grown the caterpillar measures about 1 inch in length, and is rather slender in shape, with the legs and claspers reddish yellow. The head is dull, reddish brown, lightly covered with long greyish hairs, with a slender tuft projecting from each shoulder beyond the head, the tip of each of these long hairs forming a swollen lance-shaped point. Along the centre of the back, from the centre of the first four abdominal segments there is a thick erect brush-like bunch of greyish brown hairs, the thoracic segments in front of these tufts being marked with yellow, and the whole of the upper surface of the caterpillar is covered with long brown hairs, and patches of shorter grey hairs along the sides, a large projecting plume being formed on either side towards the tip of the abdomen. All these hairs are very finely feathered, which gives them a downy appearance.

When full grown they crawl into any corner and spin a loose, light brown silken cocoon of a very flimsy character, through which the pupa can be plainly seen, and it will be noticed that more than half of them are fully twice the size of the others, the larger being the females. In the summer time they do not remain in the pupal state longer than a fortnight, but in the winter broods not only do the larvæ feed much longer, but the pupal stage lasts until the summer months come round. The male moth measures about an inch across its outspread wings, of which the fore pair are dark brown, marbled with yellow and grey markings, with a very black transverse band across the tip, and a patch of the same colour at the base of the wings. The hind wings are bright orange yellow in the centre, with a broad black band encircling them, fringed along the outer edge with yellow. The body is rather pointed towards the tip, while the thorax is stout; the antennæ short, broad, and beautifully feathered. When the moth is at rest, it clings to the branch or wall with the wings pressed down on either side forming an angle broadest at the base.

The female moths are short, rounded creatures destitute of wings, with the antennæ and legs rudimentary, but thickly clothed all over with short brown down. Their life work is very limited, for they simply crawl out of their shelter, lay their eggs upon the top of it and die.

The eggs are dull white, hemispherical in shape, and showing a beautiful fascetted structure under a lens. They are rather large for the size of the moth, and generally matted together with the down from the moth's body. Each moth lays on an average about 700 eggs, so it is easily seen how rapidly a family of these moths can increase, particularly as they have several broods in the year.

Prevention and Remedy.-The fact that the larvæ crawl into any sheltered place to spin their cocoons, often congregating in considerable numbers, when the trees are badly infested, would suggest the advisability of binding several "burlaps " round the trunk and larger limbs just before the caterpillars commence to pupate. A "burlap" bandage differs from the ordinary bandage used for trapping the codling moth, in being tied rather loosely round the centre with the upper half turned down over the twine, forming a more roomy hiding-place than the codling moth grubs require.

This burlap band has been tried with great success by the Commission appointed by the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture in destroying the very similar larvæ of the Gypsy Moth, which has caused much destruction both to fruit and forest trees.

The caterpillars would naturally come into these shelters, which could be examined regularly, and replaced to gather in those still feeding. In isolated cases where a single tree is infested, this would be a very cheap and simple method of destruction, and with a little care very few would escape.

Where they appear in an orchard and attack a number of trees, no doubt the simplest plan would be to spray well with Paris green, and any odd ones left could be taken with the burlap.

The Grey-streaked Moth (Prodenia littoralis, Boisd.).

About the first week of last April, the leaves of an apple tree in my garden at Croydon were all brown and discoloured, and upon examination, I found that most of them had been stripped of the epidermis, only the skeleton of the leaf remaining. Further search showed that the remaining leaves were covered with hundreds of tiny green semi-transparent grubs spotted all over with black dots, which were lying in rows along the surface of the leaf feeding in a similar manner to the sawfly larvæ. When picking off the infested leaves, I found several patches of eggs which were cemented together and protected with a covering of brown down, forming a convex excrescence upon the under side of the leaf. The eggs are very small, pearly grey, and beautifully striated; the contents of one patch when counted with the aid of a pocket lens comprised 1,356 eggs.

