LETTERS TO MR. WILLIAM BAILEY.
The Ox warble—Its destruction by the Aldersey Schoolboys—Annual gift of
prize money—The Royal Party at St. Albans’ Show.
In addition to the entomological value of the next group of letters
dealing chiefly with Ox warbles, Miss Ormerod’s unselfish interest in
promoting a wider knowledge of her subject is well shown in her words of
appreciation and encouragement to Mr. Bailey in connection with his work
(especially in relation to the success of correspondence with the Duke
of Westminster), and the practical inducements, as well as sympathy,
extended to his pupils.
_To Wm. Bailey, Esq., Aldersey, Grammar School, Bunbury, Tarporley,
Cheshire._
TORRINGTON HOUSE, ST. ALBANS,
_November 24, 1887_.
DEAR MR. BAILEY,—I am very much obliged to you indeed for kindly
letting me see the documents which I now return, after most
careful perusal, with many thanks. It is indeed satisfactory
that the good work of our boys (destroying warbles), should have
given such valuable help in this matter, which is so important
to all who have to do with cattle, and consequently to the
nation. The approval of His Grace the Duke of Westminster (so
kindly given, too) will add great weight, and I am heartily glad
also to see the Hon. Cecil Parker’s confirmation from personal
experiment and knowledge of the soundness of the plan and its
success. I think if I can get time that I will write to him, to
mention how strongly the many letters which I have received this
year confirm the good effects of removal of the maggots (2 of
fig. 5, and fig. 7), and likewise the prevention (in almost
every case mentioned) of summer disturbance of the cattle.
I thought you would not object to my keeping a copy of your
letter to his Grace.
The Committee of the “London Farmers’ Club” which I daresay you
know more about than I do, but which I believe to be the great
Farmers’ Club of England, has sent me an urgent request to read
them a paper on Injurious Insects, at their meeting place, the
Salisbury Square Hotel, London, in next April. Professor Herbert
Little, one of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society,
brought me the message, and at first I felt fairly frightened at
the idea, and tried to “make excuse,” for it is a somewhat
anxious prospect (in the words of old John Knox) for a
gentlewoman to look in the face of so many “bearded men and not
be over much afraid,” but I got such serious remonstrance,
almost rebuke, from various quarters that I have consented to
endeavour to prepare as good a paper as I can, and read it
myself. Now if you permit me—I think that in the portion about
warbles it would be very useful (and much more telling than any
words of my own) to give your terse, clear and attractively
worded account of what really has happened.
[Illustration:
1, Egg; 2, maggot; 3 and 4, chrysalis-case; 5 and 6, fly. 3 and 5,
natural size, after Bracy Clark; the other figures after Brauer, and
all magnified.
FIG. 5.—OX WARBLE FLY, OR BOT FLY, _HYPODERMA BOVIS_, DE GEER.
]
* * * * *
[Illustration:
FIG. 6.—PIECE OF YEARLING SKIN WITH 402 WARBLE-HOLES.
(_Greatly reduced by photography._)
]
The following extract is the chief part of the letter by Mr. Bailey to
the Duke of Westminster (October 28, 1887):—
MY LORD DUKE,—I was very thankful to see by last Saturday’s
Chester _Chronicle_, that at the Chester Dairy Show you drew the
attention of our farmers to the enormous loss caused by the
presence of ox warbles in our cattle. During the past three
years, I have been directing the notice of my pupils to the
mischief done by these warbles, and, as we have now nearly
stamped out this pest in Bunbury Parish, it has occurred to me
that your Grace might be interested in learning the course which
we have taken, and also in seeing how very easily our farmers
might get rid of this enemy. The great majority of the boys in
this school are either sons of farmers, or of farm labourers.
