4 VINE CHAFER. 



Fig. 3 (p. 4) shows the appearance of the grub of 

 the British Cockchafer, which, as a type of the larval 

 form of the family of Melolonths, may be presumably 

 taken as showing the form of the grubs of the Vine 

 Cockchafer of S. Africa, the H. sommeri, mentioned 

 above, and the preceding species. 



FIG. 3. British Cockchafer, grub and chrysalis. 



The habits of various kinds of the so-called Cock- 

 chafers, or Melolonths, are for the beetles to feed on 

 leafage, or vegetable matter above ground, and the grubs 

 to feed under-ground, on roots of plants, grass, &c. 



Where the beetles are sluggish during the day, and 

 rest under the leafage of trees until they fly abroad in 

 the twilight, much may be done to reduce the number 

 by shaking them down. Pigs will eat them greedily, so 

 will poultry ; if there are more than can be got rid of by 

 these means, the services of some boys to trample or 

 beat the beetles by day would probably do all that is 

 needed in the matter of destroying what may be knocked 

 down at little cost. 



With regard to destruction of the grubs, no plan 

 seems (as far as I can find) to be known either in Europe, 

 the E. Indies, or the U.S.A., for getting rid of them, 

 excepting turning them out from under-ground and 

 destroying them. 



To give a single example of this, in Ceylon, where the 

 grubs of various kinds of Chafers (Melolonthid<z) do much 

 harm to Coffee-plant roots, it is noted by Mr. J. Nietner 

 that on one estate, "A gang of Coolies was employed to 

 dig them out of the ground (for they are always near the 

 surface at the end of the feeding rootlets), which they 



