32 
NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS 
to prevent the Beetle lodging under any part of the rough surface. 
This treatment was found to answer very well, for as soon as the 
Beetle in search of food comes in contact with the hare earth it 
immediately steers its course in another direction and leaves the 
plant untouched. The Beetle is found to he most destructive in dry 
warm seasons. On August 30tli I received some living specimens of 
Hylobius Abietis from Mr. W. Robertson, together with some young 
plants of Austrian and Scotch Pine, damaged hy the Weevil, from 
Lady Reay’s plantation at Blinkbonny, near Earlston. Mr. Robertson 
mentions that where replanting has been done in the Fir plantations, 
especially after a full crop of Scotch Pine, the Weevil has done a great 
amount of damage, in some instances completely destroying the 
newly-planted young trees. The Weevil is stated to die out naturally 
from three to six years after the crop of Firs has been cleared, and the 
insect appears to be less plentiful if the plantation is grazed by cattle. 
Looking at the habits of this Weevil in frequenting the rotting stumps 
in Fir plantations for breeding purposes, I suggested (as grubbing-up 
the stumps is too expensive an operation to be suitable on a large 
extent of ground) that the effect of tarring these stumps should be 
tried, as it could not fail to deter the Weevil from oviposition, at least 
for a long period. This experiment was about to be tried, but the 
result necessarily must be waited for. Mr. Robertson mentions that 
he has for some months been trying the effects of painting over the 
stem of the young trees with a mixture of paraffin oil and red lead, 
and it appears to have been fairly successful so far; but he does not 
consider that he has tried it long enough to speak definitely as to its 
power of checking the Weevil, or the effect on the trees experimented 
on. The Hylobius Abietis is also mentioned by Mr. McGregor, of 
Ladywell, Dunkeld, as doing damage in young Scots Fir plantations, 
planted after a crop of old Fir trees had been cut down; in this case 
hand-picking of the Weevils was adopted, and destroying them in 
boiling water. 
32. Hylnrgns Piniperda. Pine Beetle. This little Beetle is 
mentioned by Mr. McCorquodale, of Scone, as destructive to Pine 
plantations, at all stages from those newly planted up to fifty years of 
age. They attack the annual growths on the extremities of the 
branches by boring from the side of the tender shoot into the pith, 
and then follow the pith for an inch or two towards the point of the 
shoot. This is done in summer; and the following spring, during 
high winds, these shoots are blown off. The injury to side shoots is 
bad enough, but the effect of the leading shoot being blown off is for 
