Injurious Insects. 439 
canals, ramifying and crossing each other, between the bark and 
the wood, in almost every possible direction. These canals not 
unfrcquently contain, in large numbers, a small caterpillar, or 
grub, of a yellowish white color, without legs, and a brownish 
head armed with a formidable pair of jaws; and sometimes the 
perfect insect distributed among them. This is undoul tedly the 
Scolytus destructor of authors. It is of a cylindrical form about 
one-eighth of an inch in length, and of a chestnut brown color. 
It may not unfrequently be found during the early part of August, 
crawling over the furniture of our dwellinqfs, attracted no doubt 
by the light of our lamps, during the hours of darkness. To an 
individual but slightly acquainted with the peculiar habits of this 
little insect, it would be exceedingly difficult for him to realize 
the vast amount of injury it is capable of accomplishing in a com- 
paratively short period of time, in the vegetable creation. In the 
vicinity of London, a few years since, it was known to destroy 
entire avenues of graceful elms, nor was scarcely a single tree of 
its species but that was more or less injured by its destructive 
wanderings. " In the year 1780, an insect of this family made 
its appearance in the pine trees of one of the mining districts of 
Germany, where it increased so rapidly that in three years after- 
wards whole forests had disappeared beneath its ravages, and an 
end was nearly put to the working of the extensive mines in this 
rano;e of country for the want of fuel to carry on the operations. 
These depredators, though small in size, multiply with prodi- 
gious rapidity; they are continually working their way out to the 
surface, where, after pairing, the female gnaws small holes through 
the bark and deposits her eggs within; here on being hatched, 
the larvae immediately commence mining the soft inner surface, 
and by this means, interrupt the descent of the sap and effectually 
prevent the layers of new wood from forming, so that in a short 
time the branches gradually lose their foliage, the stems begin to 
decay, and the whole tree becomes destitute of life. These in- 
sects, in the fall of the year, may be seen in great numbers, both 
in the larvae and perfect state, merely by removing the bark, 
which has become loose from their depredations. 
It would be well if some of the readers of this journal could 
bestow some little time and attention to these minute ravagers, 
and discover some remedy lor their removal; if not, we much fear 
that in a very few years we shall be called upon to deplore the 
loss of many of the finest ornamental trees of our city and country. 
Scnlyfiis ? Piri. — The extensive cultivator of fruit in this 
vicinity, will not imfrequently find as the summer advances, that 
occasionally some of his choicest pear trees, upon whose delicious 
fruits he has so often regaled his friends with no little pride and 
exultation of heart, have suddenly undergone a fearful change. 
