GROUND BEETLES. 241 



which had done much mischief there last year, and had again 

 appeared. 



The ground amongst the Strawberries was covered, as is 

 customary, with straw, and the plan adopted by the gardener 

 was to remove the straw from a space, and then, trowel in 

 hand, turn over the surface of the ground temporarily laid 

 bare, and secure the sheltering beetles. Thus, gradually going 

 in this way through the bed, the beetles were captured by 

 hundreds, and — whereas the first part of the crop was ruined, 

 — afterwards (when the plan was carried out) the fruit was 

 saved from further ravage. 



The above observations, and especially that of Messrs. 

 Laxton, as being practicable in hroad- scale groiving, seem 

 to me a great advance towards stopping the very hroad-scale 

 ravage which we have been suffering from. 



Experiment as to possibility of poisoning the beetles by a 

 mixture of red lead made up into a paste with flour wholly 

 failed. Of this it was reported : — " Red lead has no effect 

 upon the beetles. I mixed ffour, dripping, and the lead into a 

 paste, and gave it to some in a box ; they at once devoured it 

 greedily. That was on Saturday. This morning (Monday) 

 they are as lively as ever." — (T. E. P.) 



As three of the four kinds of beetles specially observed as 

 Strawberry destroyers are wingless, it appears plain that the 

 infestation of these must either be nursed up in the Straw- 

 berry beds, or be brought in manure ; and as the Harpalus 

 riificornis, which I kept under observation, were pairing on the 

 19th and 20th of July, it is presumable that the other kinds 

 would also be pairing about the same time, and the young 

 grubs soon hatching and feeding on animal matter, as worms 

 and the like, in the earth of the Strawberry beds. 



AVhether, when the beds are dressed, a strong application 

 of kainite, which is injurious to development of some larvae, 

 would help in this case might be worth trial. 



Opinions appear to differ as to serviceableness of moles ; 

 from the wing-cases of the beetles being found in the rejecta- 

 menta of the moles, there appears to be no doubt that they 

 devour the beetles, if so disposed; but there is no mass of 

 evidence as to benefit from their presence. 



Detailed information from which the above notes are chiefly 

 taken will be found in my Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and 

 Twenty-first xlnnual Reports on Injurious Insects. 



