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NOTES

ON THK

HABITS OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS

B^ G. P. GIRDWOOD, MB.,

M.R.G:S.B., L.C.G. A S.L.C.

READ BEFORE THE NATURAL HISTOIlt SOCIETY

MONTREAL.

MONTREAL:

PftlKXBD BT M. LoxaicooBB^ Co.,

1867.

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NOTES

ON THE

HABITS OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS

Br G. P. GIRDWOOD, M.D.,

M.R.C.S.E., L.C.G. & S.LX;.

READ BEFORE THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

MONTREAL.

MONTREAL :
Printed by M. Longmoore & Co.,

1867.

^^Mi

NOTES

ON TUK

HABITS OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS.

Mr. Prendtnt, Ladies and Gentleman —As we
are in the habit of judging of a man liy his
works, 80 mt-i we judge of the Creator of the
Universe by his works, not that I mean we
should sit in ji^dgment upon the beiuK. who was
the author of all thines nnd in whom we live
and move and have o'lr bi irg, but that in fl-
aming and pcrutinizing his worliB we may judge
of the DiHJegty and power, and wisdcm of him
w*o fashioned man in his own imHge. Tbestudy
of natural history is but the study of the b^^-L'
of nature, "nd in truth the study of the Orp.itor
himself. T he book of nature is divided, if I may
use the expression, into three volumes, namely,
the animal, r getnble, and mineral kmizdoms, in
all of wb'ch we fiud evidences of the vast re-
ources, and forethought and wisdom of Qod.

We find these ihree divisions of this world mu-
tuAlly dependent upon one anotber and forming
a harmonious whole.

We find a WmSa eiich, that life in each com-
mencing in an individual unit so <,o speak, and
pa9«<inK by (jradaMons, almost imperceptible, to
more and more complex forms

In the animal kingdom, which is the volume
which we have to open to-night, we find all ani
mal life commencing in a single cell, a spherical
bludder of organized matter, yet matter, possess-
ed of the same characters as we find in the mine-
ral kingdom, and indeed borrowed for aiime from
that kingdom, and which, afier passing thmugh
the var'ous stages and transformations, deve'ope-
ments and decay, constituting th^ phetomena to
which we have given the term life, is again re-
turned to the mineral kingdom from which it was
borrowed, thereto pass throngh other changes
nntil it is again borrowed for some future indivi-
dual.

AM members of this animal kinedom pass
through successive stages of progreiisive exis-
tence from this simple form of a sphera till they
attain their full development as adult indivi.
dsals of their species, perform their duties in the
economy of nature, and pass away to make room
for succeeding generations.

The whole animal king'lom itself exhibits a
eucctssive proprfsaive development from this
simple form to man. The rac»we in our classifi-
cation put at the top of the ^ree.

Previous enqu'rers into thi? volume of the bonk
of nature dividt d and classified this volume into
leaves; these leaves are the different races of
animals,— one of which forms the subject of tho
few remarks I aqa about to address to you to-
night.

The classification of animals is according to
the amount of their development. The articulat-
ed branch of the animal kingdom c ntains ani-
tnala composed of simple rings more or less simi-
lar to one anotber, which contain and support
the organs necessary to animal life.

According to the method in which this plan of
structure is exemplified, articulated animals are
divided into three classes. Those wh<^6e

Body is permeated by ajr vessels. Insecta.

Body without air vefist^ls.

Thoracic region distinct from abdominal.
Crustacea.

Th racic region not distinct. Verm<=3.

The class Inaecta are again divided, by subordi-
nate modifications in the plan of structure, into
three sub-classes :

Head, thorax, and abdomen ; distinct legs, 6
Insecta.

Head, thorax usually agglutinated; legs, %..
Are.chnida.

Head distinct; legs numerous. Myriopoda,

The first sub class Insecta aloue occupy our at-
tention at present.