After the boys had received from me a short lesson on the Warble
fly, they were asked to examine their cattle at home, and to
bring to school as many specimens as they could collect of the
maggots of this fly. Hundreds were squeezed out and brought in
the course of a few days. One boy alone destroyed 230 of these
warble grubs in the spring of 1885 by the application of common
cart grease and sulphur to the spiracle in the black tipped tail
of the maggot or by squeezing out the maggots. [_Vide_ Miss
Ormerod’s ninth Annual Report on Injurious Insects and Common
Farm Pests, p. 92.] Last Easter I desired my pupils, during the
week’s holiday, to examine carefully the live stock at home for
ox warble and to report to me. I enclose a copy of the first
list which I received, and I am sure it will satisfy your Grace
that this pest may easily be stamped out, if our farmers, their
sons, or their labourers would apply the smear, or press out the
maggots and destroy them. School boys can do this work, and feel
a pleasure in the task. What has been accomplished by Bunbury
boys can be equally well done by the boys of any other village
school.[52]
[Illustration:
FIG. 7.—PIECE OF UNDER SIDE OF WARBLED HIDE; WARBLES ABOUT
HALF SIZE.
_From a Photo by Messrs. Byrne, Richmond, Surrey._
]
[Illustration:
FIG 8.—BREATHING TUBES OF MAGGOT (TO WHICH THE SMEAR IS APPLIED),
MAGGOT, AND PRICKLES OUTSIDE SKIN OF MAGGOT (ALL MAGNIFIED).
]
[A leaflet which Miss Ormerod circulated widely says:—From £3,000,000 to
£4,000,000 are lost annually through these pests. One-half the fat
beasts killed in this country are afflicted with this grub. The farmer
loses on his stock from poorer condition, and from death; from less
yield of milk, and damage to all, especially to fattening beasts, and
cows from their tearing full gallop about the fields, besides loss to
the butcher of from a halfpenny to a penny per pound on warbled hides.
Look at the under side of the newly flayed hide of a warbled beast and
see the grub cells (fig. 7). Maggots may be squeezed out, or easily
killed by putting a dab of cart grease and sulphur, McDougall’s Smear,
or anything that will choke them in the opening of the warble, and the
fly may be prevented from striking by dressing the beasts’ backs in
summer.]
May I add that during the past five years I have been drawing the
attention of the boys to insects, which are injurious to food crops.
They are quite familiar with such pests as the leather jacket, wireworm,
turnip and mangold fly, caterpillars of the magpie moth, and the
gooseberry and currant sawfly, &c., &c., for hundreds of living
specimens have been brought to the school, bird’s-nesting having to a
very great extent been superseded by this new pursuit. The boys, having
become well acquainted with the pests, were instructed as to the best
methods of prevention and remedy. These boys will, in the course of a
very few years, be the farmers and farm labourers of this district, and
I am satisfied that even the little instruction which I am able to give
them in what I may call “Practical Entomology” will then be found to be
of considerable use to them.—W. BAILEY.[53]
[Illustration:
Moth at rest, and with wings spread; caterpillar walking.
FIG. 9.—MAGPIE MOTH (CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY), _ABRAXAS
GROSSULARIATA_, LINN.
]
_November 24, 1887._[54]
DEAR MR. BAILEY,—The Farmers’ Club meeting will be an
exceptionally rare opportunity of pushing forward this, and some
other important matters, as well as of laying before some of our
leading agriculturists some important facts about a few of the
pests of the corn crops of last season’s notoriety. You will
think my letter endless, but I want to congratulate you most
heartily on your good success in the examinations (which must be
a weary work to prepare for), and also on that of your assistant
master and teacher, which is indeed encouraging, and to say how
sorry we are to hear of your illness. I trust, if it please God,
that you may have comfortable health again—it makes such a
difference.
Since my sister and I came to St. Albans we are almost like
different people. We have a beautiful house (plate XIX.) with
such thick walls that we do not feel the changes of temperature,
and a lovely country view along the valley. We have also met
with a most kindly reception, and, last but not least amongst
blessings and comforts for which we are deeply grateful, is that
educated earnest clergy form a decided element in the Society.
