210 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
are elongated ovals; the other has crescent-shaped scales; and these 
two are often seen on the same tree. Sometimes one or both are met 
with on the smooth bark of pear-trees in gardens. To get rid of them 
in gardens, it has‘been advised to wash the whole tree with urine or 
salt and water late in the day, when a sharp night-frost is expected. 
The water freezing over and among the scales, raises them from the 
bark, and they are discharged entirely by the first thaw. 
The Altica nemorum , a coleopterous insect, is what is commonly called 
the turnip-fly, so destructive to the field crops of that invaluable agri¬ 
cultural plant. The economy of this national scourge is as yet but 
imperfectly known, and therefore no effectual means have been yet dis¬ 
covered to prevent their depredations. They appear in gardens on 
radish, turnip, cauliflower, and other cruciferous plants, but are never 
very injurious here, because such small seed-beds being frequently 
visited, and easily dusted with a little slaked lime or dry ashes, the 
flies are by these means kept off. The turnip-fly, or beetle, is most 
destructive in its perfect state; but the larvae of some other coleopte¬ 
rous insects are, in some instances, very annoying in gardens and 
nurseries. Those of the May-bug, or tree-beetle ( Melolontha ) are, in 
some parts of France, so numerous, that they destroy whole quarters 
of rose-trees in the public nurseries. They always choose light puffy 
soil to lay their eggs in ; and, as their grubs remain three or four years 
in the ground before they assume the winged state, they have time to 
do much damage to the roots of trees and other plants. The larvae of 
the hoary beetle and rose-chaffer are also injurious to the roots of 
plants; but they are never in this country seen in very great numbers, 
they being kept under by rooks, jackdaws, and magpies, which seek for 
and eagerly devour the grubs as well as the perfect insects. It is a 
remarkable instinct which guides these, as well as many other insects, 
to fly chiefly in the evening, to avoid their natural enemies. 
The mire-worms, so injurious to the bulbs of the florist, are said to 
be larvae of the Staphylince and Elatridce, and are captured by burying 
raw potatoes, turnips, or apples in the ground infested by them: these 
they will prefer to the bulbs; and, if examined from time to time, the 
grubs may be caught and killed. 
The millepede (Armadillo vulgaris) is a troublesome insect to gar¬ 
deners, and particularly injurious to cucumber, melon, and other tender 
plants in hotbeds. The usual method of getting rid of them is by 
placing an old shoe stuffed with hay moistened with sugared water 
over-night in the frame, and shaking out the captured insects into a 
pot of water every morning; and this continued till all are caught. 
Relative to this insect, we are happy in the opportunity of presenting 
