consumed, a thin pellicle only remaining; the body entirely he extracted a fema e and from within this bladder-like exuviae undergone its transfonna- Sitaris, which had evidently therein whether the pellicle ot tion He did not, however, observe the pupa of the Sitaris was contained within the larva or of He subsequently found more the pellicle of the bee-larva. in the nests of this bee, and specimens of the Sitaris at large whilst in a state of captivity, oteerved one of the females, were hatched the minute laiw®. deposit her eggs, from which to point out the distinctions be- Mr Westwood then proceeds and that of Sitaris. The two species tween the larva of Meloe is generally found are not in which this Beetle of Anthophora natives of England.

CHAPTER XL

Rhynchophora, Or Weevils.

These terribly destructive insects do not attain any great dimensions in England, but they make up for their diminutive size by their enormous numbers. How many species are known to inhabit this country it is impossible to say, as new species —especially those of small size— are continually being added to our lists ; but if we say that about five hundred British species are at present known, we shall be very near their number.

^ The name Rhynch(yphora is formed from two Greek words signifying ‘ snout-bearer,’ and is given to these insects because tlie head IS very much prolonged and narrowed, in some species looking like the long curved beak of the ibis or curlew. The mouth and its accompanying organs are always at the end of this beak, and in some species of Weevils the resemblance to

e head and mouth of the Porcupine Ant-eater of Australia is really starring. The name of Tetramera, or ‘ four-jointed,’ was formerly given to this group, because its members appear to have only four joints in the tarsi. Mr. Westwood, however, with his wonted amteness, pointed out that there were really five joints ™all, and hidden’ undei the lobes of the third joint. .Several of these tarsi may he seen on Woodcut XVII. The three basal joints of the tarsus are always furnished with a thick pad beneath, and may

The antennas are always set well in front on the ‘ rostrum ’

work .1 ’ to fte seientiflo term. I shall in this they y ejpSs press 'the*''*’ the "'"<**> Provided that same idea as the scientific term, which will M

For the future, therefore, I however, be always explained. beak instead of the Latin shall employ the Enghsh word in preference to the Sanscntorostrum, and the word elbowed word geniculated. ^ Grseco-Latinised-Anglified which is at present m vogue, the According to the system namely, those in which are divided into two sections— Weevils and those in which they are. the antennse are not elbowed, and the are called Orthoceri, or ‘straight-horned, The former We begin with the former,

Gonatoceri, or ‘ knee-horned.’ latter example of these Beetles the and take for our first which is dravm on oodcut Weevil {Bmchus rufimanus), shown at /. This insect be- XVI. Fig. 4, its antennse being which have antenn® rather longs to^ the family Bruchidje, towards the apex, gradually thicker serrated, and becoming reach to the end of the " and th^ “elytra do not cuived. g of the tarsus is long and basal ioint and the elytra are antenn. are rather delicate, Smchus the

is rather variable both in size and ""^Thf Sd-Sed^Weevil hue is black. Ys usually as follows :-The general iur Tut waved, there are which has its edges slightly Upon the thorax, triangular spot upon the disc, and a large Fwinte snots hairs being of the base, some ashy-white about the middle is striated and punctured, slttered on the disc. The elytron over it, and a fi miraber of white spots scattered

A \ The tip of the ahdothe —nr.

"CyTearnet

npon^ the " very feeding often The reader may perhaps “"v.dual s spite of therr small occasion to notice have had ocenrs in which a We oi ^a^

one frequently y

and whicli is tenante

magpts ™ these ‘larvae is shown, much ma|

species of „i XVI Fi<r. c. They remain in the seeds

nified, on ^ perfect condition, when they

until they ^ for the purpose while « to he mspecies are achnowledged . Eight

rAv—

digenous to Great Britain. Many other species have been

placed on the British lists, but entomologists have decided

that they have been introduced into England in cargoes of

peas, beans, or corn, and therefore ought not to be admitted as

genuine British insects. Indeed, it could be wished that the

law of extradition could be extended to insects, and that these Weevris, together with the cockroach and sundry other destructive and noxious insects, could be restored to the country whence they came. ^

Thk family of the Anthribidm will be represented by one example. This family has also eleven joints in the antenme, the whole of which is formed of three joints, as is seen at big. g, and the second joint of the tarsi has two lobes, as shown at Fig. y. Our example of this family is Platyrhinus faferosl™, Woodcut XVI. Fig. 5, and is the only British specimen of its genus. The generic name of this insect, signifpng broad-nosed,’ points out one of the leading peculiarities of this genus, which has the head so wide and sLt that it scaicely seems to belong to the long-snouted Khynchophora and the club is a very bold and abrupt one, like the knob at b!L“ d Tbe elytra reach to the end of the female. “ the

The present species is oblong in shane and fLo .v i

Z”at the%™L*the tr'' Wrinkled. The J^ra are alfneT^iS

rtmaks • 1 The abdomen 0b7 “““ is white, “Me dusky changing to blank uf n

and the legs are black, but have a ^ish-w^ ot o^

before it canVt insect, and requires much searchino. geniol r«le oflth°™‘n »d its in! vrith its mottled surfac“'Zps Tf^rstfeto T“e'x“ “nciS'B:::,? Beetle. It also clings -y eU 5 »;w?:i"t to the trunks of ash, alder, Lnd

be found, a num ) If, however, one specimen liiioli-trees. for, although it is not reward the colleotor, will generally distributed, it generally occurs P'f widely is chosen by thm Beetle on locality. The ash-tree favoured grow upon it, and which form ite account of the fungi which fungus, it is obliged it cannot find a convenient food When into decaying wood or benrat to content itself with burrowing XVI. Fig. 6, the larva of this the dead bark. On Woodcut Beetle is shown.

