ON THE HYLOBIUS ABIETIS OR FIR WEEVIL. 73 



dull black ground ; the " rostrum " or snout is from ^tli to tVths of 

 an inch long, and of a black colour ; it has a small ridge down 

 the middle ; the " antennae " or feelers are situated near the apex 

 or point of the rostrum, and serve to distinguish the H. ahietis 

 from other allied species ; the eyes are placed at the base of the 

 rostrum ; the mouth is furnished with a chewing or masticatory 

 apparatus. 2d, The thorax, to wliich the legs and wings are 

 attached. It can be separated into a pro-thorax (next the head), 

 mesa-thorax (middle), and a meta (or hind) thorax ; the former 

 bearing one pair of legs, and the two latter one pair of legs and 

 one pair of wings each. The pro-thorax is protected by a hard 

 covering, the " scutellum," which is of a dark colour with scattered 

 patches of grey and yellow hairs. 3d, The abdomen, which is 

 soft, and has no legs nor wings developed on it. 



As already mentioned, there are six legs, each consisting of 

 three segments or divisions, and a jointed " tarsus " at the end 

 provided with two small claws, which assist the insect in climb- 

 ing ; the two anterior or upper wings are very hard, and form a 

 strong covering or encasement for the posterior pair ; their inner 

 edges fit so closely, that at first sight they appear to be in one 

 piece ; the upper surface is of a dim black colour, with patches 

 and bands of yellow hairs ; while the under surface is of a sliin- 

 ing black : on the upper surface of each there are nine longitudi- 

 nal, dotted, or punctured lines or furrows. The posterior or under 

 wings are of a delicate membranous structure resembling that of 

 the wings of a bee, and are used chiefly, if not exclusively, in 

 flight. It may be here remarked that the wings are seldom 

 employed, the common means of locomotion being the legs ; but 

 that these insects do occasionally fly, may be shown from the 

 reporter having found a full-grown and li\'ing specimen in a 

 garden surrounded by houses, and situated about a mile distant 

 from any plantation. 



2. The Damage. — In order that the nature and extent of the 

 damage caused by the H. ahietis can be understood, it may be as 

 well to give a short description of the plantation where it 

 occurred. During the early part of 1876 the full-grown trees on 

 a large section of ground were cut down and removed ; these 

 trees consisted of larch, spruce, and Scots firs, with some hard- 

 wood, growing, it should be noticed, in patches as suited to the 

 soil and other qualifying circumstances. The branches and other 

 rubbish were burned, the ground thoroughly cleared, drained, 

 and replanted regularly all over with equal numbers of larch, 

 spruce, and Scots fir trees during the ensuing winter and the 

 early part of 1877. 



Towards the end of July 1877, the reporter was informed that 

 a great many of the young trees were being destroyed by hares 

 or rabbits, and it could not be accounted for, as the ground game 



