XXXVIII 

 STONE AND WOOD BORERS 



BORING into wood is a favourite proceeding on the 

 part of many small creatures, insects, shrimps, and 

 ship-worms, by which they not only acquire nourishment, 

 but at the same time penetrate more and more deeply 

 into safe quarters and concealment. It is not surprising 

 that it has become the necessary and regular mode of life 

 of a host of small animals, and consequently that man 

 who wants wood in good sound blocks and planks for 

 his various constructions is a good deal put out by the 

 voracity of the wood-boring community. To some extent 

 he has given up the task of checking their proceedings, 

 and now uses metal where he formerly used wood, but 

 that only applies to a limited field. Wood is still the 

 great material of rough construction, and the main sub- 

 stance used in fittings and furniture. 



In our own country and in most parts of the world 

 there are large grubs or caterpillars, such as those of the 

 goat moth, three inches long and as thick as one's finger, 

 which eat into the stems of trees and spoil the timber. 

 The grub of the handsome moth known as the wood 

 leopard is another of these. It attacks poplar trees, and 

 we used to take it in numbers in the London parks and 

 squares when* I was a collector. The goat moth is 



specially destructive to willow trees. But there are a 

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