1885.] THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 185 



Xhe Entomologist. 



THE riNE WEEVIL. 



HYLOBIUS ABIETES. 



AT the beginning of the month, Mr. Eobertson, forester at Novar, 

 Eoss-shirc, forwarded ns in a glass bottle two living specimens 

 of an insect reportcti to be effecting great ravages in the woods 

 under his charge. We forwarded the parcel to Miss Orraerod, at the 

 same time expressing an opinion as to the specific name of the 

 prisoners. That lady promptly replied as follows : — 



" You are quite right as to the beetles forwarded by Mr. 

 Robertson being the Pine Weevil. They are the Hyldbius abides, 

 Linn., scientifically, and are distinguishable by the interstices 

 between the stria? on the wing-cases being ven/ rough, the patches 

 on them of yellowish down, and the legs black, from the variety 

 sometimes considered to be a distinct species, the H//. pinastri, 

 Gyll. 



" This has the interstices less roughened, the markings on the 

 wing-cases of whitish pile, and the legs red." 



Mr. Eobertson, as requested, has furnished us with the following 

 details as to the ravages effected : — 



" The Pine Weevil has been doing considerable damage in a 

 young plantation of about 150 acres, composed of fir and larch. 

 Part of the ground was cleared some fifteen years ago of a heavy crop 

 of Scots fir, and on this portion little or no damage has been done ; 

 the remainder of the ground was cleared of a heavy crop of Scots 

 fir two years ago, the trees of which were about 105 years old, and 

 would average about 38 cubic feet of timber each. The brusliwood 

 was all burned before planting, and last season I noticed some 

 damage had been done by insects, but I failed to get any of them ; 

 and as a good deal of damage had been done by rabbits and hares, 

 the plantation was beat up this last spring. In the beginning of May, 

 I found, on a scrutiny of this plantation, that the Weevil attacked 

 both the Scots fir and larch, eating the bark off in patches. I 

 employed boys to gather the insects, and bring them to me in 

 boxes, paying them 6d. per dozen for them, and in this way I have 

 killed some 900 of the pests. There are some trees of Pinus 

 laricio planted in the same wood, but I have not found any damage 

 done to them as yet. 



" The insects are most numerous in the neighbourhood of the saw- 



