210 THE PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



found under stones, in grass - roots, on grasses, flowers, and trees, in 

 hedges, &c., fly in July and August, and (like the cockchafer) lay eggs 

 in nurseries and wherever the soil has been loosened. Some beetles 

 hibernate in sheltered places, and pair in the following May and June ; and 

 the wire-worms hatching out live in the earth, near the plant-roots on 

 which they feed. After feeding for 3 to 4 years, according to circum- 

 stances, the larva goes deep down and pupates in July in a small oval 

 earthy cocoon, from which the beetle emerges in 2 or 3 weeks. Preven- 

 tion and Extermination. Plovers, rooks, starlings, and jackdaws help to 

 keep them in check, and nitrate of soda, dressings will prevent egg-laying 

 on nursery-beds ; but once part of a nursery is infested, it is best to sow 



mustard, which wire-worms loathe, 

 and therefore they starve to death. 

 In nurseries the beetles may be 

 trapped in small heaps of lucerne, 

 clover, or sainfoin laid on the 

 ground and covered with tiles or 

 pieces of board during May and 

 June, as long as beetles are notice- 

 able. They fly to these heaps, 

 shelter beneath the green material 

 (particularly if the ground is clean), 

 an< ^ ^ av e s there. These traps 

 must be examined as often as pos- 



>sible ' to collecfc the beetles > while 

 the green stuff should be destroyed 



every ten days, aud the ground be- 



3. Wire-worm, larva of Agriotes lineatus ne ath well beaten down to squash 



4. Pupf (nTturaTsize). any eggs left there. Boards or tiles 



placed beneath the bait prevent eggs 



from reaching the ground. The larvae can also be trapped in beetroot 

 or potatoes. Leaf-mould and manure-heaps should be dressed with gas- 

 lime to prevent egg-laying. 



II. MOTHS (Lcpidoptera). 



A. SPINNERS (Bombycidce). 



*The Puss moth, Cerura vinula, is often very destructive to young 

 softwoods, especially Poplars. Moth about 1 in. long, greyish, soft, and 

 fluffy (hence "puss"), fore-wings grey-white, with black markings, and 

 partly transparent near edges ; flies from April to June, and lays brownish 

 eggs singly or in 2 or 3 on leaves of young Poplar aud Willow chiefly. 

 Caterpillar over 2 in. long, smooth, brownish above, with white strip 

 along each side, and greenish-yellow at sides, has a black head, a hump 



