. Annual report of the Regents . he worm, the woody part beingneatly severed, while the outer covering or bark was left intact. It is apeculiar feature characterizing the work of this worm that it firstenters the wood at the junction of a twig or limb with its larger parentstem. Having reached the heart, it turns and follows this until satis-fied with the length of the tube bored out, and is then ready to cut thelimb off. The reason for selecting a knotty point wherewith to com-mence business is known only to the instinct which prompts it toinjure the tree at all. The work of cutting off the l
. Annual report of the Regents . he worm, the woody part beingneatly severed, while the outer covering or bark was left intact. It is apeculiar feature characterizing the work of this worm that it firstenters the wood at the junction of a twig or limb with its larger parentstem. Having reached the heart, it turns and follows this until satis-fied with the length of the tube bored out, and is then ready to cut thelimb off. The reason for selecting a knotty point wherewith to com-mence business is known only to the instinct which prompts it toinjure the tree at all. The work of cutting off the limb is done fromits resting place in the heart of the wood, the cut thus radiating out-wardly in continually enlarging circles until all is detached exceptingthe bark. There is, apparently, no aversion to attacking at any pointother than a knot at this stage of the w^ork,— the clear wood of theinclosed specimens being squarely cut off at an intermediate a growth of knots. 358 FoFTTSixTH Report on the State Museum. Nature seldom commits the error of an absolute waste of energy, so be assumed that this operator has a mission of some sort, and means busines><. A little study into the pos-sible object this fellow may have intree cliopping, Ifancy reveals an efforton his part simply to reach the groundwithout exposure, and the bormg andcutting is merely a means to an two specimens of worms Avhich Fig. 29-elaphidion parallelum: a, accompany the pieces of wood, I hopelarva; 6, pupa, in burrow; c, the beetle; may reach you lively enough to afford <*»6»/. flj^i^i head and mouth-parts of larva; . ,. t, • • t . .^ , t,basaijomtsof antenna of beetle; J, tip an examination. It IS evident thatof wing-cover; fc, section of cut-off twig, while abundantly able to act on the om I ey.; aggressive, they have no means of defense, and are doubtless toothsome morsels to any prying wood-pecker. Their length is one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch, andth
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