7 
noticed on the 10th of June, and, as we can 
remember, the Plusia gamma was subsequently 
noticeable not only in its developed state, but by 
the injury caused by its caterpillars, even to the 
extent of strippiug whole fields of peas of their 
leafage. Passing on to 1880, Miss Ormerod 
remarked that the chief insect attack in that year 
was from larvae of the tipulce or crane-flies, also, and 
more commonly, known as daddy-long-legs grubs. 
These two-winged flies, like gigantic gnats, were 
most prevalent amongst moist vegetation and on 
wet land, such as was caused in many parts of the 
country by the continuous rains of 1879. The 
legless larvae, which by their peculiar shape were 
well-fitted to travel about through the earth from 
one plant to another (injuring far more than they 
entirely destroyed), were a widespread trouble— 
yet not without benefit, for it was shown by careful 
experiments how much may be done to support a 
crop temporarily attacked in this way by such 
agricultural applications and such preparation of 
the ground (coming in the scope of regular agricul¬ 
tural treatment) as were calculated to cause and 
encourage a healthy and hearty rate of growth, 
such as would counterbalance the injury caused by 
the feeding of the grub. The year 1881 was only 
too well distinguished by an attack of the turnip 
“ fly ” or flea beetle, which had been nothing less 
than a grievous scourge to agriculturists over a 
large area of England and much of the more 
southerly part of Scotland. In some cases this 
destructive attack was present to such a degree 
that scarcely one field of swedes or turnips escaped 
throughout whole counties. As to the results of 
this attack, Miss Ormerod said :—The amount of 
acreage under swedes and turnips in 1881, of the 
counties from which I had reports of attack (as 
given in the Government agricultural returns of 
Great Britain) amounted to 1,343,872 acres. In my 
estimate I have only calculated half this area as 
attacked, that is 671,936 acres, and although in 
many cases re-sowing took place twice, in some 
cases three times, and some four times, I have only 
estimated it as occurring once, and I have also 
calculated the amount of seed used per acre and its 
price at the lowest which could be considered a fair 
average. This estimate shows that for seed alone 
for one resowing of half the acreage of the twenty- 
two English and eleven Scottish counties considered 
the cost would be £75,592 16s.; the cost of one re¬ 
sowing, including the seed and some necessary re¬ 
cultivation of the ground, sowing, &c., at the rate 
