GENUINE SNOUT-BEETLES. 



193 



has the bad habit of tunneling, in the larval state, into the bark 

 of hickory in every direction, leaving only just enough tissue to 

 prevent the bark from warping away from the tree. Mr. Bow- 

 ditch states that, "as far as my observations extend, the species 

 appears to prefer small trees, from four to six inches in diameter. 

 If the tree is small and very badly infested it dies very quickly, 

 and shortly after the beetles have escaped, the bark is apt to flake 



Fig. 205. — Masdalis olyra, Herbst. 

 larva; b, pupa. After Packard. 



Fig. 206. — Magdalis armicollis, 

 Say. After Forbes. 



off and curl up in quite large pieces." As a general rule, however, 

 this beetle prefers the red oaks. Fig. 205 shows M. olyra Herbst, 

 found abundantly boring under the bark of oak, and Fig. 206 

 M. armicollis Say. 



THE PLUM GOUGER. 



(Coccotorus scutellaris Lee). 



This destructive beetle has been described in the "Second 

 Annual Report of the Entomologist," but to make this report on 

 beetles injurious to fruit-producing plants more complete, it is re- 

 peated. 



There is no kind of fruit that promises so well in Minnesota 

 as the plum, and wonderful progress has already been made in 

 the past to improve our wild species, and to create, by selection, 

 crosses, or by other means, new and better varieties, and it seems, 

 when we look at the samples of plums shown last year at the dif- 

 ferent fairs, that before very long fruit superior to all other grow- 

 ing now will be the result of such painstaking work. It seems to 

 the writer that the only true road to success has been chosen, viz. : 



