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? V- 
 
 M ffl 
 
 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 
 
4 
 
 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. 
 
 (V 
 
V 
 
 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 
 
6 
 
 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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