WHEAT-r.TJLB FLY ; WIREWOEMB. 109 



other wild Grasses would sprout in the fallows, or on the bare 

 patches of Turnip-fields, or in the early-turned Potato-fields, 

 and in the young shoots of the Grass, the Wheat-bulb Flies 

 which come out in the beginning of July might lay their eggs. 

 It is against all likelihood that the identical flies which appear 

 in July should live on to lay their eggs from October to March, 

 hut very likely that they should lay them on wild Grasses 

 during July, or at least shortly after they appeared ; and the 

 maggots from these eggs turning in regular course to chrysa- 

 lids and thence to flies, these would be ready to start attack 

 on Wheat following on the same ground. The following 

 observation may also be worth notice : — " It is also to be re- 

 marked that the tops of the ridges (?'. e., where the soil is the 

 hollowest, from the plough having thrown up the two ridges 

 together from opposite directions) are more affected than the 

 ridges below these or in the bottom." In this case the 

 hollowness would be more favourable for escape of the flies 

 from the chrysalis than the solidly laid earth. 



Wlieat, on land dressed with pond mud, has been found to 

 suffer more from the attack than other parts of one field 

 specially reported on ; but at present no remedy appears to be 

 known. The only special treatment which has been suggested 

 is a very thick seeding on all lands where attack is feared ; if 

 the crop escapes and is considered to be too thick on the 

 ground, a portion of the plants can be harrowed out. 



Wireworms (Grubs of Click Beetles). 



Elater (A(jnotes) lineatus, Linn. 

 ,, ,, obscurus, Liuu. 



,, ,, sputator (Linn. ?), Fab. 



,, [Athdus) rujicaudis, Gyll. {h(BmorrhoidaUs, Fab.) 



Wireworms may perhaps be said to do the greatest amount 

 of mischief of any of our farm pests ; they destroy root, 

 grain, and fodder-crops. From their method of gnawiug the 

 roots or underground shoots, and then going on to another 

 plant, they waste and destroy far more than they need for 

 food ; and as they live for several years as grubs, and feed 

 during these years on almost every kind of crop that is com- 

 monly grown, their ravages are of a very serious kind. 



The Wireworm is the grub of the long narrow grejdsh- 

 brown, or blackish beetle (see figs. 1 — 6, p. 110), often seen 

 during summer in Grass-fields, commonly known as the 

 Skip-Jack, or Click Beetle, from its power of regaining its 

 position, when laid on its back, by a spring or skip, accom- 

 panied by a sharp click. 



