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STKAWBERRY. 



Cockchafer. Mehluntha vulgaris, Fab. 



Melolontha vulgaris. — Common Cockchafer, maggot, and pupa. 



The Cockchafer is very injurious both in grub and beetle 

 state. In the perfect condition, that is, as Cockchafer beetle, 

 it preys to some degree on conifers, especially on Larch 

 shoots and leafage ; but none of our common deciduous 

 forest trees, whether Oak, Beech, Maple, Horse-chestnut, or 

 other kinds, appear safe from its attacks, even to the extent at 

 times of stripping them of their foliage. Amongst orchard trees 

 Apple, Plum, Cherry, and Nuts are kinds particularly liable 

 to infestation. 



T]ie grubs feed voraciously below ground on many kinds of 

 roots. In pasture land their ravages at the grass-roots are a 

 very severe trouble ; and they also feed at the roots of young 

 trees in nurseries, and do much damage at times to young 

 Fir roots ; notes have been sent me of injury to thousands of 

 seedling Fir only about ten to twelve inches high by the 

 grubs removing the bark in large patches from the main 

 roots. They will also feed on field crop roots, such as those 

 of Mangold, Potato, and Turnip ; and (relatively to the 

 present considerations) their injury to Strawberry roots are 

 recorded on the Continent as one of the regular attacks ; and 

 complaint of it has been sent to myself of this even in the 

 present year. The infestation is to be found not only from 

 the South of England to the North of Scotland as far as 

 Aberdeen, but even in the island of Orkney. 



The Cockchafer beetle is almost too well known to require 

 description ; but it may just be mentioned that it is of the 