The word insect, which denominates this sub-
class, is derived from the Latin lanqunce, and
means cut into or notched And is designed to
express one of the chief characteristics of this
group of animals, whose bodies are marked by
several cross lines, or incisions

The parts between these lines are called seg-
ments or rings, and consist of a number of jointed
pi-ces more or less moveable m each otht^r.

Insects have a very rudimentary brain. And
instead of the Bpinal marrow ot the higher orders

of animala, hare a knotted cord Pitendit^K tVom
the rudioieuta y brain to the hindi-r exireiulty nl
the body, and niiitierniis while flUmt-tita |tn89
from tbU cord and from tbe brain, forming a uer>
▼0118 system.

Wit.tiiii t:ieir bodies ih y hnv" numfroiiB tiil.e?
for the pasanxe of air, whirh anpply the w mf oi
luiiMB >inil carry tlm air ihroiinh th(-ir hodi^H
They do not breiithe throiiKh their mouth, but
through small holes pUced ahniK tbe d jts of tlie
body, called spir^tcles, iiaunlly nuif in nuinher.

They have ft hart, wliiih, from tlin (act of
ttifir p^irin^ olf, Sfenia to be susceptible of the
influence of th" midchil'vou.^ little nod, Uupid.

HoweTiT, tbia heart is a lone ttjbe lyin^ iind'T
the skin of the buck, and hdvinn hole.s on the
Bidf i for lb'' ai'Tii'sion of the juic>'8 (pf the bf dv,
which are piev nt>d fr om esenpinp; an<in by
va'veg, which close over them. .Moreover, t'liH
tubular he-trt \i divided int) several chamb'^r.i by
transverse partitions, in each of which there is a
hole, shut by a vJve, which only allows the
blood to flow in one direction— from behind for-
wards. The bio id of ina.'cts is a colourless or
yf 11 iW fluid. There is no coraplets system of
ciiculation, but the blood ia forced by the heart
forward into tbe head and escapes in'o the body,
where it mixer, with the tutritive juices which
filter through the inte?'ines, and, penetrating
through tbe crevices of th" flesh, finds its way to
the sides of th^ air pusa^Rcs and returns auiin to
the heart, tiUed to nounab and main'ain life. In
all tbia Wf find nn ana'ogoua process to the cir-
culation in all other animal").

Insects are never spontaneously gent rated, but
are produced from enu?, excpt m a few cisea
where the eags are retained within the body un-
til the young are readv to escape

Most insects are subject to very great changes
of form during their livog Taking a moth or
butteiflv as the type, we find the insect Ist in
the conditii n of an egg ; 2'id in the condition of
a caterpillar; 3rd in the condition of the puppn,
or eruh ; 4ihly in the condition of the fully de-
Teloped itrsect.

These changes of form, or metamorplioseB as
th y are called, might CHU?e the same insect to
be mistaken for as many diffrrent animals.

After the egg has been hatched, we observe
three distinct ptrioda in the life of an insect, more
or 1 88 diaiinc'.ly marked by corresponding
changes in form, power and h<ibits

In the first period of infancy nn insect is tech-
nically called a larva, a word signifying a mask,
because therein its future form is more or lees
masked or concealed.

Id this first period, which is much the longest,
the insects are always without wings, paES most
ot their time in t-itintz, grow rapidly, and usually
eh'd their skins repeatedly.

In the second period they entirely lose their
previous form, take no food, and remain at rest
hidden away somewhere in a dei»th-like sleep-
in this condition culled tbe pupa, from a slight
resemblance that some of them present to an in-
fant trusted in bandages, as was the custom
among the Romans.

