HYLASTES CVNICULARIUS, ER. 281 



the exposed portions of their roots considerably. As has 

 been shown, this charring has proved of no avail. The gallery 

 illustrated in Figure 2 occurred only half an inch distant 

 from a badly charred section of the root. 



This failure of a much discussed preventive measure is 

 extremely interesting. At first sight it would seem to 

 indicate that the measure is useless. I am not inclined to 

 make so sweeping an assertion, but I believe rather that 

 charring is useless unless carried out just prior to, or better 

 still, during the breeding period of the beetle, that is, in early 

 April or May according to the weather conditions prevailing. 



» 



Conclusion and Summary. 



Hylastcs cnniculariiis, Er., undoubtedly breeds in Scotland, 

 and may prove to be more common than we at present 

 believe. 



It is essentially a spruce-dweller, breeding below soil 

 level. 



It feeds in the roots in which it was reared, but if 

 opportunity offers migrates to young coniferous plantations, 

 where it feeds on spruce, Scots pine and larch. Its life- 

 history and habits are strikingly similar to those of H. ater, 

 Pk., but owing to the branching of the roots of its breeding 

 host, the spruce, it is probably a more formidable enemy of 

 young trees planted in old spruce clearings than H. ater 

 proves in similar pine clearings. 



In the larval stage H. cunicularius is harmless. The adult, 

 on the other hand, injures or totally destroys newly planted 

 conifers of various kinds. Spruce, Scots pine, and larch have 

 been found attacked by it. In the areas under observation, 

 the loss caused by H. cunicularius may be stated as not less 

 than a pound per acre, allowing the cost of planting to be 

 three pounds per acre, a low estimate. 



