 
the 9tli of November was thick and ricli-looking up to 2nd December. 
There were a few days of rather sharp frost about this time : the day 
the frost left the land I was surprised to find the field so gay-looking 
turned to a dead brown fallow. We have several rookeries around 
here, and in a few hours the birds had absolutely almost destroyed 
every plant in the field. 
“My hind took at once the side of the Rooks, and we made 
a close examination of the soil. We took different parts of the 
field, and we found sixteen grubs in sixteen square inches. To 
resow the field is useless, as there is grub enough to destroy twenty 
crops.” 
Mr. T. Read, of New Barn Farm, Keynsliam, reported, on the 21st 
of May, that the only birds that visited his grub-infested Barley in any 
quantity were the common Plover or Lapwing. 
On the 7th of May Mr. Smith, of the Grove, Cropwell Butler, near 
Nottingham, forwarded specimens of the Daddy Longlegs grubs, with 
