CHAPTER XV

LETTERS TO MR. D. D. GIBB

Great Tortoiseshell Butterfly—The Forest Fly—Numerous other fly-pests and fly-parasites—A few Moths.

The subjoined letters to Mr. Gibb are unique in that they deal with a wider range of subjects than any of Miss Ormerod’s letters to other British observers. She recognised and appreciated her correspondent’s accuracy of observation, and gratefully acknowledged the assistance she received through the numerous specimens he so promptly collected for her when in need.

_To D. D. Gibb, Esq., Assembly Manor Farm, Lymington._[60]

TORRINGTON HOUSE, ST. ALBANS, _June 26, 1894_.

DEAR SIR,—I am very much obliged to you for kindly sparing time to let me have your careful observations received this morning, together with the specimens of the Great Tortoiseshell butterfly, _Vanessa polychloros_, infestation. I have been very carefully noting, measuring and counting, so as to secure details, and presently I think with your own observations these will form a very serviceably interesting paper. That patch of eggshells contained over three hundred eggs, as near as I could count by taking numbers in length and breadth. Your two caterpillars had been over hasty in their arrangements, and changed to chrysalis on the journey, and consequently made not a good business of it, but one of those you sent me previously, having better surroundings had done its work thoroughly well, and is a very beautiful specimen which I hope will develop. I propose to have a good figure engraved of the butterfly, chrysalis and caterpillar.

All your other notes I have also read with much interest, especially those on turnip management, and your remarks about “warble,” and in due time I shall be much obliged by being allowed to use these in my next Annual Report.

_July 27, 1894._

I am very much pleased to hear that you have hatched two of the Large Tortoiseshell butterflies from your specimens. This is very interesting as completing your previous observation, and I am particularly glad of this note of date of development for I am afraid that the only really good chrysalis which I secured from your larvæ does not seem likely to develop. However, it gave me an opportunity of seeing the beautiful colours and the six bright mother-of-pearl-like spots on the back. Many thanks for kindly offering me a specimen, but I should not like to take it—for it is of special interest with you to illustrate this rare attack, and also it is very difficult to ensure safety in transmission. Many thanks all the same, and also for your Hessian fly specimens received a short time ago, and for the further notes now. I am sorry not to have acknowledged them and the information in the letter accompanying them sooner, but I had a deal of work, and some temporary difficulty from breaking a blood-vessel in one eye. However I am thankful to say that is all right again.

I have no doubt you are right about the weather making a most important amount of difference in extent of injury both from Hessian fly and Diamond-back attack. If it had been hot I am afraid _Plutella cruciferarum_ (Diamond-back moth) would have done a deal of mischief. The little Charlock weevil, _Ceuthorhyncus contractus_ (see my seventeenth, 1890, report), has been doing a great deal of mischief to young turnips at some places on the east side of the country.

_July 30, 1894._

The _V. polychloros_ specimen came to hand little, if at all, injured by its journey, and in beautiful order for figuring. I am very glad to have it, for besides proving the caterpillars to be of the “great tortoiseshell,” I had the opportunity of seeing the row of long bristles or stout hairs about a third along the lower part of the front edge (the costa) of the fore-wings. This row of hairs is the structural difference between this “great tortoiseshell,” and the “small tortoiseshell” (which is without them), but otherwise the two species are so much alike that there used to be doubts whether they were not merely varieties until this point was noticed by a Dutch entomologist, Mr. Snellen. I shall be glad to refer to this point, for it is important and was observed after our chief manuals of _Lepidoptera_ were published.

On referring to your letter accompanying the Hessian fly puparia, “flax-seeds,” in which you notice some of them being within the stalks, I remembered I had not precisely replied to this part, so I do it now. I think this position, though not characteristic, is not very uncommon, and is caused by a weakness of the stem. I have from time to time found the stem cracked longitudinally and the “flax-seed” partly slipped into the cavity.

_August 22, 1894._

I have to-day had a request from Dr. Ritzema Bos for some specimens of Hessian fly puparia _in situ_ or otherwise. If you could do it without inconvenience, could you oblige me with some “flax-seeds” if you come on them at threshing time; and you will be good enough to let me have also a few pieces of barley or wheat stem just three or four inches long with the flax seed still adhering.

