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FOKEIGN INSECTiS,

PLATE III

INSECTS ABEOAD.

BEING A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF

POEEIGN INSECTS,

STRUCTURE, HABITS, AND TRANSFORMATIONS,

REV. J. G. WOOD, M.A. F.L.S. &c.

AUTHOR OF
INSECTS AT HOME,' 'HOMES WITHOUT HANDS,' 'BIBLE ANIMALS,' ETC.

ILLUSTRATED WITH SIX HUNDRED FIGURES, BY E. A. SMITH AND
J. B. ZWECKER, ENGRAVED UY G. PEARSON.

#"' ■%>

LONDON : ^^^t^AmHl ^5^^^^

LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

1874

Tlie right of translation is reserved.

LONDON :
.SONS, AN!) TAYT.OK,
KRK'Vl) STi:F.F.r 1|ILI>.

PRKFACK

The object of tliis work is two-fold ; first to sliow the great
and important part played by Insects in the economy of the
world, and the extreme value to mankind of those insects
which we are accustomed to call Destructives ; and next to
note the wonderful modifications of structure which enable
the insects to fulfil their mission, and the surpassing beaiit;^
with which many of them are endowed.

Incidentally, many interesting points connected with insect
life are described, as, for example, the manner in which many
of them directly support human life by furnishing food, or
being themselves eaten.

Thus Bees not only furnish honey, but in several countries
are themselves eaten while in the state of grub-doin, together
with the " bee-bread " which has been laid up in the cells.
Several Wasp larvie share the same fate.

Then, there are the Locusts, which, although they destroy
vegetable life, are in many parts of the world invaluable in
preserving animal life, by furnishing food, not only to man, but
to beasts, birds, and reptiles. Termites, again, form a favourite
article of food in almost every country where they are found ;
while in Australia, the fat-bodied Butterfly popularly called
the " Bugong Moth," affords nourishment to thousands of the
natives, and in a few weeks changes them from starvelings into
plump and contented beings. The Dragon Flies are employed
in the same manner in the same countrv.

VI PREFACE.

Even in civilized lands insects are utilized for food. Pat-
ting aside the cheese mites and " hoppers " with which we are
all familiar, we find the Mexicans employing a certain honey-
gathering ant for the purpose of making mead. In Europe
the common Wood Ant is much used in the manufacture of
vinegar, and in the South of France the same insect is pressed
into the service of the ]3astry-cook, being used to flavour a
certain sort of cream called " creme aux fourmis.'"

By way" of retaliation, the voracious Mosquitos are tliemselves
eaten in some parts of the world. It is related by Livingstone,
that the insects swarm in such vast multitudes on tiie banks of
the Nyassa Lake, that they are gathered in bags and pressed
into circular cakes about an inch thick and seven or eight
inches in diameter. These cakes, called " kungo," somewhat
resemble caviare in flavour.

Larvs, especially those of the larger beetles, form an im-
portant branch of food in many countries, and in some, as in
certain parts of Australia, are absolute necessities. Among
them may be mentioned the celebrated Gru-gru grub of the
West Indies. It is the wood-boring larva of a gigantic Weevil,
and when taken from the tree is held by the head and eaten
alive. However repulsive the notion may appear, it has been
found that when Europeans have once been induced to try the
Gru-gru, they have always held it as one of their best dainties.

Perhaps the most curious article of insect-food is the egg of
one of the Mexican Water- boatmen (Corixa).

These eggs are laid in countless numbers upon bundles of
reeds which are sunk for the purpose. In a fortnight the reeds
are covered with eggs, which are scraped off and made into
cakes under the name of " haoutle."

Some of the insects are useful to man in a secondary manner
by producing articles which are almost necessary adjuncts to
civilization, such as the wax of the Bee, the irritant juices of
the Blister Beetle, the dye of the Cochineal, and the "lac" of
its near relative the Lac Insect.

PREFACE. VU

Lastly, as to the book itself. Eight hundred and sixty insects
have been described, six hundred of which have been figured,
the illustrations and descriptions having all been made from the
actual specimens. In order to ensure accuracy in rendering the
" texture," tlie engraver has taken the trouble to inspect the
insects themselves before touching the block on which they
were drawn. The reader may form some idea of the labour
which has been expended in the Avork, when I mention that
more than three thousand drawers of insects have been ex-
amined, each drawer containing, on an average, some fifty
specimens.

