190 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
H. fraxini are by far the most common, but none of them are at 
all injurious to sound and fairly healthy trees. 
Among the Weevils, we have no very formidable foe ; the Pine 
Weevil, Hylobius abietis, which proves so troublesome in the north, 
being, so far as we know, a stranger in these parts. Orchestes 
fagi, the Beech Spring-Beetle, is present in greater or less 
numbers every season, but the damage it does is triflmg. Another 
species of weevil on dry elm branches is also common, but I have 
been unable to identify the one or two mature insects which I 
have been able to secure. During our acorn season, Balaninus 
turbatus seems pretty common. The Pine Saw-Fly caterpillars 
appeared in rather large broods in 1893, and a few were noticed 
last year, but this season they have been extremely rare. We 
found crushing them to death between wisps of rough grass the 
easiest and most effectnal means of extermination, the trees 
attacked being from 6 to 8 feet in height. Several species of 
Cerambycide are common here, the most common being Callidiwm 
violacewm, which often carves on the sap-wood of spruce slabs 
very interesting and artistic designs. I have also come across 
larch limbs with workings of what appeared to be Lamia fascicu- 
laris, but could never find a mature specimen, and the larve of 
other species are frequently met with in dry and rotting oak. 
During the past summer, swarms of the small chafer Phyllopertha 
horticola abounded everywhere, but appeared to do little damage. 
During August the rooks have been busily engaged in rooting 
out their grubs on meadow-land. Ratzeburg states that it appears 
in exceptionally large numbers about every five years. The May 
Bug, Melolantha vulgaris, is not common here. 
Amongst miscellaneous insects may be mentioned Cynips 
corticalis, Kollari, etc.; Sirex gigas; Sesia apiformis ; Chermes 
laricis, pint, abietis, piceae, fagi, etc.; Cossus ligniperda, ete., etc., 
the damage done by these being usually insignificant, or confined 
to dying trees. With regard to measures of prevention, they may 
be said to still remain where they originated—in books. ‘‘Jnsect 
extermination” is not yet allowed for in estate labour bills or 
estimates, and so long as foresters and woodmen have their 
enthusiasm extinguished, or their lives shortened, by the depreda- 
tions of rabbits, insects will probably regard civilised man as 
their best friend. 
A. C, Forses, Wood Manager, Bowood, Calne. 