At tbe end of this second period insects again
shed their skins, and come forth fully grown and
with few exceptions provided with winga. Thus
they enter upon thtir last or adult state, wherein
thfy do not incease in size, and during which
thf y provide for a continuation of their kind
This period is usually but short, most insects
dying immediately after their eggs are laid. In
winaed or adult insects, two of tbe transverse
incisions with which they are marked, are deeper
than the reat, so that tbe body seems to consiBt

rf three principal portions The Ist the head j
the 2nd or middle por ion Thorax or cbeat ■ the
3rd or hindmi st portion the abdomen. Tbe bead
suppcrts tbe eyes, the mnuth, and tbe anient ai
or organs of hearing. The eyes of adult iu-
st'Cta, though apparently two in number, are
compound, each consisting of a great number of
single eyes, closely united togf ther and incapa'
ble of rolling in their sockets.

Near to the eyes tre two jointed members, the
auteni.ci corresponding in i-iiuation with eats in
oih' r Hiiimals, supposed to be connected wi'h the
sense of bearing or of touch, or of both combined.

Tbe mouth in ditft^rent insects varies according
tn^ the fi'od they live on, some being provided
wi h a biting or cbewig apparatus, whiK t others
are provided only wi»h a fuction apparatus The
ptrts of the mouth are an upper and under lip,
two nippers or jrws on either side moving side-
ways, and four or eU little jointed members call-
ed palpi or feelers, .f hereof two belong to the
lowtrlip, and otie or two to each of tbe lower

JHWS

Th( s" parts are altered and modified in differ-
ent insect", and frm a mode ot distinguishing
on • cUrs from another. In "cme, these parts are
agglutinated to form a tube for sucking up fi od ;
ill others, (or pieicinjj, and then sucking. The
parts belonging to t^^e thomx or chest are the
w ii gs and the legs The former are two or four
in number, and vary greatly in form and consist-
ence, in the situation of the wing, bones or veins,
as they are generally called, and in their posi-
tion or the manner in which they are closed or
folded when at r-^st. The under side of the tho-
rax ia tbe breast, and to this are fixed tbe legs,
wtich are sixin number. The parts of the legs are
the hip joint, by which the the leg is fastened to
tbe body ; the thigh (or femur), the shank (or
til in), and the foot ; the latter consisting some-
times of one joint only, more often of two, three
orSpiec's called tarsi, connected end to end,
like tbe joints of a finger, and armed at tbe ex-
tremity with one or two claws.

Tbe abdomen, or hindermost part of the body,
and, as to size, the principal part, contains the
organs of digestion and otber internal parts ; and
to it belong the piercer and sting, where th«»y exist.

An English enotomologist has stated that, on
an average, there are six distinct insects to one
plant. This proportion is prubably too large for
this country. There are about 1200 flowering
plants in this country, and we may es'imate the
number of species of insects at r^rly 5000, ( r in
proportion of to a plant. To facilitate the

study of such an immense number, some kind of
classification is necessary. The basis of thia
classification is founded upon the structure of
the mouth ; in the adult sta'e, the number and
structure of the wings, and the transformation.
Tbe first great divisions are called orders, of
which the following seven are generally adopted
by naturalists: —

1st. ColeoDtera : Beetles, Insects with jaws and
two thick wing covers, whence they derive their
name ; two membranous wings.

2Dd Orthoptera: Crickets, Grasshoppers, &c.,
with jaws, and par^hent wing covers ; two mem-
branous wings,

3rd. Hemiptera: Bugs, Locusts, Ac, with a
borne y beak for suction, 4 wings, the upper one
being small and membranous.

4th. Neuroptera: Dragon Flies, Ac, with
jaws, and four netted wings.

5. Lepidoptera: Butterflies and Moths, month
with a spiral sucking tube, and 4 wings, coTered
with branny scales.

6*b Hyrnvnoptrra : Wa^pi, beei, ke , ioiecti
with Jaws, 4 wing! Telticd.

