86 DISEASES OF CROPS. 



meadow grass), Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog, or woolly- 

 soft grass), etc. There is little doubt that this species of 

 Tylenchus causes considerable damage to grasses, as well 

 as other farm crops. 



The Grass ^Veevil {EhyncMtes bacchus) belongs 

 to the Rhynchophora, one of the most extensive, as well 

 as one of the most destructive, groups of the Coleoptera 

 (beetles). Various members of this group do immense 

 damage to trees, fruits, grains, etc. Tor instance, the 

 corn weevil does much mischief in granaries ; the nut 

 weevil eats a hole in the soft nut, in which it deposits 

 an egg, which, turning to a larva, eats the kernel, and 

 leaves only the bitter, dusty contents ; the pea and bean 

 weevils (already described), which spoil the prospects of 

 the usual accompaniment of roast ducks, all belong to 

 what are known as the long-nosed Rhynchophora. The 

 small grass weevil (Rhynchites bacchus) is a mischievous 

 insect in the meadows and pastures of France and Ger- 

 many rather than in this country. Although a farm pest, 

 especially in the green pastures of Normandy, it is prin- 

 cipally one of the chief enemies of the vine. In the 

 words of the late Rev. J. G. Wood, M.A., "the grass 

 weevil commits terrible devastations among the growing 

 vines, sometimes stripping the bushes of their leaves, 

 which it rolls up and lines with silk." 



The Cockchafer {Melolontha vulgaris, Kg. 35) is 

 so familiar an object, that it hardly needs description here. 

 The white or cream-coloured larvse of this beetle feed upon 

 the roots of grasses and other plants, " and when in great 

 numbers have been known to ruin an entire harvest. To 

 turf they are especially destructive, shearing away the 

 roots with their scissor-like jaws, and killing the vegeta- 

 tion so effectually that the tarf withers, turns yellow, then 



