16 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
that the egg stage is selected, though an exception presents itself 
in the Black Arches moth (Liparis monacha). The larva stage is 
the one most commonly chosen, and is almost general in the case — 
of butterflies and moths. It is also frequently resorted to with 
beetles, e.g., the whole of the Scolytide, Melolontha vulgaris, etc. 
The pupa stage is not often selected, chiefly because it is usually 
of such short duration, and, on the whole, neither is the imago 
stage, though pine weevils, cockchafers, and certain moths are 
destroyed in large numbers as perfect insects. As a general rule, 
one is guided in the choice of the stage and season by that which 
offers the most opportunities, and for this reason the larval stage 
is most usually chosen, because many injurious insects pass the 
greatest proportion of their life in the state of larve, and are at 
that stage most easily caught. 
The destruction of forest insects may take place (a) when the 
insect is feeding, breeding, or hibernating in its natural haunts, or 
when moving to or from its breeding or feeding ground ; or (6) in 
special lures prepared to attract the insects to them for the purpose 
of feeding, breeding, or shelter. We shall now look shortly at 
some special eradicative measures which can be applied along these 
two main lines. 
Destruction of Forest Insects when in their Natural Haunts.—In 
countries where cockchafers, Melolontha vulgaris, are numerous, 
advantage is taken of every opportunity to destroy them, and huge 
numbers are captured by hand-picking. Early morning and dull 
days are chosen, because at these times the beetles are slow in their 
movements. The work is chiefly performed by women or children, 
who are paid at a certain rate per pound (1 lb. contains about 550 
head). From reliable sources I have collected the following 
statistics to show what enormous numbers of cockchafers are from 
time to time collected. In 1836 a society for the destruction of 
cockchafers at Quedlinburg, in Saxony, paid out £40 for the 
capture of 33,000,000 ; in 1860 a private individual in Salzmiinde 
paid £45 for some 22,000,000 head. In 1864, in the neighbour- 
hood of Leipzig, over 378,000,000 were collected. In 1868 Saxony 
was practically overrun by cockchafers, and the secretary of the 
Central Chamber of Agriculture, Dr Stadelmann, issued a strong 
appeal for their destruction, at the same time issuing instructions as 
to how this might best be accomplished. The appeal was generally 
acted upon, with the result,that there were collected nearly 1400 
tons, or a grand total of something like 1,600,000,000 head. In 