1. Diptrra : Muaquirof, Omtti, Fllfi, kc , with
a bornr or fl»(hy proboeois, two wings only.

With tiin firit order (Ool^optera) we hare to
deal. Tbry harp two mrmbrnnoaa wingg, con-
cealed by a pi ir of hornpy ca«<>8 or ahplli, mept-
Ihr in a itralKbt line on tbe top ot the baric and
URiially having a triargular or ipoii circular
price, called the icutel, wedited in between their
baFM. Hence the name, BiRoifyini; winR<< in a
flhf atb. The horney ro»erlnn ia ciUed elytron
Tbe order Ooleop'era is divided aRain according
to diffHrences of formation, into 45 families,
which aie again subdirided into g»ner>i and sue
ciei. These are distinguished from one another
by various forms of the antennn the mouth, the
tarsi, &" ; but, independently of these, the diffrtr-
ent families bare peculiar shapes, some of which
I have had drawn so as to point out tbe charao-
eristic shapes of these trioea of beetles. The
food of boetles baa been one means of classifying
them; thus we have:

Oe( d^phaga. earth eating beetlea.

Hvdrophillidre, water beetlea.

Necrophaga, death eaten.

Bracbelytra, do do.

LamfUicornea, dea'* wood, kc.

S ernoxi. plant eaters.

Malacodermata, fire-flirs, also plant eaters.

TTeteromera, living on fungi and decayed wood.

Longieornea, borers.

Pbytopbaga, living on live animals.

In this sort of olassiQcation we find tbe moat
brilliant coloured insects living upon fl^'sh, either
dead or living. In the nourishment of beetles
something more than the mere presf rvation of
the individual seems to have been designed, and
in many instances it would appear as if some
were created for the express purpose of consum-
ing unhealthy organized material. ThuB we Bud
tbe carrion beetles beneficial to man b.v devour-
ing noxious insects, and even carrion, d'»troy-
ing decayed animal substances which would
otherwise prove a fertile source of uuhealiby ex
halbiionp In Egypt these beetles are very largo
and powerful, and numerous, and one wms in
ancient ^tuoes of so much use that these people
deitied bim. One of the durn; beetles, whiob still
goes by tbe name of Scarabseus tSacer. wb'ae
conformation is beau ifuUy adapted to tbe dutifs
he baa to per'orm in life ; bis strong limbs, ana
his great shovel on the front of bis bead, ennble
bim, and tbey a^t to work in numbers, alight on
some piece cf cffal, to dig away tbe sand around
and under it, and when they have made a bole
deep enough tbe mass falls down into it, and
then tbey sbovel up tbe sand and cover it up and
lay their eggs, and have stored up. a cellar full
of food adapted for their young when th- y are
batched. Beetlea which ff ed on leaves, wood,
fruits and grain, are berbiferous, and are gene-
rally noxious to man ; but here we find Nattire's
great doctrine of compensation fully carried out.
If there be many genera of insects, principally
tbe case among noxious butterflies', so prolific
that if allowed to increase tbey would devour all
tbe vegetables, and so bring about a famine, we
at tbe same time observe that the Great Ruler of
the Universe has prevented their increase by
making them tbe proper food for others. But
besides tbe enemies tbeso insects have amongts
their own order, tbey are the food of other orders,
such 88 birds ; and if we destroyed all tbe cater-
pillars, and the vegetable-eating Ooleoptera, we
aboald have our wooda destitute of birda, and

wruld welcome again tbeae inHOta If tbey would
bring h^ck the birda with them.

Tbe first division nam»*d, tbe Oeodepbaga, anJ
represented* by this cicindela hexaguttata, are a
rapacioua, hungry aet of fellows, viry quick in
their movements, lying in ambush under stones,
and pouncing on tb'ir prey, which they grnsp
with .the r powerful claws in front of ^lieir
mouth : others run over the aands, and ar>:- on
the look-out for the larvas of other int^o'a,
which, lying in concalm nt until their alevp-life
or pupa state is over, oecome an easy prey to
their t-iiemies; others again may ba s<>en running
up and down Iraves and branches in search ot m
fine fat caterpillar to satisfy bis or <vina appet
tite. They are splendid in colour; tbey fiv very
fast, but not far ; thpy are difficult to catch, but
well repay the trouble of taking Tbe elytra, or
wing coveia, may be made uae of to adorn ladiea'
dresses, or the whole beetle may be used for the
SHme purpofe No work of art can com] are in
beauty with tbe creations nf Nature

