40 
NATURE STUDY NOTES 
It makes the holes by a twisting movement of its 
gimlet-shaped ovipositor, and lays a batch of eggs 
in each hole until about 250 have been deposited. 
The dirty-looking grubs known' as “Leather- 
jackets” hatch from the eggs, and are well-known 
pests to the farmer. Like the Grass Grub, they 
do enormous damage to new grass land, and also 
eat young turnip plants, etc.—both the finer roots 
and also the tender young leaves. The Leather- 
jacket is often confused with the larva of the Click 
Beetle. This larva is the well-known “Wire Worm,” 
which has a similar life history and does the same 
kind of damage to plants as the Leather-jacket. 
The Wire Worm, however, is a “grub,” whereas the 
Leather-jacket is a “maggot.” (See p. 9.) 
NOTES—The campaign against the spread of the 
White Butterfly might with benefit be extended to 
the more easily caught “Daddy Longlegs.” Many 
“Leather-jackets” continue their destructive feed¬ 
ing on roots and young plants for two or three 
years before they change to the pupa stage. 
THE HOVER-FLY AND DRONE-FLY 
DESCRIPTION—Often mistaken for bees, as 
they make a similar humming noise when hovering 
near flowers. The Hover-fly has black and gold 
bars running lengthwise on the top of the middle 
part of its body. Its head is larger than that of 
the Humble Bee, being wider than its chest. The 
hindmost part of its body is bluish black and some¬ 
what glossy. The Drone-fly is not so conspicuous, 
