THE WHEAT-STEM FLY, ETC. 107 



ground stem of wheat, Indian corn, the grasses and most varieties 

 of cultivated vegetables. They continue in the larvae state for 

 several years, and where they prevail are excessively injurious to 

 growing crops. 



184. Wire worms have a long, slender and very tough cylin- 

 drical body, composed of twelve segments, with six feet attached 

 to the three segments next the head. The length of the larva 

 of Elater lineatus is about an inch, colour yellow, head more 

 inclined to brown, skin tough and rigid, legs conical, body 

 smooth, with a few scattered hairs. 



185. The pupa is whitish, with two black spots over the eyes, 

 it is about a quarter of an inch in length. At the extremity 

 of the abdomen are two short spines, terminating the tenth ring 

 of which it consists. 



186. The perfect insect or beetle is one of those popularly 

 called " snapping bugs ;" colour brown, legs dark yellow, length 

 of body a third of an inch. 



187. Sometimes the wire worm is found in such destructive 

 abundance that it cuts off most crops as fast as they appear two 

 or three inches above the surface. Under such circumstances, 

 starving them out perhaps is the only remedy ; a field kept per- 

 fectly free from vegetation can afford them no nourishment, and 

 they must either perish or forsake the field in search of food. 

 Crops of white mustard seed are particularly obnoxious to this 

 insect and have frequently succeeded in eradicating them. It is 

 questionable, however, whether the remedy in this country would 

 not prove as terrible as the disease 5 every one knows what a 

 noxious weed the mustard becomes where land is not kept clean. 



188. Liquid ammonia has been tried with most favourable 

 results for the destruction of this insect. Also, steeping wheat 

 seed in wine and then drying it with sulphur has been strongly 

 recommended, but although the sulphur may and does prevent 



