INTRODUCTION. 47 



Two species of wire-worms, as they are called, 

 prey on the roots of flowers. One appears to be 

 a minute species of Scolopendra ; the other is the 

 larva of the springing beetle {Elater castajieus?); 

 and a third I have lately noticed, as destructive 

 to tulips, is a Styphalinus. I am not acquainted 

 with any application which is either fatal or 

 noxious to those hardy worms. Lime or salted 

 water is the only thing- I would suggest to offend 

 them : only, if applied sufficiently powerful for 

 this purpose, it risks the well-being of the plants. 

 But, as the former of these insects are mostly 

 seen in half-decayed nodules of vegetable or 

 animal matter, and the latter often in the fresh 

 loam, complete aeration of, and rejecting recent 

 animal substances from the compost, are the only 

 precautions to be taken to banish these plagues, 

 as well as many other species of ground insects. 



Woodlice (Oniscus armadillo) burrow about 

 the roots of flowers, and appear to gnaw the epi- 

 dermis of plants. An old shoe, filled with hay 

 sprinkled with sugared water, forms a good trap 

 for them. This also acts well as a lure for ear- 



