AN INFESTATION BY TINE WEEVIL. 183 



in February, many larvffi were found, which were full-fed, even in 

 this short time, and had in some cases begun to prepare for 

 pupation. It may be of interest to mention here that only four 

 perfect insects were found by the squad on this breeding-ground. 

 The larvae of the weevil were found here to be infested in 

 several cases with parasites. These, which were probably the 

 larvae of an ichneumon, were about three-tenths of an inch in 

 length, apodal, pointed at the extremities, smooth, and of a 

 yellowish-white colour. Eight or ten parasites were usually 

 found in August on a weevil larva, and they usually selected a 

 well-fed form as a host. They completely demolished the weevil 

 larva with the exception of the hard chitinous head, and in 

 April spun a cluster of whitish cocoons. Another check to the 

 natural increase of the weevils was found in the shape of a 

 small red mite, found attached to the abdomen of live weevils. 

 These apparently destroyed many of them, from the parts of 

 dead beetles found at the bases of the plants. 



To minimise the danger of attack from weevils, the ground, 

 after being cleared of its timber, is sometimes allowed to lie 

 fallow for five or more years, before being re-planted. This 

 detracts considerably from the profits of timber-growing, and is 

 not always attended with the best results. In the first place, the 

 subsequent planting is rendered more difficult and more ex- 

 pensive, owing to the ground becoming overgrown with grass and 

 weeds ; and in the second place, such a fallowed area is by no 

 means immune from weevil attacks, if it is situated in a part 

 of the country where infestations are frequent. In any case, 

 however, it is well to bark the stools and clear the ground from 

 which a timber-crop has been cut, whether it is to be planted 

 up immediately or after an interval, for the unbarked stools 

 only aff"ord facilities for the reproduction of the beetles. 



In autumn, during the process of beating-up, those plants 

 which were most severely damaged were found to be infested 

 with a very small black beetle with ferruginous legs {Fiiyogenes 

 bidentatus), and, as these were very numerous, six being often 

 found on one stem, it was necessary to uproot and burn a 

 considerable number of plants, which, but for their presence, 

 would have been left. Plants which were but slightly bitten by 

 the insects had no special dressing applied to them, as the 

 exudation of resin, by excluding the air and by its antiseptic 

 properties, made the natural healing of the wounds possible 



