INSECTS. 99 



for several years in succession, the beetles often 

 increase in a prodigious way. They attack the 

 seedlings, and devour the base of the stalk just 

 below the surface of the soil, sometimes biting it half 

 through. The attacked seedlings often die even before 

 the cotyledons appear above the surface of the soil. 

 Looking, therefore, in spring at fields infested by the 

 beet beetle, the seedlings will appear quite normally 

 developed in some few places, while in some other 

 places there may be no plants at all : in many spots, 

 again, small plants wUl be seen bearing only seed- 

 leaves, withered and yellow. These cannot be pulled 

 out of the ground, for they break off at the place 

 gnawed by the beetle. It is often necessary to give 

 two or three successive sowings, as the young crop is 

 attacked again and again. The larva of the beet 

 beetle is stUl unknown, though this undoubtedly 

 develops in the beet-fields. Memedy : Suitable rota- 

 tion. When the conditions wiU not permit this, the 

 seed must be sown thickly, so that as many seed- 

 lings as possible may remain sound, should the beetles 

 exert their destructive influence in the spring. 



Family: Lamellicornia (Chafers). 



Body strong, stout (Fig. 65). The first joints of 

 the antennae have the usual shape ; the 

 last, three to seven, are very short, but 

 broadened out on the inner side into 

 leaf-like appendages, so that the end 

 of the antennae is fan-shaped (Fig. 72). 

 The little leaves are laid together when 

 at rest, so as to form a club-shaped 

 thickened end ; in flight, and when the 

 attention of the beetle is excited, they ^ ^ 



. , ... _ _ 1 Fig. ?2. — a, Anten- 



are spread out like a tan. Legs strong ; ns of male ; 6, of 

 feet five-jointed. Flight rapid, some- '^^^cockohafer. 

 what awkward. Larvse thick ; body cylindrical, but 