Tbe next order, tbe Hydrophillidae, represent-
ed bv Di'iscus, are most useful to man ; they in-
habit for the most part the water but fnquently
fly about at night. I have ttken many ot them
at nii|:ht when sitting with my winiow open with
a lamp watching on a summer evening for moiba
and any nocturnal visitor. They live on deciy-
ing vegetable matter and tbe larval of other in-
sects whose young inhabit the water; tley thus
act as purifiers of that element, and at tbe same
time prevent tbe too rapid increase of other in-
sects.

The next tribe, ihe Necrophaga, represented
by the Sylpba Marginalia, are carrion beetles, are
useful to man in removing all aorta of refuae,
may be found in the carcases of dead animals,
and when disturbed run out in all directions.
Some of these are also remarkable for tbe bril-
liancy of their colouring; and although tbey live
under sucti disadvantageous circumstances, tbey
manage to keep themselves clean in appearance,
and rever swm to allow any of their food to
stick to them, from which we may learn a good
lesson, tbHt in tbe midst of dirt we may keep
ourselves clean.

The Brachelytra, or fourth tribe, and tbe fifth
trib?, Lamelli Oornes, or flat- horned beetles, of
which Stapbylinus Villosus and Scaratoeua
Sacer may be taken as examples, may fairly be
considered with Of cropbaga, for their b&bits are
much tbe same, and may be called scavenger
beetlea. They are armed with afrocg jaws for
separating the food. Amonu th'se we find come
of tbe largest specimens of beetles ; the larvae
of these live underground, and feed upou such
food as their progenitors have been kind enough
to lay up for them. Amongst the membr^rs of
this cIabs are to be found a family of beetlea
called Dermestidffi ; they live on decaying mat-
ter, but not always on decaying matter, for tbe
grocers find great enemies in these little fellows;
they are very ravenous, and eat a great deal;
tbey bav.e a peculiar taste for bam, in which I
think a good many others will agree with them ;
hut if tbe grocer nada an enemy, the anatomist
finds a friend, and mv friend Mr. Buckland used
to keep a select staff of Dermestes for the pur-
pose of cleaning bis skel^'tcns ; they eat awHy
all the flesh, and leave nothing but the bones.
Some of these larger kinds of larvae were
considered by the ancient Bomans a great
delicacy ; and to this day in the West
Indies, the inhabitants eat tbe palm worm, and
I was assured by a friend who bad been in tbe
West Indies that th^-y are a great delicacy. It
is b disgusting looking, tat, white worm, with a

bUfk Jie«d, from thrift to Hre inchfii long. Hp
uiu'illv livei in the CAbh'<g(t palm (arera
olprHrrn) Hni aftj-rwards rhMrgP" iijtn » black
wpHvil » wo iiicheB lung, of which tribe I hftTe yel
to pppnlc

In Nfw Z^aUnd tb« larva of a cpfciri of cock
chBflFfr is enten after dinner a8 a delicacv, cook
pd like mHrrow and patfn on toast. I dare gay
they may be very good, and we hare bible au-
thority tor thepatinif of beetles, for I find iu the
11th cboptf r of LeTltlona and the 22nd Terse, the
ft llowing word« :- •" Ev^n these of them ye may
eat, the Incnst nf er > ia kind and thebiild locust
ef'ier hi? kind, And the beetle after bis klud, and
the arnaahoiiper after his kind."