But now I ought only to add thanks and very kind regards from us
both.
_December 11, 1887._
I must tell you the pleasure with which I heard your letter to
the Duke of Westminster read at the “Seeds and Plants Diseases”
Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society on Tuesday, and
recommended for report to the Council, and I am glad to see it
on the Society’s report sheet sent me this morning, as being
recommended for publication. I think this will do a great deal
of good, and it cannot, I think, fail to be a great satisfaction
to yourself that the excellent work done under your guidance and
direction should thus be of such extended service throughout the
land. I also figure to myself how pleased the good lads will be!
Will you accept the enclosed photo of my new and most
comfortable home (plate XIX.); it gives a good idea of it,
excepting in not quite showing the very rapid slope down from
the terrace flower beds.
It would be a great and very true pleasure if when you can spare
time you would look in on us here for a couple of nights; I am
sure that with our old Abbey and the many things of interest
here, and some chat which you would let us have between whiles,
the time would not lag. There are both pleasure and benefit in
the work you allow me a part in. Pray believe me always, with
kind regards and good wishes from us both.
Yours sincerely,
ELEANOR A. ORMEROD.
[On the warble question Miss Ormerod wrote on April 22, 1899, to Dr.
Fletcher[55]:—
“Just now I am working hard on Warble affairs. The butchers
(that is, leading men among them) very much wish that what is
called ‘licked’ beef should be inquired into. I do not know
whether you are troubled by this in Canada, but it is an
alteration that takes place on the outside of the carcass of the
animal beneath a badly warbled part of the hide. This part
becomes soft and wet and blackish, and is popularly supposed to
be soaked with moisture from the unlucky animal licking itself
to soothe the irritation. Really it is the result of the chronic
inflammation of the badly warbled hide. This causes much loss to
butchers, and if I can get it well brought forward I think we
shall through this rouse the farmers to better attention. The
authorities at our Royal Veterinary College are most kindly
helping me, and I hope before long to have enough sound
information to be able to publish a paper on it.”
To Mr. Medd[56] Miss Ormerod also wrote in Nov., 1900:—
“Do you chance to have noticed that the Warble fly of the United
States, the _Hypoderma lineata_, is considered to be quite a
distinct species to our _H. bovis_? I believe that investigation
has proved that our bovis is very rarely found in the U.S.A.,
just as their _lineata_ is very rarely, indeed, found here.
Practically (that is, so far as injury to the hide is
concerned), the trouble is similar, both in method of operation
and in the frightful amount of damage caused; but it has been
laid down by good U.S.A. authorities that in the case of their
Warble fly, _lineata_, the attack is commenced by the quite
embryo maggots making their way by the mouth to the gullet and
there hanging on until it pleases them to make their way onward,
by piercing through the coat of the œsophagus and onward through
the tissues of the beast until they arrive after their long and
curious journey beneath the ribs, whence they proceed to work
beneath the hide like ours. The matter seems to me very curious,
but I was not called on to enter into discussion, excepting
giving my reasons why I felt wholly certain, and considered the
evidence in our hands proved, that our _H. bovis_ did not start
on its travels in this way.”
[Illustration:
1, Male; 2, curved extremity of abdomen of female; 3, maggot; 4, mouth
hooks; 5, spiracles at extremity of tail of maggot—all greatly
magnified (after Brauer).
]
[Illustration]
Eggs attached to hairs Maggots or horse bots attached
from a horse’s fore-leg to the membrane of stomach
magnified and natural (After Bracy Clark.)
size. (After Bracy
Clark.)
FIG. 10.—HORSE BOT FLY, OR HORSE BEE, _GASTROPHILUS EQUI_, FAB.
On May 14, 1900, she addressed another correspondent thus:—
“I have another formal application from the authorities of S.