The young caterpillars grow very rapidly, and are very quick in their movements, dropping by a thread from the mouth when disturbed. They soon lose their bright green tint as they reach maturity. When full grown, they measure about an inch and a half in length, thick and cylindrical in form, narrowest towards the head, of a general olive green colour with the head dark brown; the segments are lighter coloured on the sides and undersurface, while along the upper half of the sides there is an irregular blackish band forming a triangular mark on each segment, with a stripe of lighter colour down the centre of the back.

The most forward of them were full grown in the second week in May, and disappeared in the earth at the bottom of the jar, where they underwent their transformation, about an inch below the surface, without forming any cocoon. The pupa are dark brown with the head portion, and the wing cases small, with the body stout and cylindrical pointed at the tip, terminating in two pointed spines. Early in June the moths commenced to emerge, and it was wonderful to notice how their colouration assimilated with the earth upon which they rested with their wings closed, and perfectly motionless until disturbed. When first hatched out the moth holds it wings over its back like a butterfly, but as soon as its plumage is settled, it lies flat down among the dead leaves and rubbish.

The moth measures nearly 1 inches across the wings, the fore pair long, slender, and rounded behind, of a general dark-brown colour, with a regular finely-barred edge, and the inner portion irregularly striped, with a number of very fine pencil-like grey lines, several of those in the centre crossing each other, the others short and transverse. The hind wings are pearly white, semi-transparent, with the nervures forming fine brown lines across them, and a stouter line round the outer edge.

Preventives and Remedy.-In the case of small trees, if noticed in time, the leaves could be hand-picked and the young larvæ destroyed, but care should be taken in picking them that the little grubs do not drop to the ground. In the case of large trees, a spraying would be very effective, as these caterpillars always seem to feed upon the upper surface of the leaves, If the caterpillars have left the foliage before their depredations have been noticed, the best plan would be turn over the soil beneath the tree and expose the pupæ. A flock of hens or ducks, if turned into the orchard, would be most effective assistants in picking up all those overlooked.

Reference to Plate.-A, Moth; в, Pupa; c, Caterpillar.

The Bovine Tick Fever.

CLAUDE FULLER.

THE information contained in this compilation has been prepared at the instance and by direction of the Honorable the Secretary for Mines and Agriculture.

Mr. Sydney Smith has deemed it desirable to bring together, in the shape of a pamphlet, a summary of what information there is obtainable relating to the disease known as Texas fever" in America, and which it is proposed to call "Bovine tick fever" in the Colonies.

It has been decided that this information should be of a popular style, so as to be readable by every person whose calling or interests are in any way connected with or dependent upon the stock-raising industries of the Colony.

The publications of the Bureau of Agriculture in the United States have been freely consulted, and also information that has already been published by the enthusiastic and keen investigators of Queensland.

In placing this matter before the public, it is not in any way desired to anticipate the publication of the conclusions arrived at and observations made by Messrs. Pound, Hunt, and Gordon in the northern Colony. All these gentlemen deserve the approbation of Australia for the capable, practical, and scientific way in which they have tackled this complicated problem, and I am anxiously looking forward to the publication of their experience and the scientific and practical results adduced, which I anticipate will materially add to the knowledge of the physiology of this disease.

Where in extracts from the writings of various investigators-acknowledged as far as practicable throughout the text-technical phrases and terms have been altered into every-day parlance, I trust that the authors interested will forgive the liberty taken.

My thanks are due to Messrs. C. J. Pound, F.R.M.S., Director, Stock Institute, Queensland, and to E. Stanley, F.R.C.V.S., Government Veterinarian, New South Wales, whilst all credit is due to our respected Chief Inspector of Stock, Mr. Alexander Bruce, who has given substantial aid and advice.

Introduction.

"Bovine tick fever" is the popular name proposed in place of the purely local title "Texas fever," by which this disease is known in America, and which has no bearing whatever upon either its cause or nature.

The designation "Bovine tick fever" was selected with due regard to both the cause and nature of the complaint which, judging from the results of many experiments, may be summed up in the two following important facts:-1. That the disease is purely bovine; that is, it is confined to cattle,