THE GIRDLER BEETLE 



January ^th 



F we search beneath the hickory- trees we 

 may gather an interesting handful of twigs. 

 The snow is sometimes strewn with short branch 

 tips, their ends appearing to have been cut off 

 as with a file. Some artful fagot-cutter has been 

 at work here, surely! If we examine the low- 

 hanging branches of the trees, we shall find bet- 

 ter proof of his clever work, as shown in the pictured 

 twig. The branches are seen to be girdled with a deep 

 groove, sunk through the bark and deep into the wood. 

 Many of these girdles appear quite recent, the branch 

 beyond being full of sap, while in others this part of the 

 twig is plainly dead, and readily snaps when handled, a 

 strong wind being sufficient to strew the surrounding 

 snow with the lifeless twigs. The works of the myste- 

 rious pruner are plainly seen on every side, but we shall 

 have to go back to the August woods to solve the rid- 

 dle of his identity. Here we shall find the artful " gir- 

 dler " trimming the trees to its fancy, or, as I should say, 

 to her fancy; and how many are the misshapen hickory- 

 trees that can be laid to her effective industry? 



I have pictured the pruner at its work ; and now 



