CABBAGE CATERPILLARS. Large Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae). From May to July, and again in September and October, this, the most common of our butterflies, may be seen in great numbers, frequenting gardens, lanes, and fields, being especially numerous where Cabbages are growing. Their beautiful yellow eggs are laid singly on the under surface of the leaves, and securely fastened by a natural glue; from these, in due time, issue the small, but destructive, "green caterpillars." Shortly after birth, they become quite green in front and yellow behind. They then get hairy and dotted over with black; they have eight pairs of feet, of which the three front ones only are "true" legs, or those which ultimately develop into the legs of the butterfly. They change their skin several times, and at each moult become larger in size. When full grown, they are about 1 1/2in. long, of a light green or bluish hue above, and yellow beneath; along the back of the adult caterpillar is a conspicuous yellow line, edged on each side with black dots. The chrysalis, or pupa, is commonly found on windowledges, palings, walls, and similar places; but is sometimes attached to the plants. It is rather curious object, of the colour of stone, and prettily chiselled. It is fastened to the plant by the tail and by a belt of silk round the middle. The perfect male insect has the body black and wings white on the upper side, except the tips of the forewings, which are black and crescent-shaped; and on the upper edge of the hinder wings there is a black spot. On the under side, the fore wings are white with yellow tips, and two black patches on each; the hind wings are yellow, with small black markings. The antennae are alternately black and yellow, with the club black above and yellow beneath. The female differs from the male in having two large black spots on each of the fore or upper wings, and a spot on the inner margin. The small White (Pieris,rapae) has two broods in the year, the first batch about April, and the second in July. The eggs are always placed on the upper side of the leaf, and are hatched in from ten to thirteen days, the caterpillars becoming full grown in about three weeks after emerging. The colour of the caterpillar is dark green, with a fine line of yellow, and a row of yellow spots down the sides The chrysalis is attached by the tail and a band of silk to the place selected by the caterpillar, and varies greatly in colour, although generally it is of a whitish-brown. Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicoe). Newman, in his "British Moths," thus describes the Cabbage Moth: "The antennae are rather long and slender, and scarcely ciliated in either sex; the forewings are dark, smoky, grey brown, mottled and marbled with confused markings, both darker and paler; the orbicular spot is inconspicuous, but decidedly to be traced; the reniform stigma is delicately outlined with white or whitish-grey, and has a pale anterior disc, in which the same pale grey colour predominates; the hind wings are dark, smoky brown with rather pale base, and rather darker crescentic discoidal spot and wing-rays; the head, thorax, and body have the same colour as the fore and hind wings." The eggs are laid on Cabbages, or similar plants, and are hatched in a few days. The caterpillars are very voracious, feeding by day and night, and, what is worse, they spoil with their excrement, in the case of Cabbages, more than they eat. They are of a dark colour, with a kind of marbling, more or less distinct, on the back, the effect being produced by a triangular mark containing two white dots on each of their segments. On being disturbed, they roll themselves into a tight ring, and so remain until they suppose that danger is over. They descend into the earth for change to smooth red-brown chrysalids, and remain there till the following spring. If the chrysalids were collected and destroyed during the autumn and winter digging, much injury would be obviated through the succeeding spring and summer. The destruction of these pests is a very troublesome matter, as the grubs of the last-named kind bore into the heart of the cabbage. Hand-picking is the only sure method. Anything emitting a distasteful odour will also keep them at bay. Miss Ormerod recommends throwing gas-lime over the plants, but it must be previously weakened by a few months' exposure. The following remedy may also be recommended: Paraffin, or Coal Oil. Mix one ounce of oil with a gallon of soapsuds, and water the plants with the mixture before the caterpillars appear. If any have appeared, an application at the rate of two ounces to the gallon will generally clear them off. Of course, this operation must not be performed less than a month previous to cutting the cabbages, on account of the smell. Soapsuds alone will also clear caterpillars from most smooth-leaved subjects if frequently applied.