58 MANGOLDS. 
courte, Tipperary, Ireland, in his observations, sent me in 1888, to be 
feeding mostly during the evening and early morning when the leafage 
is moist, taking the young leaves first and eating them down to the 
soil. When these were finished, the maggots attacked the tender root, 
sometimes gnawing it off for about a quarter of an inch below the 
surface of the soil. The attack, judging by the various observations 
sent, lasts from early in June until towards the end of July. When 
full-fed, the grubs go down about three or four inches deep into the 
soil, and there change to chrysalids; and if undisturbed the new pre- 
sence of beetles from these chrysalids may be expected about three 
weeks after the disappearance of the maggots. 
The beetles average five lines in length, flattish, brown-black, 
and slightly downy, and have three raised lines along each wing-case 
(see figures 5, 6, p. 57), and are to be found during winter sheltering 
under clods or stones, or in moss: or rotten wood, and, later on in the 
year, are to be found in dead animals. From this double nature of 
food they take their double name of Beet Carrion Beetles; and in 
grub-state, although I have never absolutely seen them feeding on 
putrid meat, specimens under observation to which I gave nothing but 
meat gradually becoming putrid for food, remained for so many days 
lively and hearty, that it was presumable they fed upon it. 
This attack does not seem to be increasing, for in 1888, the first 
year (so far as I am aware) of it being observed as a crop-pest in 
England, a few observations were sent of it doing mischief at localities 
widely apart, and of greater amount of its presence in Ireland. In 
1891, the second year in which I had observations of it in Kngland, it 
was only reported from one locality, namely, from Batworthy, in 
Devonshire (mentioned above), and now again in the past season the 
only reports sent of its reappearance are its bad attack at that locality ; 
and also I have information from Mr. D. D. Gibb, of Ossemsley Manor 
Farm, Lymington, Hants, of it being present there also. 
_ No new information has been given as to methods of prevention ; 
but where crops are destroyed so that the ground is cleared, it should 
be remembered that just then (for about three weeks after the disap- 
pearance of the maggots) they are going through their changes to the 
beetle-state only about three inches below the surface, and cultivation 
that will break open the soil just to the depth at which they are lying 
will in various ways much lessen their numbers, and especially if 
quick-lime, or a light dressing of gas-lime, is thrown. If circumstances. 
allow of the land being left. clear for a month, probably a dressing of 
two tons per acre, the amount considered quite safe under the above 
circumstances by the late Dr. Aug. Voelcker, would do a great deal 
towards clearing the infestation. Also with this attack, when it is a. 
question of ploughing in the young Mangolds on account of severe 
