THE SPRING-BEETLES. 
53 
several grubs allied to this destructive insect, which are 
quite common in land newly broken up ; but fortunately, 
as yet, their ravages are inconsiderable. We may expect 
these to increase in proportion as we disturb them and de¬ 
prive them of their usual articles of food, while we continue 
also to persecute and destroy their natural enemies, the birds, 
and may then be obliged to resort to the ingenious method 
adopted by European farmers and gardeners for alluring 
and capturing these grubs. This method consists in strew¬ 
ing sliced potatoes or turnips in rows through the garden or 
field; women and boys are employed to examine the slices 
every morning, and collect the insects which readily come to 
feed upon the bait. Some of these destructive insects, which 
I have found in the ground among the roots of plants, were 
long, slender, worm-like grubs, closely resembling the com¬ 
mon meal-worm ; they were nearly cylindrical, with a hard 
and smooth skin, of a buff or brownish-yellow color, the 
head and tail only being a little darker; each of the first 
three rings was provided with a pair of short legs ; the hind¬ 
most ring was longer than the preceding one, was pointed at 
the end, and had a little pit on each side of the extremity; 
beneath this part there was a short retractile wart, or pro|> 
leg, serving to support the extremity of the body, and prevent 
it from trailing on the ground. Other grubs of Elaters differ 
from the foregoing in being proportionally broader, not cy¬ 
lindrical, but somewhat flattened, with a deep notch at the 
extremity of the last ring, the sides of which are beset with 
little teeth. Such grubs are mostly wood-eaters, devouring 
the woody parts of roots, or living under the bark and in the 
tmnks of old trees. 
After their last transformation, Elaters or spring-beetles 
make their appearance upon trees and fences, and some are 
found on flowers. They creep slowly, and generally fall to 
the ground on being touched. They fly both by day and 
night. Their food, in the beetle state, appears to be chiefly 
derived from flowers ; but some devour the tender leaves 
of plants. 