I now have the pleasing task of thanking most heartily the
officers attached to the Insect Eoom in the British Museum, for
the kind assistance which they rendered through some three
years, and the generous manner in which they afforded ini'or-
mation that could have been obtained from no other source.

Belvedere, S.E.
May 9th, 1874.

CONTENTS.

COLEOPTEKA, OR BEETLES-

Ch. I. — Introduction

II.— Tiger Beetles, ou Cictnuelid.k ....
III. — Gi;ouNU Beetles, or Carabid.e ....
' IV.— Ground Beetles, or CAKABiB^—confiHued .
V.-Hydradephaga, or Predacious Water Beetles
VI. — Paussid^ and Brachelttra, or Rove Beetles .
VII.— Necrophaga, or Carrion-eaters ....
VIII. — Pectinicornes, or Comb-horned Beetles .
IX. — Lamellicuun, or Lj.af-iiorned Beetles, •Sometime.';

Petalocera

X. — Lamellicorxs — contiiiaed

XL— Sternoxi, or Skiimack Beetles ....
XII. — Malacodermi, oi; Soft-skinned Beetles

XIII. — HeTEROMERA, or PARTY-LEfiGED BEETLES

XIV. — RlIYNCHOPHORA, OR WeCVII.S .....

XY.— VfEKVihS—coniinunl

XVI. — LONGICORNES, OR LONG-HORNED BEETLES

XVII. — Phytophaga, or Plant-eaters ....

XVIII. — PSEUDOTRIMERA

1

6

28
46
65
72
81
91

loy

129
146
166
173
193
215
229

EARWIGS-

Ch. I. — Der.maitera, or EuI'LEXOPTERA

277

ORTHOPTERA—

Ch. I. — BL.vrTiD.E, OR Cockroaches 285

II. — Mantid.-e, or Leaf Insects 290

III.— Ambulvtoria, or Walking-.stick Insects .... 300

IV.— .Saltatoria, ok Cuicket.s, Grasshoppers, and Locu.sis . 317

THY8AXOPTERA-
Cii. 1.— TiiRiinn-

347

CONTEjSITS.

NErTROPTERA—

Ch. I. — LiBELLULID.E

II. — MYRMELEONin^:, SlALID.B, MaKTISPID.E, AND TEltMITID.E

353

HYMENOPTERA—

Ch. I.— Saw Flies

II.— Entomophaga, or Ichneumons and Gall Flies

III.— ACULEATA.— MUTILLAS AND SCOLIAS

IV.— FoRMiciD^, OK Ants ....

V. — PoMPILlDiE, SpHEOIDJ^, AND BeMBECID^E .

VI. — Solitary and Social Bees .

417
427
451
506

LEPIDOPTERA; OR, BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS-

Ch. I.— Papilionid^

II.— Butterflies — concluded

III.— Moths

535
598
632

HEMIPTERA; OR, HETEROPTERA

HOMOPTERA

DIPTERA . . ^.

709
733
749

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES.

PLATE I.

To far

1 . Tetraclia punctata.

2. Tetracha punctata, larva.

3. Calochroa princeps.

4. Mormolyce phyllodes.

5. Anthia sex-guttata.
(J. Mouliotia "lorissa.

PLATE V.

Tofarp ,,. -Jit

]. Jlantis tinctipenni.s.
'1. ]\lantis tinctipenni.s.
?>. Dcroplatys desiceata.

PLATE VL

PLATE IL

Tof„r,p. 3-2;"

To face V. ] •2.'-

1. Euclieirus Ma'.-leayi.
"2. Dynastes Hercules.
3. Golofa hastatus.

PLATE in.

Front.

1. Goliatlius Druryii.

2. Dicranoceplialus Bowringii.

3. Ehampliorhina Petersiana.

4. Entinius splendidus.

5. Cyphus Linnsei.

PLATE IV.

To face ji. 243

1. Acrocinus longimanus.

2. Batoccra C'eleiiinua.

1. Sanaa iniperialis.

2. Acridoxena TTawaiiai

PLATE VII.

To face p. 3.5i

1. Palpopleura niarginata.

2. Palpares Caffer.

3. AscalaiAus Kolyranensis.

4. Ascalaphus Kolyranen.sis, larva.

PLATE VIII.

To face p. 476

1. Trypoxylon rejector.

2. Parapison rufipes.

3. Eunienes esuriens.

4. PJiynchiuni nitiduluiii.

PLATE IX.

PLATE XV.

Tnjhcrp. ir>S

To fare j^.

644

1.

Pcpsis lieros.