examples, the first bewe shall take two Of the Attelabid® kno™ by the name of longing to the typical genus, and Wes, Woodcut XVII. curcuiio and the beak the head is more elongated,

In this family The antennm are straight as the end. ratL“dLards may be seen at Fig. - 3^ at .. end of the body. The genus is do not ;each to the

es is very common and ^LTese" is a very sUghtly eighth to The thorax is small, very finely wrinkled between the eyes, x Beine of the the elytra being brick-red in colour, punctured, and same hue. „_ecially the underwood, are the best whil can best be captured, like many localities it- ”f for this thrSeetle ^ Sometimes eight or ten others of ae net after a tew minutes’ sweep- ■ specimens Will he ^ prevalence in such localities is, that ing. The reason for P oak. Leaves which i th! larva feeds on the yo^g in oak- ■ Lave been ^ g,, in a short time, copses, and a pocke u tightly into a shape which

They are known by „,Agie. To the naked :

has been wel ‘ looks rather dull, but when ot this iJeen

eye, the hrick-red

viewed by the aid of a microscope, the surface both of thorax

and elytra is seen to possess astonishing beauty, the rich

shining-red being broken up into various shades by the rows of

punctures.

I have often wondered whether the insects themselves are

capable of seeing and admiring these beauties without the aid of

EhynchitesBaccHus. 3. Apion carduomm. 4. Sitonea bneatiis. 5. Cleonus neb^osus. a. Attelabus, antenna. 6. Khynchites, Apion, antenna. c

antenna. d. Attelabus, tarsus. e. Rhynchites, tarsus. /. Apion, tarsus. n Rhyncbites, maxillary palpus. A. Rhynchites, labium ■> v , • g.

the microscope, as well as we do with its assistance. When viewing through a lens some tiny and apparently dull-coloured insect, and noticing how mag-nificently beautiful the colom-ing really is when we put ourselves under the conditions which enable us to see the many details which were before concealed from us, I cannot but feel that such beauties were sm-ely intended to delight some eyes, and most probably the eyes of its fellows.

Our next example of this family is Rhy^tchitcs Bacchus^ lepresented on Woodcut XVII. Fig. 2.

The generic name Bhynchites is taken from the Greek, and gigjiiflgs long-nosed, or, to he more accurate hut less elegant, ‘ nosey,’ and is given to it on account of the shape of the snout or heak, -which is much more lengthened than in either of the Weevils, and forms one of the principal characters of preceding other characteristics are, that the heak is the genus. The more or less -widened at the end, that the head is not narrowed into a neck behind the eyes, and that the antennse have eleven of the antennae is shown at Fig. b, that of the joints. The form maxillary palpus at g, and the lahium at h. tarsus at e, the are seventeen British species belonging to this genus. There of the insects of this genus are remarkable for their

Many their bodies being of all imaginable brilliant colours, beauty, their brilliancy increased by their metallic glop. and having is certainly not the least handsome among its This species its colour being a rich-red, almost copperysplendid brethren, which is a long soft down. The thorax is deeply gold, on which are rounded at their tips and punctui-ed, and the elytra, from each other, are as of buimished- copper rather separated hue. Their surface is covered sometimes taking a purplish and with a vast number of with very deep and bold punctures, against them. There is much wi-inkles running transversely splendid Beetle, which is somevariation in the colour of this blue ; but, as is the case wit times greenish and sometimes the exact hue depends very much on many of such Beetles, is reflected from them to the eye, the angle at which the light then to purple, and pui-ple to gold, green changing to blue, side or the otlmr. as the insect is turned to one has been taken in Darenth Wood. It

It is a rare insect, but near Crayford, in Kent, on the has also been taken plentifully blackthorn {Prunus spkiosus).

consisting of very is an enormous genus of Weevils,

T™ the shape of a note about as large and somewhat

tiny species,

of adLation (!) as here given. Their hodres ^ representing the o^he

like pears, the stalk of the fruit they have received consequence of this resemblance

insect In which is a Greek word signifying name\f -lyicrn,

TogJic

a pear. They have also been compared to peg-tops ; and, if

the peg were curved instead of straight, the resemblance would

be almost complete. We will call them Pear Weevils.

The genus Apion is an admirable test of an entomologist’s zeal. It he can set, examine, and determine the Apions which he will catch in an hour’s walk with the sweep-net, there is no doubt about his zeal for entomology, a zeal which the genus Apion is admirably calculated to quench. They are all so tiny that a tolerably high power is required for their proper examination, and the pocket-lens must be laid aside in favour of a microscope ; and in many instances the colour of the trochanter forms one of the principal characteristics. Then, their bodies are so boldly rounded that only a small portion can come into focus at the same time. The necessity for a high power is seen by the fact that without it the antennae appear only to have eleven joints, whereas they have in reality twelve, the twelfth being an extremely minute one at the very end of the club. None of this genus possess wings, and the elytra completely cover the abdomen. Along the side of the beak are seen two deep grooves, in which the basal joints of the antennae can lie ; and it is to be noted that in death the antennae of these Beetles are directed backwards, lying partly in the grooves, so that the tip of the antenna comes the head with the thorax. close to the junction of

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