"ground beetles." 97 



these beetles, and also points to a good reason for the cause of the 

 mischief they do in all probability remaining unknown. 



Of the Calathns I have no personal knowledge, but the larvae of 

 the C. latus have been recorded as doing great mischief at Wheat- 

 roots, and in the beetles of C. gregarius examined by Professor S. A, 

 Forbes, one-third of the food consisted of vegetable matter.''' 



Prevention and Eemedies. — In Mr. Duustan's further communi- 

 cation on the subject, he mentioned: — " I thought of spreading sheep- 

 skins, or portions of them, between the rows, and so collecting the 

 beetles with a view to subsequent destruction " ; also : — " I was pro- 

 posing to spread this autumn or early spring between the rows a 

 mixture of lime, salt, and soot, with a view to preventing attack." 



Any convenient adaptation of these principles would do good. For 

 trapping, anything that might be conveniently used, such as bits of 

 mat, slates, pieces of board, might very desirably be tried, and also 

 sinking some broad-necked bottles in the ground with a few Straw- 

 berries at the bottom. 



As the Pterostichus and Calathus beetles are given as wingless, it is 

 presumable that these breed on the spot, and some search would be 

 worth while as to whether their grubs could be found. 



In the case of the Corn Ground Beetle, the grubs form " perpendi- 

 cular burrows which often commence in a curve, and extend from a 

 few inches to two feet in depth" (John Curtis); it would be worth 

 while to investigate whether anything of this sort could be found, and 

 (if it could be done without hurting the Strawberry-roots) it might 

 answer, before applying the winter dressing, to stir the soil along the 

 centre between the rows, so as to disturb or kill what maggots might 

 be there. 



* See page 109 of Report quoted ante. 