1.

(Aeipiusa Australasiie.

2.

Pelopseus la'tus.

2.

( 'yclosia saiiguifera.

•s.

VesjKi inandariiiia (female).

PLATE XV r.

PLATE X.

Tofacc p.

6(50

Tofacr.p. 518

1.

Attacus Jorulla.

].

Chry.saiitheda frontalis.

2.

Phyllodes eonsoLrina.

2.
3.

Xylocopa morio.
Centris deiiudaii.s.

PLATE XVII.

4.

Euglossa roniaiuli.

1.

To face p.
Tropsea Leto.

676

PLATE XL

2.

Ginauisa Isis.

Tofncep. 5i3

PLATE XVIII.

1.

Papilio Brookeanus.

2.

Papilio Panthous.

1.

2.

To face p.
Cicada adusta.
Hotinus maculatu.s.

732

PLATE XIL

3.

Pceciloptera circulata.

Tofacrp. 557

1.

Papilid .Joe.sa

PLATE XIX.

"-■

Papilio Euchcnor.

1.

To face p
Diactor bilineatus.

716

PLATE XIIL

3.

Dalader acuticosta.
Pygoplatys lancifer.

To face p). 585

4.

Oncomeris flavicornis.

1

Hestia Idea.

2

Charaxe.s Eudamippus.

PLATE XX.

To face p

752

PLATE XIV.

L

Pangonia longirostris.

To face p. 595

2.

Acanthomera niagnifica.

1

Caligo Eiuilurhus (upper side).

3.

Mydas giganteus.

2

Caligo Kurilochus (under side).

4.

Phellus glaucus.

INSECTS ABROAD.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

IN this our favon^red country the insect tribes play apparently
so insignificant a part in the economy of the world, that
few except professed entomologists have tlie least idea of their
real importance, their vast, silent, and unseen armies, and the
enormous power which they wield.

I say unseen, because none but a practical entomologist ever
sees one insect in ten thousand, even when they have attained
their perfect state ; and the most skilful naturalist can but con-
jecture as to the countless hosts of grubs and caterpillars that
are hidden among the foliage, buried in the ground, submerged
beneath the waters, burrowing under the bark or into the solid
wood of trees, or leading a parasitic existence within the bodies
of living animals. Insects pervade the whole of Nature, and the
functions which they perform are so important, that they deserve
from man far more attention than he generally condescends to
bestow. Individually an insect is small, feeble, and, in the eyes
of most persons, contemptible. Collectively, the insect tribes
are a mighty host, exercising over our world an influence that
excites equal wonder and admiration in the minds of those who
can appreciate it.

Still, important as are the insects in this country, those of
tropical lands have infinitely more influence, and that for a very

2 INSECTS ABUOAI).

evident reason. They have more work to do. By dint of daily
increasing and improving agriculture, and by the rapid growth
of population, we have so completely altered the surface of our
land, that many species which were formerly abundant have
utterly perished, and many others are becoming scarcer 3'ear Ijy
year. Insects do not now play nearly so conspicuous a part as
they used to do, and in consequence they do not attract the
notice of persons unaccustomed to observe. It is otherwise in
many other parts of the world, especially those which lie be-
tween the tropics; and the natural consequence is, that when
inhabitants of more temperate climates travel in hot countries,
the insects force themselves upon their attention.

Unfortunately for science, however, the average traveller never
thinks of observing insects for their own sakes, and only takes
notice of those which annoy him. Unless they bite him, sting
him, spoil his clothes, attack his cattle, or eat his provisions,
he passes them by with utter indifference, and seems not to be
aware that such creatures as insects exist. As to searching for
the work which they, like all created beings have to do in the
world, such an idea never enters his mind, and he seems to look
upon insects merely as if they were made for the especial pur-
pose of being either avoided or destroyed.

Yet, taking even the many insects which are most trouble-
some to travellers, we can see how important are the tasks which
they have to perform, and how great is their influence upon the
face of Nature.

