404 7HYSANURA. 



CASE in the chinks and corners, and we find too that they are not harm- 

 XXI. ' . , •' . . 



less tenants. Our young gherkins will be found shrivelling, and 



on examination, it will be seen that they have been stripped of 



great portions of their skin, that have been browsed or rasped 



away by these little creatures. Nor are their ravages confined to 



frames, although the greater heat there, seems to suit their 



delicate semi-transparent bodies. But in the open borders they 



carry on the same work on succulent roots and plants, especially 



where anything has happened to diminish the vitality of the plant. 



On carrots, for instance, that are suffering from rust, they will be 



found browsing on the sound parts. 



Mr. Curtis (farm insects) mentions that in Nova Scotia, the 

 crops of turnips and cabbages are principally destroyed whilst in 

 the seed-leaf by some species of this tribe, the size of a pin's head, 

 and nearly globular. It hops with great agility by means of its 

 forked spring, and may be found on every square inch of all old 

 cultivated ground, but it is not plentiful on new land. He adds, 

 probably from Nova Scotian information, that, "as these Aground 

 fleas,' will not remain on damp ground, they may be expelled by 

 sprinkling salt over the land after the seed is sown and well rolled 

 down, or a thin layer of sea-weed spread over the drills, is a 

 perfect security against them." In some respects, this information 

 must be erroneous, for it is especially in dampish places that the 

 spring tails luxuriate. Drought kills them. Some few species 

 (Podura aquatica, Smynthurus aquaticus, and Isotoma aquatilis) 

 frequent the surface of standing water. Some species of Smyn- 

 thurus live on the leaves of plants; Seira domestica frequents 

 houses ; Lepidocyrtus curvicollis, is found in cellars ; and Lipura 

 maritima occurs on the sea-shore between tide marks; but the 

 species of this group are chiefly to be found in loose earth among 

 dead leaves, under bark, and in similar situations, and that as a 

 rule, their food is vegetable matter, and most frequently decaying 

 vegetable matter. 



We do not however know much of the habits of these creatures. 



