112 DESTROYING INSECTS. [CHAP. V. 



been devised for their destruction, but the plan 

 proposed by Mr. Waterton appears to be the 

 best. This is, to clean the tree from the insects 

 as thoroughly as possible with a brush and 

 water, and then to fill up all the cankered parts 

 with moistened clay. 



Besides the insects already enumerated, there 

 are several kinds of beetles which devour plants 

 both in the larva and perfect state. Of these, 

 the cockchafer remains in the larva state four 

 years, and is one of the most destructive insects 

 known ; its grub is the celebrated ver blanc of 

 the French. The rose beetle, or rose chafer 

 (Cetonia aurata), is extremely beautiful, from its 

 splendid wing cases of burnished green and 

 gold ; and these beetles, notwithstanding their 

 shape, which looks too heavy and clumsy for 

 flying, may frequently, in hot summer weather, 

 be seen upon the wing, making a loud buzzing 

 noise. When taken up in the hand, they draw 

 up their feet, and appear to be dead ; but, after 

 having been handled and even tossed about for 

 some time, they will, if a favourable opportu- 

 nity appears to offer, suddenly spread out their 

 wings and buzz away, leaving their captor too 

 much astonished to be able to make any effort 

 to retain them. Several of these insects may 

 often be found on one rose ; but they appear to 

 be only engaged in sucking the honey from the 

 flower, as they do not injure it. They undergo 

 their transformations in the ground, and the 

 grubs are supposed to live entirely on little bits 

 of rotten wood. 



Besides the insects already mentioned, the 

 various kinds of weevils, the wire-worm, the 



