172 Mr. F. G. Smith on the Habits of 



Asemum sometimes attacks standing trees, but only 

 when the trees' vitality has been impaired. In such cases 

 the upward borings are often much shorter than when the 

 insect attacks stumps. 



There is no fear of Asemum spreading from sickly trees 

 to healthy ones, and the greatest inducement for it to 

 attack is if the trees are burnt round the roots. 



CRIOCEPHALUS FEBUS. 



My investigations in connection with Asemum striatum 

 led to my exploring the Scotch fir woods of the New 

 Forest. 



In June 1902, in a grove of large trees, I observed a 

 number of conspicuous holes in the trunks between a foot 

 and fifteen inches from the ground. They were very like 

 Asemum holes, distinctly oval and clean-cut, but the 

 majority were much larger. Although it was raining 

 heavily I proceeded to investigate the cause. In an hour 

 or two I was rewarded by securing fifteen or sixteen large 

 larvae which looked much like Asemum larvae but which I 

 clearly saw were different. I supposed that the insect 

 must be Hylotrupes bajulus. I was therefore much sur- 

 prised when early in August I reared from them a long 

 brown insect which certainly was not Hylotrupes. I at 

 once searched the Birmingham libraries for information, and 

 found in W. Rothschild's " Musee Entomologique Illustre " 

 a short description and figure of Criocephalus rusticus. I 

 concluded that that was my insect, and accordingly so 

 labelled it in my collection. Towards the end of the same 

 month another emerged, and the only surviving larva, 

 showing no sign of pupation, continued to burrow in its 

 piece of wood. The reason I lost so many larvae at this 

 time was that at the time of capture I had not sufficient 

 receptacles to enable me to keep each one separate. The 

 larvae proved to be very active and irritable, and in con- 

 sequence before I arrived home all except three had 

 received injuries. 



Early in 1903 I made the acquaintance of Mr. 

 Willoughby Ellis and informed him that I had taken 

 Crioccphalus in the New Forest, and after seeing my 

 specimens and the surviving larva, he accompanied me to 

 the habitat. He subsequently wrote an article on the 

 subject which appeared in the "Ent. Reed.," 1908, xv, 259. 