Australia;—(this time from our friend Mr. Molineux) relative to
Horse botfly—and very especially to make them sure regarding the
precise differences between Bot, Warble, and Gad flies. I have
explained that Gad flies, _Tabanidæ_, may be distinguished by
being blood suckers, and by their maggots feeding in the ground,
and that ‘Bot’ or ‘Warble’ are only two convertible names for
_Œstridæ_, but that ‘Bot’ is usually most specially applied to
internal feeding maggots, and Warble to those that live in the
hide, notably in Warbles. But such difficulty continues to arise
from haphazard use of the words, I have suggested that if
possible the scientific name—(_Gastrophilus equi_) should be
insisted on. An entomologist (?) had absolutely called this
attack or kind of attack inside a horse that of ‘Gad fly’! But
as the attack has been well studied in the Department of
Agriculture, Cape Town, I have suggested they should communicate
with the Government entomologist, Mr. C. Lownsbury. For their
practical needs, I have suggested clearing the Horse botfly, _G.
equi_, eggs from the hair by dressing, and very especially that
they should take care all droppings (in which the maggots pass
from the horse, and where, or in the ground beneath, they go
through their changes to the perfect state) should be so treated
as to kill the maggots. It may possibly turn out that the
_Gastrophilus_ may be some other species than _equi_—I have not
had specimens. When you are about to devote so much attention to
Colonial Agriculture [in the “Garton” course of Colonial and
Indian Lectures], I wished very much to tell you what I am
about, lest I should, as this is sent me officially, go on other
lines than you approve.”]
_June 9, 1891._[57]
DEAR MR. BAILEY,—I have now much pleasure in asking permission
once again to place in your hands a cheque for £5 5s., to be
used exactly as you may judge fit, in purchase of prizes for the
encouragement of serviceable study of habits and means of
prevention of ravages of injurious insects by your scholars. I
have real pleasure in doing this because I believe the
importance of those who are in any way connected with
agriculture being serviceably acquainted with the causes of loss
to crop or stock, and means whereby this may be lessened, cannot
be over-estimated. I offer my hearty congratulations to yourself
and your pupils on the satisfactory work achieved in my own
department of agricultural entomology in one more year.
I do not like to offer views of my own on these matters now that
what is called Technical Instruction is receiving such
widespread attention throughout the country. Still I should
like, for the encouragement of any of your boys who may think
themselves behind in the simply scientific race, to observe that
instructions given (let them be conveyed in what terms the
teacher will) must be founded to start with, on facts,
trustworthily observed and trustworthily recorded; and the pupil
who leaves your school with the knowledge of the appearance of
the common crop pests, as the wireworm, the turnip flea beetle,
the warble fly maggot for instance, and, as I am well aware is
the case with many of your boys, adds to this a practical
knowledge of how to lessen their powers of mischief, goes forth
holding in his mind what will save him many a pound in the
future, and be a benefit wherever he goes. It is a foundation on
which as much as he pleases may be built, but the solidly learnt
field knowledge will always be serviceable.
_June 5, 1893._
I thank you very much for your kind letter. If I were nearer it
would be a great pleasure to me to be present on your prize day,
when I might have the gratification of making personal
acquaintance with many of those whom I know by name as taking
much interest in this important school as well as yourself, whom
I should much like to meet; and also our “Aldersey boys,” whom I
have known and worked with, or they with me, for so many years.
It is a very great pleasure to me that they are continuing their
attention, under your skilled help and guidance, to observation
of farm pests, and their work stands first as a proof of what
can be done in getting rid of one insect pest.
When careful search only produces twenty warble grubs, in a
district[58] where a few years ago they were counted by
hundreds, to my thinking we—that is, the boys, you and I—may
fairly be proud of a thoroughly useful work. If I might venture
on a kind of little moral reflection I should say that I should
like the little prizes which I have so much pleasure in
offering, to remind them sometimes of how much can be done, in
many other things also, by even moderate attention given at the
right time and under the guidance of sound knowledge. I trust
they will continue their field work. With the increase of area
under cultivation or occupied by stock so may their insect pests
be expected to increase, and on sound knowledge of what really
happens, and what at a paying rate can be brought to our aid,
our hope rests of coping with the farmer’s enemies. What I can
do to help them by advice, or by reply to inquiries, will be
gladly at their service. Whilst I congratulate those who have
won my little tokens of goodwill, and beg to offer the same for
the next prize day, I must say to all that in the information
and benefit they have laid up in their working and observations
they have each gained a prize far better than anything I can
offer them.
