358 



FoFTT'SixTH Report on the State Museum 



" Nature seldom commits the error of an absolute waste of energy, so itr. 

 may be assumed that this operator has a mission of some sort, and means 



busines><. A little study into the pos- 

 sible object this fellow may have in 

 tree cliopping, Ifancy reveals an effort 

 on his part simply to reach the ground 

 without exposure, and the bormg and 

 cutting is merely a means to an end. 

 The two specimens of worms Avhich 



Fig. 29-elaphidion parallelum: a, accompany the pieces of wood, I hope 

 larva; 6, pupa, in burrow; c, the beetle; may reach you lively enough to afford 



<*»6»/. fl'j^i^i head and mouth- parts of larva; . ,. t, • • t . .^ , 



t,basaijomtsof antenna of beetle; J, tip an examination. It IS evident that 

 of wing-cover; fc, section of cut-off twig, while abundantly able to act on the 



om I ey.; aggressive, they have no means of 



defense, and are doubtless toothsome morsels to any prying wood- 

 pecker. Their length is one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch, and 

 their body and the absence of any rapid means of locomotion would 

 render them an easy prey, but for instinct of secrecy during the pro- 

 cess of severing a limb. The wood is cut squarely in two, but the out- 

 side bark is left untouched as previously stated, so that while a wander- 

 ing woodpecker may go about seeking a sign, no sign can be found. 



" The mission previously referred to, probably includes a scheme of 

 life, covering transformations from one form and habitation to another, 

 until finally emerging into that of a fly or winged moth, which I 

 imagine is the immediate ancestor of this fellow. 



"After the wood is cut, securely hidden in the portion of the limb 

 beyond the cross-cut, he has only to wait a passing breeze to have the 

 branch blown off and borne to the ground. Once arrived there safely, 

 he can quit the bough at the first favorable chance and pass into the- 

 ground. 



" How much damage they may eventually cause to maples can only be 

 conjectured. Nothing similar to this pest has hitherto been noticed in 

 the vicinity of Pawling, and any suggestion through your columns- 

 looking to a remedy or preventive will be very thankfully received." 



To the above the following reply was made to my correspondent, 

 Mr. A. T. Thomas, of New York city : 



The samples of wood sent, the larva (crushed and useless for specific 

 identification), auvd the account of its operations given^ show the cutting 

 off of the limbs to be the work of a longicorn beetle of the genus 

 JElaphicUon, and of the species villosum (Fabr.) or parallelum 

 (Newm.), The former, originally described in this country as Steno- 



