86 
TURNIP. 
The moths are to be found about June, the caterpillars for the most 
part feed at night, and hide themselves by day sometimes under stones 
or clods, and, when winter draws on, bury themselves beneath the 
surface, or feed according to circumstances of weather or otherwise, 
and in spring come out again to feed. When full-fed, which may be 
between March and July (or in the previous autumn with A. exclcima- 
tio?iis), the caterpillars turn to brown chrysalids in the earth. 
The various caterpillars may be generally described as of a smoky 
purplish or greenish colour, greenish or paler below, with brown or 
oclirey heads, and variously striped or marked, as figured, with 
various shades of brown. They all have the habit of rolling them¬ 
selves in a ring when disturbed. The Turnip Moth caterpillars are 
distinguishable from the Heart and Dart caterpillars, often found with 
them, “ by being very horny and shining, which is much less the case 
in A. exclamationis." 
The caterpillars of the “ Turnip ” or “ Dart ” Moth were the most 
common last year. These grubs are said to feed at first mainly above 
ground, and, by gnawing through the plants at ground-level, do 
enormous mischief very rapidly. When they are older they remain 
under ground, or come up at night to feed ; and the place where they 
are may sometimes be known by the sticking out of a piece of Turnip 
leaf from the burrow, down which it has been dragged for consumption 
during the day. They are known to feed on almost all our root-crops, 
and likewise on the roots of corn and grass ; but this year notes were 
sent in, with specimens accompanying, of their ravages amongst Celery 
and on a four-acre piece of Squills; and (on the small scale on which 
it could be noted in my own garden) I found injury from them amongst 
young Cabbage when just put in after Onions. 
The first appearance of Surface-caterpillars was mentioned by Mr. 
W. W. Glenny, writing from Barking on the 27th of March, as 
follows :—“ We have had plenty of the Cabbage grub marching about 
lately, which is an uncommon outcome of a mild winter. These 
insects generally hide themselves just under the surface, and do most 
harm in August, nipping off the small seedling plants when they are 
young and tender. I never noticed them so lively in February before.” 
On Sept. 4th Mr. Glenny forwarded an account of the unsatisfactory 
following up of the unusually early appearance:— 
“ Surface-caterpillars have been exceedingly destructive, especially 
amongst the Cabbage seed-beds. The long continuance of drought 
caused the seed to germinate at irregular intervals, and the young 
plants came up slowly. This gave an advantage to the foe, who 
attacked the single plants as they appeared above ground. Morning 
by morning it was easy to mark the work of devastation that proceeded 
without interruption during the night. 