_May 29, 1894._
It is with most sincere pleasure that I hear from you once again
this year of the good success of the Aldersey boys in their
studies and of their steadiness in work. The methods by which
serviceable instruction on this subject, namely, Agricultural
Entomology, can be given is often a matter of difficulty and
doubt, and I certainly think that the plan you mention to me is
so good, and meets the points of combining practical knowledge
with so much scientific information as is requisite, so well
that I shall gladly draw the attention of those who apply to me
for suggestions on these subjects to its serviceableness. You
mention arranging the observations of the boys who take up the
study of crop and fruit pests on a system which, though so
simply worked, really forms an excellently complete course. You
say that one week the boys bring samples of infestation
injurious to fruit; in a second week attacks on garden
vegetables; in another week on field crops; in another on
timber; in another living examples of the subjects figured in
the insect diagrams which my sister and I have had the pleasure
of contributing to your school collections, and in yet another
week you receive notes of serviceable means of prevention and
remedies. This plan appears to me so sound and good that I hope
I may be forgiven for intruding a few minutes on your time in
greatly desiring to draw the attention of the influential
visitors who will be present at your meeting to how excellently
this plan meets many difficulties. A boy so taught knows his
facts.
_June 2, 1895._
Many thanks for your letter received yesterday morning, which is
very interesting indeed to me, and which I hope to reply to very
soon, but now I am replying to your note accompanying the
caterpillars from the Peckforton Hills, though not so fully as I
could wish, for disasters befell the letter, and it arrived by
special messenger from the Post Office, with the announcement
that the things had got loose, and were creeping all about! Any
way but little remained to judge by, so I report on what was
visible. Most of the caterpillars were loopers (fig. 30), and
the largest proportion of these, though differing so much in
colour, appeared to me to be the _Cheimatobia brumata_. As you
know there may be every variety of shade in these Winter moth
caterpillars, from pale green down to smoky brown or almost
black. Another kind of which I only find two specimens (small
and very small, respectively), look as if when grown they would
be the Mottled Umber moth, which is so injurious this year.
There are just single specimens of a few other non-looper kinds,
but at this present time all the kinds come under only one
method of (feasible) treatment, and I am afraid this (even if
feasible) would be much too costly on such a great scale.
Washing with Paris-green or London-purple, or with kerosene
emulsion, would be the right thing, or our British form of the
emulsion, made by Messrs. Morris, Little and Son, Doncaster, and
sold, I believe, at a very low price (consequent on the large
demand for it), under the trade name of “antipest.” This only
needs diluting. But when we come to dealing with great areas
like the Peckforton Woods, I believe that the only really
practicable way of, in some degree, lessening the evil, and
counteracting its effects, is throwing water from some large
engine. If a fire engine and a supply of water were available
this might do a great deal of good.
I was consulted by the late Sir Harry Verney about “an ancestral
oak” at Clayden, which appeared nearly cleared of leafage, and I
advised playing the house fire engine on it—and the plan
succeeded. The moisture falling around the tree pushed on the
second leafage and (conjecturally) saved the tree. But with
woods it is most difficult to manage application. I am afraid I
am only able to say what would be best, if it could be done.
