BEETLES. 173 



hazel-nuts), and it is said that when they first attack 

 a tree they eat through the bark and into the centre 

 of the tree, sometimes not going so far as the centre, 

 and sometimes eating for a considerable distance be- 

 tween the bark and the wood before entering the 

 latter. They appear to attack the trees at or near the 

 ground and eat their way from bottom to top of the 

 main stem, occasionally eating through the outer bark. 

 They begin their ascent by eating a round tubular 

 hole several inches in length, occasionally winding off 

 the first course at right angles. On looking amongst 

 the trees so destroyed, at first sight they had every 

 appearance of some one having wilfully taken a gimlet 

 and bored holes for their own amusement. The 

 perfect insect l varies from one third to half an inch 

 in length, of an opaque dirty-black colour, sprinkled 

 with white scales, mixed with tufts of black ones. It 

 feeds also on the alder. The beetle in its mature 

 state may be found on the trunk or leaves of willow- 

 trees during August and September. At an earlier 

 period the grubs must be sought in their channels in 

 the wood. 



Allied to the Snout-beetles or Weevils, we may 

 name a small beetle, 2 with its body rather covered with 

 hair, having a polished black thorax and brown wing- 

 cases, which may be seen in numbers running over 

 the trunks of elms from the end of March to the first 

 days of July, but principally about the end of May 

 or commencement of June. It may then be seen 

 entering into holes, with which the bark appears per- 



1 Cryptorhynchus Lapathi. 2 Scolytits destructor. 



