COCKCHAFER. 245 



been fastened to serve as a funnel through which the beetles 

 may be dropped."* 



In the work above quoted mention is made of sods of grass 

 being serviceably used for trapping ; these, it is mentioned, 

 are cut eight to ten inches broad and six to eight inches 

 thick, and were laid on the surface of the ground, with the 

 grass downwards, in the forest of Allstadt, Weimar, in the 

 autumn of 1870 ; and from three to eleven larvte were found 

 under each sod in July, 1871. Thus, in a short time, 16,000 

 larvae were collected. (See p. 182 of work quoted.) 



Likewise (same page), as traps for larvre, mention is made 

 of ''Eolls of bark filled with loose soil and placed in the 

 ground." Also, of "Heaps of turf, weeds, humus, burned 

 sods, and dung, &c." " Such heaps," it is observed, " afford 

 looseness, dryness, warmth, and nourishment for the larval 

 development." 



It is, however, exceedingly unlikely that where, as with us, 

 Cockchafer attack is of rare occurrence to a severe extent, 

 that preventive measures will be carried out or would be 

 generally worth while ; and when the grubs are found working 

 at the Strawberry roots, disturbing the plants to get at them 

 might do more harm than good. 



Wild birds, such as Books and Sea Gulls, should on no 

 account be driven off. The Black-headed Gull will follow the 

 plough in the same manner as the Books, and feeds on Cock- 

 chafers both in the grub and beetle stages ; and the Common 

 Gull will go for miles inland to follow the plough in search of 

 grubs and insects. Where some of the above large birds can 

 be kept tame, they do good service by getting at the grubs 

 without the harmful disturbance caused by stirring the soil 

 round the Strawberry roots. 



Various deterrent applications might be worth trying, as, 

 for instances, dressings of soot to make the surface of the 

 ground obnoxious to the beetles at egg-laying time ; also (see 

 ante, p. 35), heavy top dressings of kainite and nitrate of 

 soda have been found beneficial on infested grass-land. But 

 in the case of Strawberry beds which have become infested a 

 treatment which would clear the grubs without risking still 

 worse damage to the plants does not appear as yet to 

 be known. 



* See Dr. Sehlieh's ' Manual of Forestry,' vol. iv. : " Forest Protection," by 

 W. E. Fisher (p. 183). London : Bradbury, Agnew & Co., Bouverie St. 1895. 



