162 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



allowing the female beetles to have the favourable opportunity of 

 reproduction offered by large vacant areas with loose soil during 

 years in which large swarms of beetles may be anticipated, or in 

 other words, by not undertaking extensive cultural operations which 

 necessitate any extensive soil-preparation ; it is better to adopt the 

 process of notching-in seedlings into the ground during such 

 years as far as possible. Where the Scots Pine woods have been 

 most badly attacked in Northern Germany, a return has been 

 made to the reproduction of the mature crops under parent 

 standards; but the results are only partially successful, for 

 even with light fellings and partial clearances, and often in 

 fairly well-stocked mature crops, the grubs are frequently to 

 be found in large numbers. 



In forming nurseries, the vicinity of young Oak crops, and of 

 areas stocked with broad-leaved species generally, should be 

 avoided, as a flight of beetles almost always comes from these. 

 The nurseries, whether temporary or permanent, should always 

 be protected from the entry of grubs by being surrounded by a 

 trench, whilst the spreading of a frame-work over each bed 

 may prevent the female from laying her eggs in it. But the 

 best protection consists in hanging up wooden nesting-boxes for 

 starlings round about the nursery ; for these birds take very 

 kindly to such protection, and well repay the cost and trouble 

 by the effective war they wage against the grubs. 



In undertaking annihilative measures against the beetles we 

 assisted by many of their enemies, such as the hedgehog, 

 fox, marten, &c., which devour them whilst still in the groui 

 bats, starlings, crows, rooks, jackdaws, stannel-hawks, sparro\ 

 &c., also destroy them in great numbers whilst swarming and 

 laying their eggs. 



But all these co-operative remedies are practically unavailing 

 when large swarms occur; hence endeavours should be made to 

 keep down the numbers of the insects by collecting the beetles from i 

 trees along the edges of compartments and open spaces, particu- 

 larly from the lower branches, and from any oak-coppices in 

 the vicinity. Especially in the early morning, when the beetles 

 sit loosely on the foliage, they can easily be brought to the 

 ground by shaking young poles with the hand, or by tapping 

 or knocking young stems with the padded back of a heavy 

 axe, or by shaking the branches of larger trees by means of 



