affectiiu/ the Turnips, Corn-crops, S^-c. 
191 
a healthy green to a sickly yellow ; this was the case a few years 
since in Surrey during the month of May, when they were eating 
the young barley-plants just below the surface of the ground. I 
may also here mention that early in May, 1842, the Wireworms 
were injuring both barley and oats at Durnford, near Salisbury; 
the specimens forwarded to me by Mr. Hinxman varied greatly 
in size, as well as others which 1 not unfrequently found under 
stones <in the downs in that neighbourhood, together with speci- 
mens of the Small Brown," Elatcr ohscurus (fig. 25). 
The WJieat is also greatly injured by their attacks, which are 
said to be continued during the entire winter ; but this, I think, is 
doubtful ; for during severe frosts they descend into the soil, like 
the larva of the cockchafer, retiring deeper and deeper as the cold 
increases. Early in the year, depending greatly upon the tempe- 
rature, they make ample amends for their fast, if such be the 
case, by diminishing if not destroying this important crop. Mr. 
Hindman informed me that he found in the spring of 1840 Wire- 
worms of three sizes in a field of wheat, in the county Down, near 
Belfast, which was eventually consumed by them, and was obliged 
to be ploughed up. Some young wheat-plants (fig. 28) were 
transmitted to me in April, 1841, by a friend in Surrey, and the 
following account accompanied them: "The dying off of the 
lower leaves indicates that the Wireworm is at work, and when he 
has gnawed through, the plant falls. The Wireworm not having 
eaten through in some instances, we re-planted the wheat-root, 
and have ascertained by a second digging up that it was shooting 
again below, and it is now growing after a second planting." In 
these plants the Wireworm had buried its head in the stem, nearly 
an inch below the surface, and about half an inch above the roots ; 
in other instances they were detected in the same position, but 
very near to the base of the stalk (fig. 29), and quite an inch be- 
neath the surface of the earth, which is shown by the dotted, hori- 
zontal line at fig. 28. On examination I found the tender stalk 
eaten through or nearly so, for 1 drew it out of the sheath without 
employing any Ibrce, and this part was decayed and of a clay- 
colour for the space of half an inch. In the same neighbourhood 
the Wireworms were found of various sizes in a wheat stubble, 
where under draining was going on in October of the same year. 
Having made every elfort to obtain the eggs of the Elaters, in 
order to the ascertaining where they were deposited, I procured as 
many as I could of the beetles alive. Towards the end of May I 
put a considerable number of E. lincatus (fig. 26) into a garden- 
pot, m whicli some young wheat was thriving, and tied some 
gauze over to prevent their escape; this precaution did not, 
however, appear to be necessary, for they remained a very short 
time upon the surface of the mould liefore they buried themselves. 