I hope you are having good harvest weather, but indeed this is the first really good bright summer’s day we have had for a long time, and to my eye the wheat round here has a grey look instead of the bright colour.

_August 28, 1894._

Your packet of infested straw came safely to hand this morning and I am very much obliged to you for kindly taking all this trouble. I have repacked the Hessian fly straws, winding a thread over the place of deposit of the puparia on the barley straw for fear they should get from under the sheathing leaf and be lost. I am sure Dr. Ritzema Bos will be very grateful for the help, and also for its coming so promptly.

Thank you also for the _Chlorops_ (Gout fly) specimens; they were particularly acceptable just now, for, if all is well, Professor Riley means to look in early next week before he returns to the U.S.A., and I think he would like to see them.

_April 26, 1895._

If I am not troublesome I should be very greatly obliged if you would tell me anything as to the methods commonly used for keeping off attacks of the Forest fly, _Hippobosca equina_, which is such a special pest in the New Forest to horses not used to it. I mean the thick made fly of which I enclose a figure (18), natural size and magnified, which deposits an egg-like puparium or chrysalis case in the hair of the horses, from which case the fly presently comes out. I believe you will know exactly the infestation I refer to, and any information which you may be good enough to give me, as to how to prevent it coming at horses and settling on them, I know would be quite sound and reliable. I am receiving so much application for information about the habits, &c., &c., that I feel sure my best plan will be to issue a leaflet as soon as possible with figure included at the heading. I have, I think I may say, far more in the way of description and nature of the fly than can be needed, but it would help me very much indeed to have a recipe for any application which was really known to answer in keeping the attack off riding horses. I am sure you would allow me to add this to my leaflet, acknowledged to you. I make no doubt quantities of things, especially of the nature of soap or soft soap (not caustic) or lard, and a little paraffin or sulphur, would with careful attention keep the flies from congregating permanently, but the thing in hand is to prevent them coming at the horses and causing dismal downfalls! I have heard lately of a plan of rubbing horses with paraffin—very efficacious, I should expect, but not the thing to benefit the clothes of the riders!

_Wednesday night, May 1, 1895._

I am exceedingly obliged to you for your most helpful letter and the live specimen, which I learnt a great deal from, before we re-captured it, and stopped its activity with some benzine. It slipped out of my fingers somehow, out of your careful packing, and kept flying at my light woollen shawl, varied by taking a promenade (which I was very conscious of) on the top of my head. It struck me as suggestive that it selected me (not my sister or our housekeeper) for this purpose, because I never use any kind of pomatum. I like my hair as smooth as can be, so the creature did not establish itself, but judging by feeling, it had much pleasure in its survey. I noticed the set of the wings, and perhaps I can get a figure.

When the flies are more plentiful, so that it would not give you too much trouble to secure some, I certainly should like two or three very much, but please do not let me intrude too much on your good nature and time. I will write again presently to say how I am getting on with the leaflet, but I did not like to delay thanking you heartily longer than I could.

_May 10, 1895._

I am very greatly obliged to you for all the information in your letter, and also for the four live and hearty flies. These have been very valuable to me, and I cannot help thinking I have discovered a point not previously observed in the structure of the feet which may prove of importance practically. However it may have been known, so I have written to-day to our great English authority, Mr. Meade, to ask him what he thinks about it and will write you again. I fancy that your specimen’s being so fresh allowed me to make out the point. Still I may be wrong.

P.S.—I was told yesterday that a worse trouble in the forest than the Forest fly is the “Great Gadfly” the _Tabanus bovinus_. Do you think this is so? This fly is such a very large creature indeed, see figure (19) of it with wings laid at rest and expanded. I should have expected to hear of it before now.

_May 20, 1895._

I received the first copies of my Forest Fly leaflet late on Saturday and now enclose you a few with great pleasure. Please tell me if more would be acceptable, as you know how gladly I would send them, and you have helped me most importantly. I have only had a moderate impression struck in order that I might be able to alter or add as seemed desirable.

I thought a deal of what I could manage, as the flies came at me and I could watch them, but I did not see my way at all to making a more useful figure than that by Dr. Taschenberg, which tells little. Mine is after the figure by Professor Westwood drawn for the plates of “Insecta Britannica—Diptera,” and these are regular standard reference plates.