Take the first insect of which travellers unite in complaining,
the hated and dreaded Mosquito. In its perfect, or winged state,
it is about as annoying a creature as can be, but then it must be
remembered that the traveller is but a casual intruder in the
natural domain of the mosquito, and must expect the conse-
quences of his intrusion. Devouring travellers is not the
normal occupation of the mosquito, for hundreds of successive
generations may live and die, and not one of them ever see a
human being. Their real object is a beneficent one. In their
larval state they live in the water, and feed upon the tiny
particles of decaying matter that are too small to be appreciated
by the larger aquatic beings, and, by devouring them, purify the
water and convert death into life. Even in our ponds at home,
we are much indebted to the gnat larvae for saving us from

THE MOSQUITO AND THE ANT. 3

miasma ; wliilc the vast armies of mosquito larvie that swarm
along the edges of tropical lakes and feed upon the decaying
substances that fall from the herbage of the banks, purify at
the same time the water and the atmosphere, and enable human
beings to breathe with safety the air in which without their aid
no animal higher than a reptile could have existed.

The next insect plague of which a traveller complains is
generally summed iip in the word Ants. He seldom troubles
himself to ascertain the species of the ant, to preserve specimens .
for the benefit of science, or to obtain the least insight into their
habits. All he knows or cares is, that some ants, which were
very small, stung him, each sting feeling like the prick of a red-
hot needle. Some, which were very large, bit him even through
his clothes, and held on with such more than bull-dog tenacity,
that after the bodies were torn away, the heads not only
retained their hold, but went on biting.

Then, multitudinous ants, large, small, and middle-sized,
swarmed into his room or tent, and ate up his provisions almost
before his very eyes. If he put the legs of the table into water,
they made extemporised pontoon bridges of their b-odies and
extended legs, and so enabled the ant-armies to scale the
citadel, despite of the moat. If he hung his shelves from
strings, the ants crawled down the strings. And, if he did
succeed in isolating a table by putting the legs in saucers full
of oil, the ants crawled up the walls, then on the ceiling, and
then dropped on the table. They ate his food, they swarmed
into his drink, and they tore to pieces all his birds and other
specimens that he had collected.

Of course this conduct was anything but agreeable, and it
was very natural that the traveller, looking at everything as it
affected himself individually, should feel aggrieved, and wonder
w^hy such mischievous creatures should have been made. But
if we put aside the temporary and individual inconvenience
caused to the traveller or colonist, and look to the real mission
of these detested insects, we shall find that they play on the land
a part like that of the mosquitos on the water, and rank among
the most important of the scavengers of the earth. Their
presence is undoubtedly disagreeable to individual men, but
mankind would suffer severely if the Ant tribes were to be
extinguished.

4 INS?:CTS ABKOAD.

Take two more insects, which are beyond measure annoying to
man, — namely, the wood-boring beetles and the termites, otlier-
wise, but very wrongly, called white ants. Nothing can be more
disheartening to a planter than to have his trees and canes
devoured by the beetles, and every bit of timber in his house
destroyed by the termites. We shall in the course of this wovlc
see examples of the ravages of both insects, so that we need
not go into details now. Yet, strange as it may seem, but for
the effects of these wood-destroying insects there would be no
forests at all. Suppose, for example, that all these insects were
immediately exterminated, the results would be much as follows.
A vast tree, one of the giants of the forests, dies, and is blown
down in one of the fierce hurricanes of tropical climates. Where
the tree fell, there it lies, and where it lies it cumbers the earth,
and prevents other trees from springing up in its place. Years
roll on and become centuries, tree after tree falls, and slowly
but surely arrives the time when the place of the towering
forest, with all its wealth of life, is taken by a vast wilderness
of dead and fallen tree-ti-unks.

How different is the beneficent operation of Nature under the
present conditions. Scarcely has a tree fallen than the insect
hosts are at work on it. First come the large and powerful
wood-boring beetles and deposit their eggs upon it. Armed
with their sharp and strong jaws, which act like bone-nippers,
the larvae bore through and through the trunk, making tunnels like
auger-holes, and so rendering the tree permeable to air and wet.
Smaller beetles soon follow in the wake of the large, and bore
out the softened wood, and a host of other insects set to work
on the now decaying trunk, many using it as food, and others
carrying it off as material for their nests. The rapidity of their
work is astonishing, and in an exceedingly short time the entire
tree is reduced to mere dust. " Put thy foot," M-rites Waterton,
in his "Wanderings," "on that large trunk thou seest to thy
left. It seems entire amid the surrounding fragments. Mere
outward appearance, delusive phantom of what it once was !
Tread on it, and, like the fuzz-ball, it will break into dust."
And this dust serves as a fertilizer to the soil, and enables it to
produce fresh trees in the place of that which had fnllen.

