1818 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 
DSP : 
sanguineus. In the Magazine of Natural History (iv. p. 265.), Mr. Dale states 
that he found the latter insect “in plenty, both in larva and pupa, on rotten 
oak stumps, in the New Forest. Tillus unifasciatus and 4mbulans also feed, 
in the larva state, on the rotten oak; and the latter was captured and bred 
by Mr. Dale. (See Mag. Nat. Hist., iv. p. 266.) But the most destructive 
insects to oak timber are the species of the family Lymexylénide, which, 
although common in Sweden and some other parts of the Continent, are, 
fortunately, of great rarity in this country. Lyméxylon dérmestdides is about 
4in. in length, and is found in the trunks of the oak, and some other 
trees; whilst Lyméxylon nasale Fab. (Cantharis navalis 
Linn., and our fig. 1646.) appears to be exclusively 
confined to oak timber, which it perforates, and com- 
pletely destroys. (Gyllenhal Ins. Suec., 1. 317.) So. 
great, indeed, was the injury caused in the royal dock- 
yards of Sweden by this insect, that the greatest alarm 
was entertained for the safety of the shipping ; nor did it 1646 
subside until Linnzus, at the desire of the king of Sweden, had traced out the 
cause of the destruction; and had, having detected the lurking culprit under 
the form of the beetle above mentioned, by directing the timber to be immersed 
during the time of the metamorphosis of the insect and its season of oviposi- 
tion, furnished a remedy which effectually secured the wood from its future 
attacks. (Smith's Introduct. to Bot., pref., p. xv., quoted by Kirby and Spence 
TIntr., i. p. 237.; Bechstein and Scharffenburg Forstins., vol. 1.) 
Tinea ramélla Lin. feeds within the branches of the oak. (Syst. Nat., ii. 
. 887. 
. fe which live under the Bark. There are also many species of insects 
(chiefly small Coleéptera) which reside beneath the bark of the oak, without 
boring into the solid wood. Of these, the Scdélytus pygmze‘us, already alluded 
to in p. 1390., as having recently caused the destruction of 50,000 young oaks 
in the Bois de Vincennes, near Paris, is the most redoubtable. (Annales de la 
Soc. Entomol. de France, 1836, p. xxx.) Tomicus villésus, I’ps 4-guttata, 
Hypulus quércinus, Cerylon pilicérne, Rhyzéphagus dispar, Silvanus uniden- 
tatus, and Bitoma crenata, are also subcortical beetles, the first-named species 
being one of the typographer beetles. (See Pinus.) 
Insects which feed on the Leaves. It is, however, upon the leaves of the oak 
that the greatest proportion of its insect population finds its support; and it 
is chiefly amongst the caterpillars of lepidopterous insects that the greatest 
number of the leaf-feeders Sey 
are found. Of these, the IN 
Tortrix viridana Lin. (fig. \ } 
1647.), a very small, pretty, 8 
green species, is by far the ut 
most obnoxious; entirely Hh 
stripping the oaks of their TS il 
foliage, as we have more than Vins i 
once observed at Coombe S3%"% x 
Wood, in Surrey. “ Even “gs y i“ 
qe 
py 
the smaller sorts of cater- 
pillars become, from their 
multiplicity, sometimes as 
destructive as those which . 
are of considerable magni- ~ 
tude. During the summer of 1827, we were told that an extraordinary 
blight had suddenly destroyed the leaves of all the trees in the Oak of 
Honour Wood, Kent. On going thither, we found the report but little 
exaggerated; for, though it was in the leafy month of June, “there was 
scarcely a leaf to be seen on the oak trees, which constitute the greater 
portion of the wood. But we were rather surprised when we discovered, on 
examination, that this extensive destruction had been effected by one of the 
i . 
