PACKARD.] THE JUNE BEETLE. 797 



manure-heap near by swarmed with the well-known white grubs, in va- 

 rious stages of development, some apparently in the second year and 

 others in the third year's growth. They eat the main roots of the plant, 

 thus destroying one plant after another. From this it will be obvious 

 that if we observe the plant to wilt and suddenly die, we may look for 

 the white grub and at once kill it to prevent further ravages. It is evi- 

 dent, so large and voracious are these worms, that one plant would be 

 a mere trifle to one of them. 



"It also eats down in much the same manner young squash-plants, as 

 I am told by Mr. C. A Putnam, of Salem, who has been obliged to i)lant 

 the seed over once or twice. They attack young plants at the time when 

 they have thrown out three or four leaves. It is obvious that in dealing 

 with this destructive insect we must become familiar with its habits. 

 Every one knows the larva or grub of this insect, so that a detailed de- 

 scription is not necessary. It is a large, soft-bodied, thick, white worm, 

 nearly as large as the thumb. Its head is yellowish or ])ale horn-col- 

 ored. Its skin is so thin and transparent that the air-vessels and viscera 

 can be seen through it, while, though it has three pairs of legs, it is so 

 gross and unwieldy that it lies, when dug out of its retreat, flat upon 

 its side. 



" How many years the grub lives before changing into the beetle we do 

 not know, but probably at least three. It arrives at maturity in the 

 autumn, and early in May in this state the chrysalis may be found in 

 little rude cells or chambers about six inches under the mold, in which 

 position we have found it in Maine late in May. During the latter part 

 of May and early in June, *. e., for about a month, it flies about at night, 

 especially on warm nights. By day it hides in fruit and other trees, 

 clinging to the under side of the leaves by its long, curved claws, which 

 are admirably adapted for the purpose. Here it does at times much in- 

 jury, especially, as Harris remarks, to cherry-trees. 



" Where it lays its eggs is not definitely known, but it is probable that 

 it burrows in the soil and there lays its eggs, as does the European 

 cockchafer, of whose habits Harris gives a summary, and also the gold- 

 smith beetle, of which we give an account farther on. Riley, however, 

 says that ' soon after pairing, the female beetle creeps into the earth, 

 especially wherever the soil is loose and rough, and after depositing her 

 eggs to the number of forty or fifty, dies. These hatch in the course of 

 a month, and, the grubs growing slowly, do not attain full size till the 

 early spring of the third year, when they construct an ovoid chamber, 

 lined with a gelatinous fluid, change into pupse, and soon afterward into 

 beetles.' 



"In the autumn at the approach of cold it descends to a considerable 

 depth below the surface to avoid the frost, probably about two feet be- 

 low the usual depth at which the ground is frozen in the winter. At the 

 approach of warm weather, however, it makes its way up near the sur- 

 face, where it forms a slight cell by wriggling about, and then passes 

 into the pujia state. It is said to sometimes pu[)ate and appear in the 

 winged state in the autumn. 



"As to remedies against this grub, the careful gardener will in the first 

 place destroy' all those that he sees by crushing them to death. When 

 the manure is spread over tlie strawberry-bed, he must watch it nar- 

 rowly for the grubs so easily seen, and kill them. When a vine is seen 

 to die down suddenly in summer he must then dig around the roots and 

 search for them, and go over the bed carefully, even if help has to be 

 employed. It is better to spend even much time and money for two or 

 three years in succession, in endeavoring to exterminate these grubs, 



