The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-08-27 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Ste—l understand that an immense flight of
ilyiirds has recently appeared in Kent, and excited
much euti,sity ; I learn that the same phenomenon
bas caused some degree of alarm to the superstitious
of bo'h the great and small vulgar who frequent the
watering places oa that coast, where it appears so
Wm:tit u +mous have been the swarms of this beautiful
insect. teat Vie streets have been literally severed
wth them, and the gowns of the ladies, after an
eventrig'swelk, spotted with them from top to bot-
tom. Now, Sir, as I wish to relieve the middy of
your fair Readers, at Ramsgate, dce. from the dread
that these ladybirds portend a pestilence, as well as
to satisfy your more sage inquiry, allow me to com-
rounicate so yon a few particulars respefling the na-
tural history of this ince& ; tram which it will appear
that weought to hail its battalions as we should sol-
diers, who are on their return from a glorious Tic-
bory—at least the hop-planters of Kent ought so to
regard them ; for, though their crop will not now
be hall a crop. but for these decoders it would pro-
bably nut have been a crop at all, and their present
numbers promise them an abundant harvest next
year.
You are to know then, Sir, that all insects, as
well of the beetle, as of the butterfly tribe, have,
previously to their appearance in the winged
state, existed as caterpillars or grubs. The mil-
lions of ladybirds which lately seamed on the
coast of Kent hare previou.ly been grubs, or
rsy &arra, for that tharrasore proper name. These
N.errs feed enti uois the insects, which, under
f the name of • the lk," or o plant lice," have
ibis year made such havock notongst the Imps
and peas ; and when it is considered :hat each
larva destroys some hundreds of these insals
a-d.iy, for some months, it may be easily cal-
e-ulated what an immense nueiber must have been-
destroyed by Vier's, and consequently that but for
their s•rvices, our crops would have sustained netch
greater damage thee they already have done The
vast otialher3 of these ladybirds which have this year
appeared, promise mat neat year their services will
be more effeaual. as each female will deposit some
hal•Jras. if nut thousands of eggs, which. when
hatched into farr‘, in the ensuing spring, will pr.e.
be'oty be able completely to destroy so many of the
plea ice or aph.ods: (tor th:s i. ;heir proper name),
as to prevent their doing any serious teju:y.
lii this point of view, t::e swarms of ladybird.
ought to be regarded as harbingers or joy 6y the
fat iner and *soli-planter. and uy the visitors at ae
war ring pieces, as proofs of the benevolence of the
vet;. who has, by tins means, provided a iemed7
io toe destruftive voracity of the aphis, whose prolie
fie powers are so immense, that from one female, in
tb- course of a summer, many head ads a/ maim of
in..ividuals may be produzed I In their peeled* state,
as beetles also, terse ladybirds live upon epaida. and
thus, probably, the myriads v.ll;cli have lately visit.
ed e‘e coast of Kent may have saved the bopplant-
eo from she entire loss of their crop.
In concluding this very impeded account of . this
interesting insezt, let me express my regret that the
negled of the stag of entymokgy in this country
should have rendered it necessary. If this most in-
teresting science, which, from experience, 1 cm de•
dare to be a source of the most pure and incxhaust-
ible delight, were attended to, as it ought to be,
and as it is on the Continent, we should nut hear of
people's fancying a flight of ladybirds • sign of pes-
tilence or ofli nee, or inquiring wnat can be the
meaning of such a phenomenon;
I am, Sir, yaw's, &c.

141 Y MuLOGUS.

IPSWICH LAMB FAIR.

At Ipswich Lamb Fair. which began on Salm.
day last, the nur•.tber of hurdles set was much the
same as last year, but a considerable quantity at
the lambs being kept back by many of the growers,
who did hot attend till the second Jay, the shew of
lambs was, on the first day, smaller than we have
*membered for many years; and 11:e buyers. ex•
petting a much larger quantity on Mobday, were
not very anxious in making their purchas;s. From
two o'clock in t..e afternoon nlitil cm, however.
much business was done, but the prices obtained fur
the lambs were considered from Is to 2,. in the
pound less than last year, at which reduEtmuu a great
many pens were cleared.
On the Monday, as was expelled, several Large
par..els of lambs were introduced. nhich bad not
made their appearance on Saturday ; but so many
lambs bad been sold off on Saturday. that in. lair
could by no means be considered at any time a lull
fair. The wetness of the day made it late before
much business was done, but clearing up about three
o'clock, a considerable briskness prevailed during
the remainder of the Murata" upon terms inucu
the Caine if Saturday, at which rate nearly all Lie
lambs were sold.

U► tHa ti Ltvs.—Very few Limbs were to be
seen of the halt-bred Leicester, and that &toe.. may
n.. 101 be considered as ue4tly ex:ON:Led. By tar
the greater quanuty of lambs were of tare half-bred
South down, but even to this von of stank it could.
not be said that such a decided preference was given
as we have for several years born witness to. The
avidity, indeed, with e..nich halt-hie,' iambs of the
South-clown or Leicester b;ceda have been so much
riught after, abepeered very evidently to be consi-
derably abated, and the real true bred &Moll heath
lambs bound quite as ready a sale as limbs of any
cuter description, wisbuut being subjeet to such a
dedußion in price as lias of late years been the
case.

Or TPII Pe icts.--The Earl of Bristol's, Mr.
BroArs's, Mr. Webb'.„ ut lrgliam, and several other
parcels of lambs, so high in condition as to be fit
for the batcher's immediate use, were sold at horn
245. to 275. each ; (tt.c Earl's halt-bred Leiesster
'tethers obtained 271. and his tires 2.55.) Mr. Wal.
too. of Timmittli, had some capital Sonth-down
lambs, which were sold at from 235. Gd. to 24e.
Gd.
Mr. Palmer, of Herringswell, averaged about
225. for his halt.bred South-do" n lambs, (ewe
linen for his Norfolk
tattoo Mills. sold his
'ewe aad wisher) at
lambs, erbiela ware
seise price. Mr.
edicts, so:4ltheir

and wager) and about one guinea
limbers. Mr. Archer, of Same
hell-bred Sooth-down lambs (am
41s. G.l. and his Norfolk wetber lea
considered very handsome, at the s
Nue, of Tuddeokaiwo and many