of the Trees in St. James's Park. 253 



that no more of tlie tree was barked fi cm the ground than 

 what was easily within the reach of a soldier's bayonet; and 

 this was sufficient to throw suspicion on some unfortunate re- 

 cruits, of whom more than one was arrested without pro- 

 ducing any diminution of the evil. In vain were persons em- 

 ployed to sit up during whole nights watching for the ene- 

 my ; the bark continued to be found every morning on the 

 ground at the roots of the trees, and the park-keepers, after all 

 their trouble, could only conclude, " that the bark fell off in 

 consequence of something being placed on the trunks during 

 the day-time." In this conclusion we shall see that they were 

 right ; but the criminals, as well as their motives for such ob- 

 stinate perseverance in downright mischief, have hitherto re- 

 mained undiscovered, in spite of every offered reward and 

 threatened punishment. As, liowever, I have been for some 

 time past in possession of their names, and as they continue 

 obstinately in their mischievous courses, I trust you will allow 

 me the use of your pages, in order that the crimmals may be 

 held up to general reprobation. 



Wilhelm, in I'eciting the alarm that was occasioned in Ger- 

 many by the ravages made in 1783 by the Scolytiis typogra- 

 jihus, an insect which destroyed whole forests of pines so as to 

 threaten the inhabitants of the Hartz with a total suspension 

 of their mining operations, asks. Who would believe that so 

 small a beetle can thus render itself more formidable to man- 

 kind than the strongest and most fierce beast of prey ? If we 

 however were to ask. Who would believe that the author of 

 all the above mischief in the parks, is a small beetle of the 

 same natural family as the Scolytiis ti/pog7-aphiis, and scarcely 

 l-6th of an inch in length ? there is no entomologist but would 

 answer, that he is every day in the habit of meeting with si- 

 milar wonders. Indeed, entomologists have long been aware 

 that it is nothing else than the evil which is termed in Ger- 

 many IVurm-trukness (decay caused by worms) which is at 

 present devastating St. James's Park. However, they were 

 unfortunately not believed until the disease had reached that 

 pitch which at present seems almost to make remedy hopeless. 



I verily believe that in 1819 scarcely two trees were at- 

 tacked in St. James's Park. In the summer of 1820 I first 

 noticed a tree completely barked in the Bird-Cage Walk; and 

 the myriads of holes with which the trunk was perforated soon 

 pointed out the cause to be entomological, which was after- 

 wards confirmed by my taking many specimens ol" the Hy- 

 Icsiiins Destructor out of them. If this tree had been then cut 

 ilown and burnt, in all probability the progress of the disease 

 would have been arrested ; whereas now every elm is in some 



dejiree 



