106 SERiucoHNiA. 



plates, will be found in Curtis' Farm Insects, pp. 152-209, Plates F audQ ; the eggs 

 are nearly globote or slightly oval, yellowish-white, ami very minute, and are laid in 

 the earth close to the root of a plant, or between the sheaths near the base of the 

 stalk ; from these the larva) hatch, and appear to continue in the larval state for 

 from three to five years, feeding at the roots of corn and other plants, which they bore 

 through and through, and soon destroy ; they obtain their name of wire-worms from 

 their long narrow form and extreme toughness, the whole body above and below 

 being covered with corneous scuta ; in general appearance they much resemble the 

 " meal-worms," the larvse of Tenebrio, but in structure are very different ; they are 

 fulvous or more or less castam-ous in colour, cylindrical and parallel-sided, with all 

 the segments about equal in breadth, except the last, which is pointed at apex; the 

 antenna? and legs are very short ; when the Inrva has arrived at maturity, it descends 

 to a considerable depth in the earth, and there forms a cell composed of the surround- 

 ing particles of soil ; here it changes to a pupa of a yellowish-white colour, which is 

 rather narrow and elongate, without " styli motorii," and terminated by two short cerci. 



In a work like the present it is of course impossible to discuss the 

 preventive remedies that have been adopted against this pest, which is 

 more dreaded by the farmers and gardeners than any other insect ; it 

 may, however, be mentioned that clean farming is above all things 

 necessary, and that the removal of all patches of weeds which might 

 harbour the insect, and paring and burning the surface of the ground 

 have often been found very advantageous ; nitrate of soda, soot, guano, 

 lime-water, and the refuse of gas-works are destructive to them, and 

 rolling with a heavy roller in March and April, when the beetles begin 

 to emerge, is sometimes very serviceable, as also is the treading of the 

 barley in early spring by sheep, &c. ; when the wire- worms attack a 

 garden, large numbers may be taken by burying sliced potatoes near the 

 infested plants ; these attract them, and they may be captured in large 

 quantities. One of the greatest agencies, however, in keeping down the 

 plague is found in the birds, especially rooks, which destroy them in 

 countless numbers, and should by every means be encouraged ; when we see 

 rooks busy in a field, apparently pulling up blades of corn, it will usually 

 be found on further examination that they are only destroying infected 

 blades in search of the wire- worms ; pheasants and partridges are very 

 fond of them, and have often been found of great use in destroying 

 them. There are two crops mentioned by Curtis which these insects 

 seem particularly to dislike, and these are white mustard and woad, and 

 it is said that these crops will completely free a field from them. It may 

 perhaps be observed, in conclusion, that great as is the damage done by 

 the wire-worm, a great deal of injury is assigned to it of which it is quite 

 innocent, as Centipedes, Millipedes (Julus and Polydesmus), and the 

 larvae of the Daddy Long-legs (Tipula okracea) and many other insects, 

 all fall under the denomination of " wire- worms " in the eyes of the 

 ordinary agriculturist. 



Of the six British species mentioned in the following list, the first 

 three are those that do most damage ; the fourth is very rare in Britain, 

 and the last two are much narrower and smaller insects, and not much 

 appears to be known concerning their earlier stages. 



