224 Harris's hisects of Nero Eti gland 



causing a large diminution of the produce, and sometimes destroying 

 whole crops. It is said to be particularly injurious in gardens recently 

 converted from pasture lands. We have several grubs allied to this de- 

 structive insect, which are quite common in land newly broken up ; but 

 fortunately, as yet, their ravages are inconsiderable. We may expect 

 these to increase in proportion as we disturb them and deprive them of 

 their usual articles of food, while we continue also to persecute and de- 

 stroy their natural enemies, the birds, and may then be obliged to resort 

 to the ingenious method adopted by European farmers and gardeners for 

 alluring and capturing these grubs. This method consists in strewing 

 sliced potatoes or turnips in rows through the garden or field ; women and 

 boys are employed to examine the slices every morning, and collect the 

 insects which readily come to feed upon the bait. Some of these destruc- 

 tive insects, which 1 have found in the ground among the roots of plants, 

 were long, slender, worm-like grubs, closely resembling the common 

 meal-worm ; they were nearly cylindrical, with a hard and smooth skin, 

 of a buff or brownish yellow color, the head and tail only being a little 

 darker ; each of the first three rings was provided with a pair of short 

 legs ; the hindmost ring was longer than the preceding one, was pointed 

 at the end, and had a little pit on each side of the extremity ; beneath this 

 part there was a short jetractile wart, or prop-leg, serving to support the 

 extremity of the body, and prevent it from trailing on the ground. Other 

 grubs of Elaters difler from the foregoing in being proportionally broader, 

 not cylindrical, but somewhat flattened, with a deep notch at the extrem- 

 ity of the last ring, the sides of which are beset with little teeth. Such 

 grubs are mostly wood-eaters, devouring the woody parts of roots, or liv- 

 ing under the bark and in the trunks of old trees." 



To a group of comical looking insects with snouts, hence 

 called Rhynchophorida, that is to say, snout-bearers, belong 

 the weevils, among which figures the Pea Bug, whose ten- 

 der larva, nesthng among the substance of the green pea, 

 doubtless adds to its sapidity. Buggy seed peas should 

 therefore be scalded before sowing, which operation de- 

 stroys at least the present progeny, and gives it small 

 chance of future increase. Besides, it hastens the germina- 

 tion of the peas, which, in early or late sowing, even is 

 desirable. But, among these interesting creatures, we may 

 particularly allude to the Nejivphar or plum-weevil which, 

 despite all our united endeavors to dislodge it effectually 

 from our orchards, actually "turns up its nose" at our 

 attempts, a fact which we derive from the words of our 

 author, who, in speaking of its size, describes its "curved 

 snout."' 



" These beetles begin to sting the plums as soon as the fruit is set, and, 

 as some say, continue their operations till the first of August. After 

 making a suitable puncture with their snouts, they lay one egg in each 

 plum thus stung, and go over the fruit on the tree in this way till their 

 store is exhausted ; so that, where these beetles abound, not a plum will 