The »tern' xi or biii'rrstrHns come next Thev
are (jf henuiirul metailln lustre, olten with bril
liant coli'urs. (nterm'xed there are many specie^
ft them, tb'-y live on leaves of plants, and the
larvae penetrnte the wond of trpeo, upon which
th^y live, and when this stage of lif< is nearly
completed they place thempelves with the head
outwRrdo, and when the trnnsfoim tion is com-
plete they hHve oily a thin Inyer of bark to eat
throu»»h, and out they bo, fully dressed, into the
Bun Thf-y are aly fellnwo, these buprestians.
for when yon HPprOHrh them to tako them.
Ihey let go their hold and fold up their ftet and
fnll tn the (irouiid, as if dead, and often you are
dipeppoinlfd of \our priz". They fly about by
day and seerete t''em8elvp8 in old sturop!», An
by niuht, the different. Bpfcies inhabit diff-rent
tre^s, the oh'rry, the pot>l«r, the butter nut, Ac

Ttie 8'h division, the malacodermHtaare aclaas
of beetlfP. ot great inter* St, and great beauty,
thev are the fire fiva, tbeir flytra and skin gene
rally is much pofier th«n that of other beetles,
thev are vegetah'e eatera, but amongat th^m are
several g nera of use to man abd us<'d in medv
cine, as the vrioua forma of bliatering flya aa
they nre call* d, the Spanish flv aa it ia culled,
b lo^gs to a genua of this diviaion, thev do aome
mifchiff in the way of deetroving the plants
they f'ped on, hut are ao iis'ful that I think we
will forgive them thia li'tle injury they do na

fieteromera, the eighth div>aion 1 have given,
are useful in removing (lecHyinc wood, nnd one
peruliar family are speciHlly useful, called the
Bolitoplaiii or fungus eatera They live entirely
upon fungi, and emong them are aome very
strange 8h»pea. With those we may take a
D'arly allied class, the Elateridte, or spring
bie'le, called by our neighbours the lightning
spring bug, repreaentf d by tbp Elater occulatns;
fo clled from two largo blHck spota on the
thorax rfsemblingeyea. Three beetles when held
give a peculiar aprine, aceomparied by a aharp
arpp, ard readily slip out of your figera. TbPir
habitat ia the bark of treea, or between the
bi\rk and the wook. They do miach'ef to the
trpf s bv aeparaling the bark from the wood

ThfliOngicornea, 9h on my list, are a very de-
structive aet of gentlemen. They are for the
moat part haDdsoine fVl'owa with long antenroe.
It is difflcult to know what, they do with tfaeae
long horna. It aef m? aa if tbey muat be very
much in thfir way. Some of them are very
large. They lay their egga in the birk of trees,
au'l the f.ru'^8 or InrtoB traverse the wood of the
tree in d'fF'Tent directiona. esuaing thoae lerge
round or oval holes we so commonly see running
through the timber- They may be represented
bv Monohfmmua "onfuaor, of which Mr Billinga
anya he has peen ns many as a hundred on one
aingle pine tree. Together with th^ae the we»-
▼ila may be taki These are a peculiar claa'* of
beetles called Rdincophera, from their carrying
a peculiar trunk on their beads, which aids tbem

In boring tbrongh the bark to deposit their rggi.
It Is the bavB of one of these th • is eati a in th«
West Indies. They are very denrurtive to ■onifl
of the fruit trees, and one has been denominated
from his habitat the pe« weavil (Bruchus Pisi).
Ml. Flarris, in speaking of this insect, fays : —

