60 MANGOLDS. 
below ground, this causes the myriads in which it appears to be some- 
times confused with a visitation of Red Ants. The exceeding minute- 
ness of this Pigmy Beetle makes it almost impossible to show even its 
length and breadth in a figure of natural size, and in farm-work it 
would be quite impossible to distinguish it accurately without the help 
of a strong hand-magnifier. 
When so examined, it will be found to be of the shape figured 
(much magnified) at p. 59, that is, long and narrow; it is slightly 
flattened above, and downy, and in colour varying from rusty-red to 
brownish-black. The horns, or antenn®, are slender, terminated by a 
three-jointed club, and chestnut-coloured ; feet also chestnut-coloured. 
Wings ample. 
The mischief is done by the beetle first attacking the root (first of 
all the tap-root) of the young Beet or Mangold. This occurs early in 
the season. In 1892 the late Prof. Harker wrote to me, on the 27th 
of February, from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester :—‘“ I 
think I mentioned to you that I found myriads of a small Atomaria at 
our Mangolds last spring, when we lost about half the crop.”” With 
this, Prof. Harker forwarded me various extracts on the subject of the 
attack of the Atomaria linearis, first observed in the year 1839 by 
Armand Bazin, of which he observed that they most accurately 
described the appearance of the attacked Mangolds, and that he ‘could 
have collected hundreds of Atomarias at each plant.” Also Prof. 
Harker remarked that he had not thought previously that they were 
such severe pests. 
From collating the accounts of various Continental writers, it 
appears that even by the middle of June the beetles may be found to 
have been seriously injurious to the coming crop by gnawing little 
holes in the germinating plants, so that they perish before appearing 
above ground; or, again, by so injuring the young plants that, where 
the leaves have appeared, they die off, and on examination the lower 
parts of the stalks are found to be eaten below ground-level. The root 
also is found to be gnawed in places, and these wounded parts to have 
turned black, and if the earth is carefully turned back, the little 
beetles will be found at work. 
Later on, especially in bright warm sunny weather, the beetles 
may be found working at the leaves, and causing at times great 
damage; and on warm evenings the beetles come out of the ground, 
and, rising in the air, they pair; but where the eggs are laid, or the 
maggots feed, does not appear to have as yet been certainly observed. 
Presumably it is at the Beet- or Mangold-roots; but as the beetles 
themselves are only about as long as two-thirds of the height of the 
(0) in this word, it is matter of no small difficulty to be sure of securing 
their eggs or larvee in the open field. 
