106 SERRICORNIA. [A yriotes. 
plates, will be found in Curtis’ Farm Insects, pp. 152-209, Plates F andG; the eggs 
are nearly globose or slightly oval, yellowish-white, and very minute, and are laid in 
the earth close to the root of a plant, or between the sheaths near the base of the 
stalk; from these the larvee hatch, and appear to continue in the larval state for 
from three to five years, feeding at the roots of corn and other plants, which they bore 
through and through, and soon destroy ; they obtain their name of wire-worms from 
their long narrow form and extreme toughness, the whole body above and below 
being covered with corneous scuta; in general appearance they much resemble the 
‘‘meal-worms,” the larve of Tenebrio, but in structure are very different ; they are 
fulvous or more or less castaneous in colour, cylindrical and parallel-sided, with all 
the segments about equal in breadth, except the last, which is pointed at apex; the 
antennez and legs are very short; when the larva has arrived at maturity, it descends 
to a considerable depth in the earth, and there forms a cell composed of the surround- 
ing particles of soil; here it changes to a pupa of a yellowish-white colour, which is 
rather narrow and elongate, without ‘‘ styli motorii,”’ and terminated by two short cerci. 
In a work like the present it is of course impossible to discuss the 
preventive remedies that have been adopted against this pest, which is 
more dreaded by the farmers and gardeners than any other insect ; it 
may, however, be mentioned that clean farming is above all things 
necessary, and that the removal of all patches of weeds which might 
harbour the insect, and paring and burning the surface of the ground 
have often been found very advantageous; nitrate of soda, soot, guano, 
lime-water, and the refuse of gas-works are destructive to them, and 
rolling with a heavy roller in March and April, when the beetles begin 
to emerge, is sometimes very serviceable, as also is the treading of the 
barley in early spring by sheep, &c.; when the wire-worms attack a 
garden, large numbers may be taken by burying sliced potatoes near the 
infested plants ; these attract them, and they may be captured in large 
quantities. One of the greatest agencies, however, in keeping down the 
plague is found in the birds, especially rooks, which destroy them in 
countless num bers, and should by every means be encouraged; when we see 
rooks busy in a field, apparently pulling up blades of corn, it will usually 
be found on further examination that they are only destroying infected 
blades in search of the wire-worms; pheasants and partridges are very 
fond of them, and have often been found of great use in destroying 
them. There are two crops mentioned by Curtis which these insects 
seem particularly to dislike, and these are white mustard and woad, and 
it is said that these crops will completely free a field from them. It may 
perhaps be observed, in conclusion, that great as is the damage done by 
the wire-worm, a great deal of injury is assigned to it of which it is quite 
innocent, as Centipedes, Millipedes (Julus and Polydesmus), and the 
larvee of the Daddy Long-legs (Tipula oleracea) and many other insects, 
all fall under the denomination of ‘wire-worms” in the eyes of the 
ordinary agriculturist. 
Of the six British species mentioned in the following list, the first 
three are those that do most damage; the fourth is very rare in Britain, 
and the last two are much narrower and smaller insects, and not much 
appears to be known concerning their earlier stages. 
