INSECTS. 



flacifcmoratum, K), which at all sea- 

 sons feeds upon the seed of the pur- 

 ple clover, wiiile another species of 

 the same tribe {A. jlavipcs) devours 

 that of the white or Dutch clover ; 

 the injury, unfortunately, cannot be 

 known while the plants are growing, 

 as they have then every appearance 



Fiir. 



of being perfectly healthy. The young 

 shoots of the purple clover are often 

 devoured by jumping beetles {Halhca, 

 F.). 



" Pastures in general are often de- 

 stroyed, to a very great extent, by 

 the larva or grub of the cockchafer 

 {Fig. 2, a). 



2. 



"The ravages of the larvae are 

 even exceeded by those of the per- 

 fect insect, which sometimes appears 

 in the country in prodigious multi- 

 tudes, and, like a flight of locusts, 

 devour every green thing on the face 

 of the earth. The eggs of this terri- 

 ble devastator are white, and are de- 

 posited in the ground, where they 

 soon change into a soft whitish grub 

 with a red head, and about an inch 

 and a half long {h). In this state it 

 continues four years, during which 

 time it commits most destructive rav- 

 ages on the roots, not only of grass, 

 but of all other plants and young trees. 

 "Whole acres of the richest pastures 

 are thus rendered unproductive ; all 

 verdure is lost, and the turf will roll 

 up almost with as much ease as if it 

 had been cut with a spade. The 

 whole of this injury being carried on 

 under ground, admits neither of pre- 

 ventive nor palliative measures ; but 

 the destruction to be expected from 

 the perfect insect may yet be prevent- 

 ed. If the dried and withered turf is 

 now removed, the soil underneath 

 will appear turned into a soft mould 

 for about an inch in depth, like the 

 bed of a garden ; in this will be found 

 the grubs, lying on their backs in a 

 curved position, and vast quantities 

 may be gathered and given to pigs 

 426 



and poultry. When full grown, the 

 larvcB dig in the earth to the almost 

 incredible depth of five or six feet, 

 spin a smooth case, and then change 

 into a chrysalis. In this inactive 

 form they remain until the following 

 spring. 



" The perfect insect or beetle then 

 comes from the ground, and com- 

 mences an immediate attack upon 

 the leaves of all trees. Their num- 

 bers are sometimes immense. The 

 best, and, indeed, the only eflectual 

 remedy for the destruction of the 

 perfect insect, is to shake the trees 

 or bushes at noon, when they are ei- 

 ther asleep, or in a state of stupor, 

 and then to. sweep or gather them 

 up. One person in this way has been 

 known to capture a thousand in a day, 

 which, on a moderate calculation, 

 prevented no less than one hundreu 

 thousand eggs from being laid. Some 

 judicious farmers plough the ground 

 when they have reason to think it is 

 infested by the grub, and this is gen- 

 erally indicated by the rooks attempt- 

 ing to reach them. They are also 

 greedily devoured by crows and jays, 

 whose sole employment, for nearly 

 three months in the spring of the 

 year, is to search for insects of this 

 sort ; and the destruction they cause 

 among them is above all calculation. 



