Untitled

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 15, 23 February 1870, Page 3

The Visitation of “Lady-Birds.” — Several of the English counties have lately been visited by countless numbers of these little insects. The Sunderland Times says ;—The lady-birds seem determined to see as much of the country as they can. When tired of Margate .and Ramsgate, they crossed the river and visited Southend and Shoeburyness. At the latter place, a day or two since it literally rained lady-birds. They covered the ground, crept over the guns and targets, and were for some time masters of the situation. One lady-bird of alderraauic proportions was seen endeavoring to crawl into the touch-hole of the loin. Rodman gun ! All the shot-holes in the target were crowded with lady-birds, who amused themselves by playing hide-and-seek among the shattered splinters of the wooden backing. The committee on Palliser Projectiles happened to be carryiu ' out some experiments with one of the iron targets at the time, and the lady-birds shewed their sense of politeness by paying marked attention to such distinguished visitors. Each committee-man had a fair proportion of lady-birds on his bat, his trousers, and occasionally in his whiskers 1 and down the back of his nock. Lady b' rds 1 swarmed everywhere : they settled on the j cartridges, wads, and Palliser shells, and they were rammed home in the bin. gnu utterly indifferent to consequences. (Apt. Noble’s den was full of lady-birds, and the velocity instruments often had a fine specimen creeping up each pendulum.