The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-06-24 00:00:00

21grIcu1turt.

VENOMOUH CATLIWILLA KS.— A most singular ORR',
perhaps Die unity one rol record, of death caused I.)
couterpitliors, occurred a few days age in the comonune of
burl hi, neour I.,juns. A little buy, not More thou,
eiglot year,, eld, tad gone into a neighbouring wool, it,
quast of !pHs' nests. Perceivieg One en the top of b
tree, lie climbed up, but in Si, doing slunk douse on im
Imes° loonier of caterrllars, litany of WhiLh fen oil his
shirt, his only upper garmeot, and Sven °covered le
breast, which was bare, and peeetrated to his area and
shoulders. For a few minutes the child took no notice
of this, but he soon felt such an .itelting sensation Diet
lie was compelled to get down again and tun home Ice
assistance, I putt exateihrt,i,on the skin appeured c overen
with large red spots, which were soon followed by I.
general awellieg, then by fever, rointiolency, ado,
tiedrium ; and, notwithstanding all medical tare, death
ensued in the course of,, few hunt". The kind of cater
pillar which caused this disaster was the Botntga
proccusionect of Reaumur, a very Vellellloll6 species.
Botanists know tloat ifs nest of these insects be touched,
or only stirred up with a stick, the pennon so doing, slid
remaining for some time near the spot, within reach oof
the emanations arising therefrom, will be attacked With
k napalm's eruption of a more or less confluent nature,
which will last several days. •nd be attended with
violent milling. Dr. taloiell, physician tu the hospital
of Cloarentun, had preserved a neat of these caterpidar
in a la 7gro leaks phial, which was hot opened for u p warn
of 10 yetrs. At length, the phial being accidentally
%ranted, it was o curl m the presence of severai
peraons, who all caught the eruption. This strange
property has even suggested to several members of the
faculty the idea of using these caterpillars in cases in
which it is required to subject the skin to a strong alld
permanent irritation. We may remark, in conclusion,
that the number of caterpillars which infest the trees
this year all over Frame is quite unforecuideeted, —a
eureUinstalice which has caged the attention of the
authorities Berl of various learned socieree to the ques
tem of protecting insectiveriuus birds, the only really
rtlieacions enemies of the caterpillar.— Galigener's
Messenger.
CONBr POLE FAIR, very curious fair, which is
only celebrated once iii 20 yeare,•Was held last wees.
Corby is a vill.tge ii Nmth Noilthaeoptionshire, about
three miles from Rockitighani Castle, the centre of a
ot ;strict celebrated fur its obl-faalliolled etlitums,
hart-es, and privileges, of which the pole fair is an ex•
am li' Under their chart er,which,owing to the nhaence
of some of the parish efflovis, Watitot to be seen, the
in ,alic a to Imi till, village claim a right on the fair day
to levy a toll upon all persons pssoing thr, ugh it ;
persons refusing to Make the reriuired payment are to
be put in the sbocks. At each entrsnce to the village A
tr phal arch was reus I, and a temporary toll-liar
was formed by a rope, which was extended across the
roadway. Tee great excitement of the fair was tie
Medi big," of which Dore w •Ite two modes pructi el.
le one it dmir is fa,omed to two poles, and carried on
the diutilderm of four men ; in the other a thick pole is
curried by two Men, and the person to be honoured has
to get astride of it. There were rola, the usual oshoutitig-
galleries, a cheap t',eatre, mid other accessories of a
country fair. The ltelby men clai.o under the same
charter to be exempt from ell tolls, from service on
jimies, and, according to some, (ruin service in the
militis. At the British school in the vill,ge John
Aeolerson, the fugitive alave, is now being educated.