For the future it is a grave consideration, and consultation is
very desirable, as to what means could reasonably and safely be
employed to destroy the caterpillar in the ground. They will
probably be very soon leaving the trees, and burying themselves
just below the surface, and will most likely reappear, in moth
form, and ascend the trees, beginning in the early winter, and
thus eggs will be laid to start next year’s attack. I do not
know whether the ground growths would permit of anything like
paring being done under the trees. The best way would be “sticky
banding” in October. At the Toddington fruit grounds one year
120,000 trees were sticky banded, but still this is work on an
enormous scale. These are the main points to work on, and I
should be very much pleased to enter on any of them more in
detail, but just now I am writing as soon as I can (before going
to church), as with Sunday and Bank Holiday posts I am afraid
this letter will not, at the earliest, reach you until Tuesday
morning, so please excuse such hastily written lines.
* * * * *
SAMPLE OF THE SCRAP NOTES LEFT BY MISS ORMEROD RELATING TO THE GREAT
WATER BEETLE RECOGNISED BY THE PRINCE OF WALES, NOW KING EDWARD VII., AT
ST. ALBANS’ SHOW.
[Illustration:
It was a great pleasure to me to
notice the appreciative interest that
their Royal Highnesses now our
gracious King & Queen took in the
habits of injurious insects. Her
Majesty’s discriminating observation
made me permit myself to say
that she should have been an Entomologist.
And our King recognised
at a glance the great water
beetles the Dytiscus marginalis
as a kind which he well
knew as injurious to fish spawn.
]
_April 6, 1896._
Now I am working on my Exhibit of Economic Entomology for the
Bath and West of England Society Show at St. Albans. I think you
will perhaps like to look at the enclosed set of labels for the
cases.[59] There are only a few lines to be fixed outside each.
In the catalogue there is a fuller account, with prevention and
remedy. Is it not a triumph of condensation to get a little life
history and prevention and remedy of Wireworm into about half a
dozen lines? But really there is enough if people would mind it.
I try to give injured material wherever I can, and there are
upwards of sixty infestations. Georgiana helps me with twenty
diagrams—more beautiful than any of her previous ones—and the
Council, who are very kind, have awarded us all the privileges
of stewards and members of Council for the Show, so that we may
have every convenience of transit there.
It gave me great pleasure to be appointed External Examiner in
Agricultural Entomology at Edinburgh University—for besides
enjoying such a great compliment it will help my work.
_May 30, 1896._
N.B. _Confidential._ I want to tell you how kind and nice the
Prince and Princess were at the Show. T.R.H. shook hands when
they arrived, quite heartily, and when I had explained my own
and my sister’s exhibit I thought I was to retire, but I found I
was to attend round the other exhibits in the building, so I
walked on by the Princess—just think, at the head of the Royal
party, before the Prince and all of them! When we had gone round
the Prince said, “Now, I think we must be going,” and he shook
hands again, and the Princess, who was a little ahead, turned
back and shook hands also. I was told by one of the officials
that the Prince expressed himself afterwards as much interested,
and my informant had told the Prince that I was doing work in
this country which was done in other countries by the State.
H.R.H. was so interested about the warbles that he called up
Lord Clarendon to look at the great photo of the warbled
red-deer’s hide too, and we had quite a chat together.
[Illustration:
FIG. 11.—WATER BEETLE, _DYTISCUS MARGINALIS_, LINN.
]
_June 15, 1899._
I had great pleasure in receiving your very kind letter, and I
thought a great deal of you, and your flock, on the prize day.
But now I am troubling you (the idea occurred too late to be of
use at the time), to ask whether you would at all care to have
(say) ten copies of my “Manual of Injurious Insects,” to give
just as you may think fit as an encouragement to the boys—or
perhaps a present here or there to one who might be leaving
school and taking up farming. I should like it very much. You
have it yourself and (I think?) one for the school library, and
Mr. D. E. Byrd must have his father’s copy, but if you cared to
have some copies it would really give me very great pleasure.
Though fruit-insect prevention has made great advances in the
last few years, this is not a special Cheshire interest, the
agricultural observations are very correct still.
Mr. D. E. Byrd has kindly given me some very good information
about Cheese-fly maggot attack, just precisely what I was
wishing for, and also something of the principle of prevention.