_July 1, 1895._

We have really captured some of the _Hippobosca equina_ in North Wales. The account will be in next number of the “Veterinary Record.” I have identified them with quite absolute certainty, but I suppose I must not forestall the “Veterinary Record,” as it sent me the flies.

_July 11 or 12, 1895._

I am very much obliged for your further consignment of the _Tabanidæ_ (Horse gadflies), and especially for the liberal supply of the Great gadfly (fig. 19). What a very grand fellow he is, and how very painful the attack must be. I have to-day written to Mr. R. H. Meade about this great variety of Gadflies which you are letting me have, and offering to send him duplicates.

Many thanks also for first, and as yet only, note of presence of Hessian fly this season. About these curious markings on the side of the straw—are they not very like those of the maggots, “red maggots,” of the _Diplosis equestris_, the _Cecidomyia_ or Great midge, mentioned in my thirteenth Report, at p. 30? I think you have this report, and if you chanced to have leisure to compare some specimens with my sketch, you would see what you thought. The workings do not seem to me as regular, but yet there is a strong resemblance.

I am working up the Gadflies as well as time allows, and through courtesy of Mr. Janson have had a loan of a volume published in 1842 of a serial called “Isis” so as to be able to study the very special paper in it by Zeller, which is the authority on some of the important points, and which cannot now be bought by itself. I thought this was a kind help, for the whole book is very costly.

_July 31, 1895._

I have a promise from Professor Mik, who is a special authority on flies, that when he returns to Vienna he will let me have such duplicates of the _Tabanidæ_ as he has, which will be a great help. I have had an artist down from London who has made most beautiful drawings for engraving of the fly’s foot (plates XXIII. XXIV.), but I greatly want some dissections made of it, and I have only this morning heard where I could get this minute work done. Would you mind the trouble of once again letting me have two or three Forest flies? I should be very much obliged, for though I keep the specimens most carefully that you let me have, some quite fresh would answer much better for dissection.

It is very curious that until Mr. Goodall (a highly accomplished veterinary surgeon) noticed the long bristle attached to the _H. equina_ foot, no one except that wonderful observer De Geer appears to have noticed it, or what is perhaps still more astonishing, repeated De Geer’s observation and figure.

_August 13, 1895._

I am much obliged by your letter of the 8th inst. with observations of the effect of temperature and weather on presence of Forest fly, and now again this morning, and very much, for the supply of Forest flies, which were alive I should say by the grumbling in the corn-stem, until I chloroformed them.

Your “black ants” appear to me to be _Formica fuliginosa_, of which it is stated in Frederick Smith’s British Museum Catalogue of British Fossorial Hymenoptera [burrowing four-winged insects], p. 11, that “this species is at once recognised by its jet-black colour; its usual habitat is the vicinity of a decaying tree or old post.” I only twice met with this kind in my father’s woods, each time, curiously enough, one of my brothers who had a great fondness for ornithology saw the Hoopoe. As this rare bird is stated to have a fondness for this special kind of ant I conjectured its presence was caused by the _fuliginosa_ being present. Their workings were wonderfully destructive in the felled stump which they chose for headquarters. I certainly think you need no advice from me on the head of dealing with them, but it just occurred to me that, if they come in a definite line still, and you could not run them up to their starting point, it might answer to put a couple of half-decayed stumps across their line of march. Might they not adopt the suggested new settlement?

I am getting on with the Forest fly and lately I have been studying the claws. I have only just discovered that along the lower part of the large-curved claw is a saw-toothed edge, and to this the slanting grooves which I had previously noticed run down one furrow to each notch so as to give an enormous power of holding and tearing. I think the thumb claw is also to some degree furnished both with saw- and file-like markings (fig. 22).

P.S. I can only see the saw and file mark with a good side light, when the claw is examined in natural state, not in balsam.

_June 20, 18096._

I was very glad to have your note of first capture of _Hippobosca_ (Forest fly) on May 6th. I wonder whether on your Red-Deer (or Roe Deer, if you have them) you find the Deer Forest fly, the _Lipoptena cervi_. I am having a deal of communication about it as having been observed as a very noticeable infestation on Deer in one locality in the North of Scotland. I believe it is troublesome to people moving in the parts it frequents, but the odd thing about it is, that whilst the females are considered (or conjectured, for it is not quite certain) to be always wingless, yet the male flies are developed with wings and drop them, something like ants, on settling on a host animal. It would be very interesting if you found any of these; they come very near the so-called “Sheep tick” in their nature, only neither male nor female of the “Sheep Forest flies” is ever winged. It is also very curious that from some unaccountable confusion the generic name has gone wrong; it seems obvious it should be _Lipoptera_, “without wings,” but—it is supposed by some error in printing—_Lipoptena_, which has no meaning connected with the fly, has got substituted. I think it would be well presently to try to get this put right.

