60 



colates, and is carried far away ere it reappears, leading unthinking 

 people to fancy that grain cultivation will augment the number of 

 springs. 



Protection of trees and shrubs and speedy replanting, where extinct, 

 are the only preventative remedies. Every rocky hillock, every sand- 

 patch, every roadside, ought to be studded with groves and avenues of 

 trees and shrubs, and the cattle carefully excluded from them, for the 

 nipping off of the young shoots means dwarfing, 6ickening, and often 

 death for many of them. When this is brought about, there will again 

 greet our ear the joyous hum of the beetles, the stealthy hush of the 

 lacertilia, and the nierry twitter and song of the birds, but in well- 

 balanced number, their mutual checks being carefully supplied by nature. 

 Only in deserts and deserted places locusts hatch in overwhelming num- 

 bers, aud deserts are places without sufficient vegetation. 



The chief beetles which have, according to my observations, shown 

 a decrease in numbers, are the following : — 



Most Buprestidie, especially Stiff modem, many Elaterini, Rhyneho- 

 phora (weevils), Cetonia, Lamprima, Passalidcs, Lyttce, some species of 

 Glerus (G. notosus, trichodes), Amaryymus, Helops, and other Tene- 

 brionidce ; and most species of Carahini, and Staphylini. 



As stationary or increasing in individuals I have noted — Among 

 Buprestids a blue aud yellow banded Stiff modern, resembling S. Yarellei, 

 which is very variable in size and colouring ; also some of the genus 

 Cesseis ; two or three species of Elater, many weevils, notably the beauti- 

 ful diamond weevil; the common black Cetonia; most Melalon- 

 thidce, Rutelidce, aud almost all the Copridce ; many Chrysome- 

 lidce and Chryptocephalidce ; of Carahini, Calosoma, Bembidium, and 

 PhyloplUaus appear little affected, and the red-headed Staphilinus seem- 

 ingly increases. 



