825 
Annual Report for 1893 of the Zoologist. 
natural enemies to contend with, and flourished accordingly. The 
Vedalia, on reaching that country, found itself in a similar position, 
and quickly destroyed the scale insect. The well known fir pests 
have been so long established in this country that their natural 
enemies are always to be found associated with them, though they 
often fail to keep them in check. It is possible, however, that on 
the appearance of these injurious insects in a new plantation 
something might be done by the introduction of Coccinellidse from 
other districts. 
The Pine Beetle. 
Myelophilus ( Uylurgus , Ilylesinus ) piniperda. 
This beetle was reported to be doing much harm to the young 
shoots of pine trees during October in county Cork. 
Life-history. — The female beetle tunnels under the bark of weak 
or decaying trees in April or May, and deposits her eggs. The 
resultant larvae burrow between the bark and wood until full-fed, 
when they pupate, and, on assuming the imago form, bore their way 
out through the bark at the end of July or the beginning of 
August. Since only sickly or decaying trees are selected for 
breeding purposes, no great harm is done during this portion of 
their existence. The beetles, however, during the autumn, enter 
the young shoots, feeding upon the marrow and securing a shelter 
for the winter, and the shoots are thus destroyed to a serious 
extent. 
Treatment. — This mode of life indicates certain very obvious 
preventive measures, such as the following : 
1 . Fallen shoots, and as many infested shoots as possible, should 
be removed in the autumn. Miss Ormerod recommends that this 
should be done in bays, not baskets, or the beetles, which are very 
wary, will escape and slip to the ground. 
2. Thinnings and rubbish should be immediately removed and 
burnt. 
3. Bark must not be dressed from the thinnings within the 
plantation, otherwise large numbers of the larvae will be left behind 
in the bark, and will mature in due course. 
4. Heaps of thinnings may, however, be left with propriety as 
traps for the beetle, which will select them as a breeding-ground. 
They must be removed and burnt in May. 
Millepedes. 
Jidus spp. 
Many authorities maintain that these creatures in reality do little 
harm, since they only attack vegetation which is already in the first 
stage of decay. There are numerous instances which seem to prove, 
however, that they injure the tender rootlets of healthy plants. 
