x] Beetles 107 
Ploughing in the fall of the year may kill some of 
the pupae and may also turn up some wireworms for 
birds. A number of birds, such as rooks, starlings, 
plovers, pheasants and partridges, help to keep the 
numbers down. The farmer only sees the damage that 
these birds do; if he saw the food they ate he would 
probably be led to think that the number of plants 
they save in many cases outweighs considerably the 
number which they destroy. Moles also eat wireworms. 
Stimulating manures applied with the seed help plants 
considerably against the attacks of wireworms. 
Millipedes and centipedes, which are often confused 
with wireworms, are not the larval stages of insects, 
but adult animals closely related to insects. They are 
readily distinguished by the enormous number of their 
legs. It is important to know the difference between 
centipedes and millipedes as the former help the 
farmer by feeding on insects in various stages and also 
on worms, snails and slugs. Centipedes should not be 
destroyed. Millipedes are destructive and feed chiefly 
on roots and other portions of plants which grow 
underground, such as tubers and bulbs, and also on 
strawberries. Centipedes have only one pair of legs on 
each segment whereas millipedes have two pairs on 
every segment, except the first four (see Fig. 31). 
Millipedes may be trapped by means of a scooped 
out mangold, or killed by means of poisoned bait. 
Turnip Flea Beetles. 
Every farmer knows that in a dry, dusty summer 
his turnip crop is liable to be damaged. or even almost 
entirely destroyed by what he calls the turnip fly or 