Pew persons, while indulging in the luiuryof
early green pens, are aWHre of how many insecta
they unponsuioualy swall) w. When the pods are
carefully examined, small discoloured spots may
bcseenwiib tbem, each one corresponding to •
similar Dpot on the opposite pea If this spotoa
the pea be openeit, a minute, whitish grut>, desti*
tute of feet, will be found there. If is the weavil
in its *arval form, which lives upon the marrow
of the pea, and arrives at its full size at the time
that the pea becomes dry Thia larva or grub .
then bores a round hole from the hollow in the
centre of the pea quite to the bull, but leaves the
latter and generally the germ of the future sprout
untouched. Hence these buggy peas, as tbey are
call' d by •eedsm/'O and gardeners, will frequent*
ly sprout and giow when planted. The grub ia
changed to a pupa within its bole in the pea la
the autumn, and before the spring casts its (kin
again, and becomes a beetle, gnaws a bole
through the thin hull, in order to make its escape
into the air, which frequently does not happen
before the peas are planted for an early crop.
After the p'ants have flowered, and while the
pods are young and tender, the i eas within tbrm
are beginning to swell, the beetles gather upon
them, and deposit their tiny eggs, singly, in the
pnncMires or wounds which they make in the
surface of the pods. This is done mostly during
the night or in cloudy weather. The grubs, as
"oon as they are hatched, penetrtae the pod, and
bury themselves in the opposite peas and the
holes through which they pass into the seeds are
so Are 88 hardly to be perceived, and are booq
closed' Sometimes every pea in a pod will be
four d to contain a weavil grub, and so great ha
been the irjnrv to the crop in some psrts ( f the
neighbouring States that the inhabitants have
been obliged to give up thd cultivation of this
vegetable. These insects diminish the weight of
the peas in which they lodge nearly one half,
and their leavings are fit, only for the food or
awine. This oociaions a great loss where peas
are raised for feeding stock or for family use, aa
they are in mimy places Those persons who
eat whole peas in the winter after they are raised
run the risk of eating the weavils also ; but if the
peas are kept till they are a year old the insecta
will entirely leave tbem. The ^ea weavil is sup-
posed to be a native of tbe United States. It
aeems to have been first noticed in Pennsylvania
many years «go, and has gradually spread from
thence to New Jersey and other S ates, anfl la
now common in the south cf Europe and Eng-
land The insect is limited to a certain period
for laying its eggs; late sown peas, therefore,
escape its attack

The larvae of these boring beetlea, like the pea-
weavil, which inhabit trees, come near the surfnce
of the tree, and, of course. 'leave a hollow spaee
under the bark. The woodpecker, tapping with
his beak, finds out these hollow spaces, and
works away till he makes a hole through the
bark and fetches out the larvae he ia in aearch of,
affording us another example of the law of com-
pensation in nature, iknd preventing tbe too
great increase of these destructive insecta.

The last of my li-it are the phytophagie, or
beetles who live on living things. They are re-
presented well by tbe cryaococua aureatus, a
most beautiful green beetle, with a brilliant
golden hue. Tbey run up and down tbe plants,

BD<) prey opon '^b tphido -imtll green iniecU
tbkt nick the Juice of the pUnt. Tbl« cUit of
beetle ii rery uarful in t^ii way. The ladybinit
belong to tbii order. They bare been Iodr Ijeid
in rstimatioo, and are called Id 0»rmany " lady-
bpe»].g" of the »lrnin, by tbe French, cowg of
the lord, or anima ■ of the Tirgii. thn^e bare be»D
reeomojended ai a eovrreign remedy for tooth-
ache. Tbry are to be ania§hed up and put into
the tooth, wb<-tber or no they are efflcacioui, I
cannot tell ; any one may readily try it for him-
■elf

I bare gtren yon a few remHrka about the
mode of dstertnining and olauifj ing intecta, and
upon lome of tbair lirei and babiuta, tbcie who

jliu L ollect theie:beautiful little animali, ran
do 10 readily. It if only nect-ssxry to nipply
yourself with a emaM wide-mouthed bottle of
•plrit of wine, a boi of pins, a few plec'i of cork
and a cork-Mned box to put your collection in
rou will fiad the time «pent ia not wasted. It is
a plenaant occupation in lonjr winter nighfe to
arrange them, and induces rsmbling emongst the
woods in aiiramer, whereby you will obtain a
atock of health and atrennth. Prom tbf ir habita
we naay learn many useful hints: and in watch-
ing theii habita and inaHncta, we may Ie«rn to
appreciata the oreationa of an All wise ProTl-
denoe.

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