_August 29, 1895._

I am writing a few lines to mention that Mr. Meade has verified my identification of the New Forest _Tabanidæ_ for me as being all correct, with one exception. He thinks the _glaucopus_ is more like _cognatus_, but Brauer of Vienna says the latter is only probably a variety of the former, so this is no great matter. Mr. Meade is not only an eminently skilled dipterist himself, but he also possesses a collection of the _Tabanidæ_ (our British kinds) named for him by Dr. Brauer, the great continental authority. So now we stand on a very firm footing (thanks to the trouble which you and Mr. Moens were good enough to take in supplying me with fresh specimens) as to the species of these bloodsucking pests which you have in the Forest. Would you tell Mr. Moens about this when you see him, with my compliments and thanks? I think you meet sometimes. I am longing to hear something of the military experiences.

_October 8, 1895._

I am very much obliged to you for your letter received this morning, and (as you kindly allow me) I will just say what I should particularly like, but please believe me I should be very sorry to be really troublesome. First, about the Hessian fly straw. If you came on some that had been infested this would answer excellently. I have got some “flax-seeds” and I could slip some in. But really the “elbowed” straw (bent over) into an angle (fig. 16) is what I want to show. I have excellent Gout specimens. One thing I should particularly like is a little bit of Mangold-leaf (say two or three inches square) showing Mangold maggot blister. I could dry this in blotting paper (like my pea- bean- and clover-leaf injuries from _Sitones_) and with a good supply of Mangold fly and pupæ which I have got, I think this would be very nice. I have good grubs of Carrion Beet beetle, which would be difficult to get, and I think plenty of the beetle (or at hand), but, for the mangold, if I could get them, I should very much like some of the Spotted or Black millepedes which were such pests earlier in the year. I am afraid though it is too late now. The only other thing which I am very much wishing for is a good specimen of apple twig, injured by American blight. A bit from six to nine inches long, which I could split down, would suit me very nicely.

I may mention that I am preparing an exhibit for the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society Show next May, but I am collecting beforehand to be sure. This afternoon I have arranged a nice case to show Bean and Pea seed and Leaf weevil injuries. [See Appendix C for list of cases and contents.]

_October 22, 1895._

I am greatly obliged to you for the very acceptable parcel of specimens, which arrived in excellent order this morning. Indeed I feel very much indebted to you, for I know the trouble it takes to collect and pack in this careful way. The Hessian fly wheat was particularly acceptable as I had just two or three old straws, but this to freshen them up (with the insect and figures) makes a beautiful exhibit. The mangold leaves are also a great help; and nothing could be more characteristic than the American blight. I have not fully examined the contents of the bottles, but I see some nice _Julus guttatus_ (Snake millepedes) and also a few of the long, thin, yellow, electrical centipedes, which I shall hope will keep their colour nicely in spirits. Indeed it is a very welcome contribution.

I have been ill with rather a bad quinsy, followed by something going wrong with my mouth and tongue, but I have nearly recovered now, and as I was directed to keep indoors, I have been getting on with the cases.

Besides the more customary crop and other attacks, I thought such things as liver-flukes (in spirit) and a good number of the little “water snails,” _Limnæa truncatula_, (such tiny shells!), which is their host in the early stage, with figures of the intermediate conditions, would be of useful interest; also a couple of bottles with contents of sparrows’ crops, showing the great amount of corn they eat, as well as a number of locusts in the condition in which they are imported in lucerne from Buenos Aires.

