PIGMY MANGOLD BEETLE. 79 



(after some observations as to methods of counteracting the ordinary 

 Mangold-leaf Maggot attack) Mr. Brooke added, "This new enemy, 

 however, leaves no hope, as each plant attacked is killed outright." 



On the 8th of June, specimens of two kinds of attack to young 

 Mangolds were sent me by Mr. W. A. Bewes, of the Tile House 

 Denham, Bucks, with the observation : — " All the fields about here are 

 afflicted with what looks like a double scourge. The leaf has a maggot, 

 which is preceded by a tiny white spot, which I suppose is an egg ; 

 and the root withers from the bottom, looking as if the bark were 

 eaten off." 



The plants injured by the maggot in the leaf were obviously 

 suffering from attack of larvae of Anthomyia beta, what may be called 

 the regular Mangold maggot attack ; but there was nothing to show 

 what might be the cause of the root injury. It was clearly a separate 

 form of attack, but no insects were to be found attached. A further 

 supply of young Mangolds, all attacked at the root, was sent me at my 

 request, but still no insect cause accompanied. Mr. Bewes noted : — 

 " The disease was discovered by Mr. Wm. Davis, who is a tenant of 

 Mosses Farm, Chalfont St. Peter, and I have gathered these specimens 

 from him. He observes that the disease is the worst on the hottest 

 land, such as gravel." — (W. A. B.) 



Nothing further occurred until towards the end of the year, when, 

 on my request for any further information which might have come to 

 hand, Mr. Bewes was good enough to procure me the following obser- 

 vation from Mr. Richard Davis, son of Mr. W. Davis, of Mosses Farm, 

 which (excepting that the astonishing amount of these minute insects 

 was conjectured to be a visitation of ants) agrees well with description 

 of Atoniaria attack. Mr. R. Davis reported as follows : — " With refer- 

 ence to the Mangold roots you inquired about, the damage was done to 

 the roots about an inch in the ground, the rind being taken off, and, 

 in most cases, the plants so eaten withered away." 



Here it was remarked that the damage was conjectured to have 

 been caused by young ants when in winged state ; but, as is needless 

 to observe, without special knowledge of the habits of insects, and also 

 without a strong magnifying-glass, it is next to impossible for a flight 

 of insects only about a twenty-fourth part of an inch in length to be 

 accurately identified, more especially as the " Pigmy " beetles are very 

 much ant-like in colour, — " rusty-red to black." 



Mr. Davis noted that " the light gravelly or sandy part of the field 

 seemed to be smothered with these ' insects ' ; it was on this sort of 

 soil that the greater part of the damage was done to the roots. There 

 were a lot of holes bored round the roots of those plants that did not 

 die, and later on the leaves seemed to be eaten so that they turned 

 black, and withered away. After this more young leaves came, but 



