COLEOPTERA. 81 



remedy, suggested by Mr. Lowell and Professor Peck, to pre- 

 vent other limbs and trees from being subsequently attacked 

 in the same way, consists in cutting otf the blasted limb beloiv 

 the seat of injury, and burning it before the perfect insect has 

 made its escape. It will therefore be necessary, carefully to 

 examine our pear-trees daily, during the month of June, and 

 watch for the first indication of disease, or the remedy may be 

 applied too late to prevent the dispersion of the insects among 

 other trees. 



There are some other beetles, much like the preceding in 

 form, whose grubs bore into the solid wood of trees. They 

 were formerly included among the cylindrical bark-beetles, but 

 have been separated from them recently, and now form the 

 family Bostrichid-e, or Bostrichians. Some of these beetles 

 are of large size, measuring more than an inch in length, and, 

 in the tropical regions where they are found, must prove very 

 injurious to the trees they inhabit. The body in these beetles 

 is hard and cylindrical, and generally of a black color. The 

 thorax is bulging before, and the head is sunk and almost 

 concealed under the projecting fore part of it. The antennse 

 are of moderate length, and end with three large joints, which 

 are saw-toothed internally. The larvae are mostly wood-eaters, 

 and are whitish fleshy grubs, WTinkled on the back, furnished 

 with six legs, and resemble in form the grubs of some of the 

 small Scarabseians. The shagbark or walnut tree is sometimes 

 infested by the grubs of the red-shouldered Apate, or Apate 

 hasillaris of Say, an insect of this family. The grubs bore 

 diametrically through the trunks of the walnut to the very 

 heart, and undergo their transformations in the bottom of their 

 burrows. Several trees have fallen under my observation which 

 have been entirely killed by these insects. The beetles are of 

 a deep black color, and are punctured all over. The thorax is 

 very convex and rough before; the wing-covers are not exca- 

 vated at the tip, but they slope downwards very suddenly 

 behind, as if obliquely cut off, the outer edge of the cut portion 

 is armed with three little teeth on each wing-cover, and on the 

 base or shoulders there is a large red spot. This insect mea- 

 sures one fifth of an inch or more in length. 

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