Mr. Ward [Organising Secretary of the Cheshire County Council]
was kind enough to procure me some good information from Miss
Forster [of the Cheshire Dairy School], and I hope to form a
good paper by and by. All I really want now in this matter are a
few of the “hopping” maggots, which most likely will turn up
soon. Curiously enough, just at the time, I had an application
from a bacon-curing Co. and I think we have on both sides
benefited.
[Illustration:
1, Fly; 2, pupa; 3, pupa-case; 4, maggot—all magnified, with lines
showing natural length; 5, tail extremity, still more magnified,
showing spiracles, tracheæ, and caudal tubercles.
FIG. 12.—CHEESE AND BACON FLY, _PIOPHILA CASEI_, LINN.
]
_August 5, 1899._
I now, with many thanks for the clearness with which you have
been good enough to note precisely the form of the presentation
labels, enclose twelve, only altering by adding to the slips for
the three boys, the prefix of “Mr.” I am sure they will like it.
I fancy I see them surreptitiously turning to the donatory slip,
to enjoy their rise! Very many thanks to you indeed. I hope it
may give the recipients pleasure, but I am very sure you give
great pleasure to myself by allowing my little remembrance to
these kind helpers.
I am sure you will be interested to know that the Meat Traders
Associations—at the Royal Lancashire Show—are distributing
thousands of my Warble leaflets, with free leave to write up to
London for more.
_March 2, 1900._
Many thanks to you for your very kind letter. Indeed it is a
trouble to me that I am not able to write oftener, but nobody
knows better than yourself (who are so burdened with work for
the good of others) how hard work can be, and if I quite
overwork I am ill, so I am afraid to do all I wish.
Thank you for your kind congratulations. I take it as a very
great honour for the University of Edinburgh to give me a Doctor
of Laws Degree, &c., &c., &c. I am a little anxious about making
such a very public appearance, but I dare say it will not be so
alarming when it comes to the point. But I do not wish to go out
of my own quiet lines, and I do not certainly wish to be called
“Doctor.” Would not the right thing be for me to just put LL.D.
after my name where desirable?
TORRINGTON HOUSE, ST. ALBANS,
_April 26, 1901_.
MY DEAR MR. BAILEY,—I have postponed replying to your kind
letter partly because I have had a long exhausting illness, and
partly because I am sure that you will regret the subject of my
letter, as I do myself. Still I think I ought to tell you that I
am purposing quite to discontinue my regular entomological work.
You would notice what I said about the Annual Reports, but the
attention to insect inquiries and (almost worse) the requests
for co-operation in philanthropic literary schemes had become a
burthen so very injurious to me that I was warned both by my
doctor and literary colleagues that without rest the
consequences might be very serious. All last year my health was
failing, and (though this is temporary) an attack of influenza
early in March, followed by what are called “effects,” has
caused me great suffering.
But it is in reference to our long, kindly colleagueship that I
am writing to you. Natural history is on a very different
footing now from what it was in 1884, when with your good help
our good lads started the investigations regarding Warble, which
have proved to the whole world the possibility of checking this
wasteful attack, and I may add they have carried the work on
with their own steady, patient, long-continued energy. To this I
must add my great appreciation of their useful work in real
serviceable Economic Entomology, and the kindliness and
heartiness of their work.
But now yourself, your school and your scholars have a
world-wide name, and as you will fully appreciate that to
continue, however much I may wish it, publicly attached to any
one philanthropic economic work throws me open still to whole
hosts of applications, I am sure you will understand my wish to
withdraw. You have I think my subscription for your next great
June day, and after that I, with much regret, purpose to
discontinue it. I look back on many years’ kindly communication
from you, but if you could have any idea of the labour which has
been thrown on me from other quarters, I am sure you would think
I am right. I earnestly and sincerely beg you to believe me with
feelings of the highest esteem and friendship and every good
wish,
Yours sincerely,
ELEANOR A. ORMEROD.
P.S.—Please to excuse handwriting, as I am on my sofa.
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