_November 26, 1895._

This sort of brickdust-like deposit is, I think, eggs. I had a quantity of it sent me about six weeks ago by a fruit salesman and auctioneer who had got 10,000 apple trees infested. It agrees in measurement and colour, &c., with the general description given by Mr. Frazer Crawford (of Adelaide) of the eggs of the Red spider, _Bryobia ? speciosa_, (fig. 52) found on apple in South Australia, but I do not think we can be quite certain of its nature until the contents hatch. About ten days ago I thought that I found fungi developing in the patches, so I sent a good supply to Professor M. C. Potter (Botanical Professor of Durham College of Science), for I was sure whatever he would say would be trustworthy. He wrote me that there was fungus amongst the red spheres. He did not believe that they were fungoid; but thought, like me, that they were eggs. Certainly you are right in considering them not American blight, although on one of the twigs you have sent me there is a swelled cankered piece that looks very much, to general observation, like that attack. I wish I could give you a plain straightforward answer, but the above is the best I can tell you at present. Mr. Nixon, whose name you will remember in my yearly reports connected with Red spider, says that he knows this “red deposit” well and does not think it does harm, but I should think it would be but prudent to have some soft soap mixture or antipest at hand, against hot sunshine in late winter days.

Many thanks for your good wishes, which I heartily reciprocate, to you and to your young people. I cannot say I have been well. However, I am much better, but we are anxious, for my only remaining brother (who is nearly eighty) had a stroke of palsy last year, and on Sunday he had a second, but he is not suffering, which is a great comfort.

_July 3, 1896._

I thank you very much for taking the trouble to send me this good supply of _Tabanidæ_, and still more especially for the Forest flies. I thought these were all dead, but whilst I was opening the bit of straw in which you pack them so cleverly, they began to tear out headlong—luckily I thought of catching the whole affair together in my closed hand, and then, pouring some chloroform in between my fingers, I got them all safe.

I am very much interested about this poor young woman’s death from poisoning by a fly or insect attack.[62] I wish it had been possible to secure the pest, it would be so really useful to make out whether the evil was from the nature of the bite or sting, or whether from ill health or other cause the sufferer was unusually susceptible.

_December 14, 1896._

I am troubling you with a few lines to ask whether you would kindly tell me if the caterpillars which did so very much harm to the oak leafage in your neighbourhood in May, were mostly “loopers”—or the dull, dirty green, or leaden-coloured larvæ of the _Tortrix viridana_ (Oak-leaf roller): you just noted the very great amount of attack to me, in your letter of the 12th of May. I conjecture they would be loopers (? Winter or Mottled Umber moth), for you note that “the moths appeared unusually early, and as soon as the bud began to open, the little caterpillars were upon them,” and I think you would be referring to the early appearance last autumn of the Winter moth. But a note from you would be very valuable. I am wanting to make a really good paper on “Leafage Caterpillars”—people seem not to understand that though the remedies we know of can be used at a paying rate on orchard trees that we can get at, yet, for a mile of avenue “ancestral timber!” or for woods with their trees touching, and no passage for machines, the expense of treatment could not be met.

_August 5, 1897._

I am greatly obliged to you for your very interesting and valuable observations, and for the accompanying specimens of corn attacks. What a collection to find in one field! I do not remember having had wheat attacked by _Chlorops_ before, though it is subject to the attack, and it is years since I have had the Sawfly attack. In one stem the grub had spun itself a beautiful case just within the lowest part of the stem, and being kept steady in the transparent covering, it gave me an excellent opportunity of examining it.

I am very glad also of your definite observation of presence of Diamond-back moth. I should not much wonder if we saw more of it next year, for I have just had a very few specimens sent from widely distant localities.

_August 7, 1899._

I am very much obliged to you for your letter of the 3rd with notes of Hessian fly (fig. 15),and Corn sawfly presence. I have examined the specimens, and it seems to me that those of the Hessian fly attack close to the root are of the same nature as some I have had before. I think your notes would be interesting for my next Annual Report. I was very much pleased to notice some time back, that in an official U.S.A. report, attention was markedly drawn to the great importance of destroying puparia of Hessian fly as a means of keeping attacks in check. My name was given as having upheld the plan in England. I am truly glad that the States people have taken this improved view of preventive measures.

The weather has been quite distressingly hot here, with often a glare of sunshine on this exposed south-west slope that was very painful, and with the heat quantities of the Cabbage white butterflies came out. I got my gardener to syringe the brassicaceous plants with “antipest” as an experiment, and I certainly think that afterwards there was not nearly as large a proportion of the butterflies on the cabbage as in the adjacent flower garden.

Believe me,

Yours very truly,

ELEANOR A. ORMEROD.

D. D. Gibb, Esq., Barton, Marlborough.