Take the white ants again, even apart from their wood-eating
propensities, and sco what good service they do evon by the

VALUE OF INSECTS, 5

simple act of buildiug tlieir wonderiul nests. Tliey are per-
petually engaged iu trausi'erriug to the aurfuee of the eartli the
soil which they have taken irom beneath it, and so continually
renewing and fertilizing it with fresh soil. These insects indeed
play very much the part that our much-despised mole and worm
do at home. It would be easy to multiply examples indehniteJy,
but I have chosen these insects iu order to show how even the
very cr3atures which are most detested by man, and do him the
most direct damage, are indeed, though indirectly, among his
best benefactors. Apart from direct benefit or injury to man,
the whole of the insect tribes are working towards one purpose,
namely, the gradual development of the earth and its resources.
The greater number are perpetually destroying that which is
etfete, in order to make way for something better ; while others,
whose business seems chietly to be the killing and eating of
their fellow-insects, act as a check to tlieir inordinate increase,
and so guard against the danger uf their exceeding their proper
mission.

CHAPTER IT.

TIGER BEETLES, OR CICINDELI1).E.

At the head of the insect race are by common consent
placed the .multitudinous species which are collected under
the common title of Geodephaga. This very appropriate
title is formed from two Greek words, signifying devourers of
the earth, and is given to the large group of carnivorous Beetles
which live on the ground, in contradistinction to another great
group of carnivorous Beetles which live in the water, and are
called Hydradephaga, or devourers of the water. In both these
groups, the larva or grub, and the perfect insect, agree in their
general habits, so that the larvse of the first group are always
found on land, and those of the second group as invariably in
the water.

Equally by common consent of entomologists, the Tiger
Beetles have been placed at the head of the Geodephaga. For-
merly they were all classed under one family, the CicindelidcB,
but of late years, in accordance wdth the ever-growing mania for
subdivision and over-refining, they have been split up into a
number of families, the first of which are the Mantichoridie, a
group of which we have no British representative. The name
is a very curious one, and I will explain it before describing
the insect which is our representative of the tribe to which it
belongs.

Some 2,300 years ago, there lived a certain Greek historian
named Ctesias, who was taken prisoner by Artaxerxes ISInemon
at the battle of Cunaxa, so celebrated for the retreat of Xeno-
phon's famous " Ten Thousand." Profiting by his honoured cap-
tivity of seventeen years, during which time he was the physician
of Artaxerxes, he wrote a history of Assyria and Persia, in which
he introduced accounts of sundrv remarkable animals. There

THE MANTICIIORA. 7

were ants, for example, as large as foxes, and, above all, there
was the Martichora, a Grecized form of the Persian word Mard-
khora, or Man-slayer. This Martichora, a portrait of which is
now before me, had the body of a lion, the head of a man, and
the tail of a scorpion, armed at the tip with a bunch of porcu-
pine's quills, which the Martichora used as missile weapons,
flinging them at its enemies by a jerk of its tail.

Although the beast's mouth was armed with three rows of
triangular teetli (evidently borrowed from the shark), the
armed tail formed its principal defence ; so that when hunters
caught a young Martichora, they bruised its tail between two
stones, so that it should never grow any more quills. Corrupted
— probably for the sake of euphony — into Mantichora, this
name was fancifully given to the present group of insects, in
consequence of their size, strength, and ferocity.

Mantichora mygnloides.

The species which has been selected for our example of tliis
family is the Mantichora (not Manticora, as it is generally, but
wrongly, spelled) mygaloides. It is a most extraordinary looking
Beetle, and may well puzzle entomologists as to the place which
it holds in the insect world. There is something about it that
shows its connection with the Tiger Beetles, whose terrible jaws
are absolutely exaggerated in the Mantichora. There is some-
thing about it that looks like a Carabus, or Ground Beetle, and
the general shape of the body bears such a curious resemblance
to that of the well-known Bird Spider of South America, that it

8 INSECTS ABROAD.

has received on that account the specilic name of mygaloicles,
i.e. like the Mygale.

Its colour is black and shining, and the creature has a singu-
larly menacing air, so that it well merits the fanciful name that
has been bestowed on it. Generally, the Tiger Beetles are fur-
nished with powerful wings, but the Mantichora is entirely
wingless, the elytra or wing-cases being soldered together, so
that the insect is unable to leave the ground.

The part of this Beetle which most strikes the eye is the head,
with its armature of crooked and most powerful jaws. In the
illustration the jaws are represented as they appear when open.
When they are closed, they cross each other nearly as far as do
the fingers of the clasped hands, so that a bite from one of these
formidable insects is no joke, even to a human being.

