AND OTHER INSECTS WHICH INFEST CONIFERS. 131 



are chiefly directed against dead and decaying roots of cut trees. 

 The "best known of this class is the Uylobius abietls, -which may be 

 taken as the type of the whole. It is one of the largest of the 

 British Curculionidce, or weevil family. 



The destruction caused to pine plantations in this country by the 

 attacks of the Hylurgus piniperda, and the wide area over which 

 (both in England and Scotland) it has been observed, demand more 

 than a passing notice in a paper like the present. It is very 

 commonly found upon the Scots fir and Weymouth pine (P. Strobus), 

 and many other conifers, detracting oftentimes by its ravages 

 from their deservedly admired, picturestpue, and interesting appear- 

 ance. 



This beetle belongs to the same family as one whose attacks upon 

 the common elm (Ulmus camjjestris) are well known in Scotland — 

 namely, the "Scohjtus destructor," whose ravages upon the elms in 

 St James' and Hyde Parks, London, created some years ago con- 

 siderable interest and attracted public attention. 



The injury done by the Hylurgus piniperda consists in its destruc- 

 tion of the leading shoots of the fir or pine which it attacks. It is 

 incessant in its operations when these are fairly commenced, and 

 the following narrative of the mode and progress of its attack, by 

 Mr John Lindley, will give an accurate idea of the rapidity and 

 devastating effects of this insect's operations : — 



" For the purpose of observing its proceedings more narrowly" 

 (says Mr Lindley), " I placed a shoot of the Scots fir under a glass 

 with the insect. In about three hours after, it had just begun to 

 pierce the bark at the base of one of the leaves; its mandibles 

 seemed chiefly employed, its legs being merely used as a means of 

 fixing itself more firmly. Four hours after, its head and thorax 

 were completely buried in the shoot, and it had thrown out a quan- 

 tity of wood, which it had reduced to a powder, and which nearly 

 covered the bottom of the glass. In sixteen hours more it was 

 entirely concealed, and was beginning to form its perpendicular 

 excavation, and was busily employed in throwing back the wood as it 

 proceeded in destroying it. There were evidently two kinds of this 

 sawdust, part consisting of shapeless lumps, but the greater portion 

 of very thin semi-transparent lamellae, or rather shavings, which 

 presented an invariably regular spiral appearance. I now examined 

 it every day till the fifth, when I found it had emerged through the 

 central bud at about an inch from where it had first commenced." 



Of this most destructive pest there are several varieties well 



VOL. VII. PART II. K 



