68 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Antenne and legs reddish-brown. On examination with a lens, 
the wing-covers show longitudinal finely punctured stripes. The 
spaces between these stripes have a number of little knobs carrying 
bristly hairs. These little knobs, however, are absent at the hinder 
end of the second space on each side of the middle line. 
The grub or larve is about a quarter of an inch long, with a 
fleshy, bent, legless body, whitish in colour, and a yellow-brown 
head. 
THE SquirReL (Scowrus vulgaris). 
In the month of August I received an interesting communication 
relating to the habits of the Squirrel from Mr D. Robertson, 
forester, Dunrobin. From Mr Robertson’s letter I quote the 
following :—‘‘ Some days ago I noticed that large numbers of blown 
Scots fir trees, full of the grub of the Pine Beetle (Hylesinus 
piniperda), were being peeled, and the grubs eaten by some bird 
ormammal. At first I was inclined to think it the work of birds ; 
but to-day, having a few hours to spare, I went on a tour of 
discovery, and to my surprise I found that the peeling and the 
destruction of the grubs was being done by squirrels. I watched 
six of the squirrels at work, and got quite near to several, and saw 
them quite clearly. They ran along the fallen trees, passing over 
those which were quite old, and in which there were no grubs; 
but when they came to a tree in which grubs were numerous they 
began operations, pulling off the bark immediately above the grub- 
galleries and eating the grubs. The squirrels were always followed 
by three kinds of small birds, the wren, the bluebonnet, and I 
think a chaffinch. The squirrels usually began operations near the 
top of the trees, and worked towards the base, until the bark got 
too strong for them to break. Since seeing the above, I am 
beginning to think there is some good in Mr Squirrel after all.” 
Mr Robertson then goes on to ask if this is a common occurrence. 
I replied at the time that this was quite a new observation, not 
that the squirrel should eat insects (I know of his taking cock- 
chafers), but that of set design he should strip only those trees 
which were grub infested, and at the places of infestation. In diet 
the squirrel is both vegetarian and carnivorous ; indeed, it may be 
described as omnivorous, as will appear below. 
Perhaps the chief food of the squirrel may be said to be the 
“seeds” of trees—acorns, beech-seeds, hazel-nuts, and _filberts. 
The seeds of conifers are specially liked, the cones of pines, 