Most, if not all, of the Tiger Beetles have their jaws thus
crossing each other at the tips, — a provision, as I imagine, for
retaining in their grasp the insect prey on which they feed. In
this insect the jaws are not regularly curved, as is generally the
case with insects, but take a sharp and almost angular bend at
about one-third of their length from its base. The side of each
jaw, or mandible, as it is scientifically called, is strongly toothed
at the base, and altogether the insect possesses a prehensile appa-
ratus that has few parallels among its many kinsfolk.

The habits of the Mantichora are just those which might be
inferred from its appearance aud structure. It is swift of foot,
quick and active in general movements, and, living in the dry
sandy plains of Southern Africa, has a way of hiding beneath
stones from the fierce glare of the sunbeams, and of darting
C|uickly from its place of concealment when any creature passes
by on which it can pounce. The insect is represented of the
natural size.

This tribe, the Mantichorides, is separated from the Cicin-
delides on account of the structure of the fore-legs, which have
the tarsi similarly shaped in both sexes, aixl with cylindrical
joints. The present species was called by Thunberg Cicindela
ijigantea.

Anothek tribe of the Tiger Beetles is that which is called
Megacephalides, or Big-headed Tiger Beetles. In these, as the
name implies, the head is very large, so as to give the insects

ODOUli OF TIGEE BEETLES. 9

rather a clumsy look. Their legs are exceedingly long, and,
indeed, it is not easy to say whether the large head, or the long
and slender legs, first catch the eye. They are winged, Init their
wings are not nearly so long or so strong as those of our British
Tiger Beetles, so that they are more to be found on the earth
than in the air.

There is one species, indeed, Mcgaccpliala scpulchralis, a native
of Brazil, which appears never to take to the wing, but runs
very swiftly through the grass that grows on sandy soil in
the forests. Most of the Tiger Beetles have a similar habit,
and these insects are therefore often called by the popular name
of Sand-runners, or Sand Beetles. This species gives out a per-
fume which much resembles attar of roses, but which changes
after death to a very foetid and disagreeable odour. The reader
may perhaps remember that our common British Tiger Beetle
exhales a strong and pleasing scent like that of crushed verbena
plants, but happily, unlike the Brazilian insect, the odour does
not become unpleasant after death.

The accompanying illustration represents the largest of these
insects, a very giant
among its kin, drawn
of its natural size.
Its name is Mcga-
cephala Sencgalensis,
and, as the latter
word implies, is a >:
native of Senegal. ^ - ;;

As is often the case '' - "-" J!^ - '---_-_- -^ " -"-

with Tiger Beetles, Fig. 2.-MegacephalaSenegaleusis.

there is considerable

variation in colour. The thorax, however, is always green and
shining, and the elytra are always roughly punctated, i.e.
covered with tiny holes as if the point of a blunt needle had
been slightly pressed into the surface. There are very few
Beetles which are entirely without these punctures, whose use,
I believe, has never yet been ascertained or even conjectured ;
but in some species they assume a very decided importance, the
interior of each puncture being brightly coloured, while the
general surface is simply dull brown or black. We shall soon

10 INSECTS ARFvOAD.

see examples of these coloured punctures, none of which, as far
as I know, are to be found in our insects at home.

The colours of the elytra in this species are strangely variable,
some specimens being brown, some green, and some blue, the
two latter colours being often interchangeable in insects, whether
British or foreign. The head is always coloured like the thorax,
and the legs are pale yellow-brown.

The habits of some species of Megacephala are not only
terrestrial, but subterranean. There are in the tropical regions
sundry Beetles belonging to the same group as our common
Dor Beetle, wdiich make burrows in the ground under animal
refuse. Tliere is a Brazilian species of Megacephala, which has
an odd habit of taking possession of such burrows, and, like the
knights-errant of old, defending them against all comers. Gene-
rally it remains near the mouth of the hole, menacing all foes,
real or fancied, with its powerful jaws ; but, should it find itself
overmatched, it takes refuge at the bottom of the burrow. Even
then it does not abandon its combatant character ; for if a blade
of grass be pushed down the hole, the Beetle is sure to seize it
with its jaws, and hold on with such tenacity that it can be
drawn out of the hole, still clinging to the end of the grass-blade.

1 have often wondered whether insects are capable of retain-
ing their memory throughout their changes, so that a dragon-fly
on the wing can recollect its sub-aquatic existence, and the
butterfly, while sipping the sweet juice of flowers, remember its
caterpillar banquet on the cabbage-leaf. If such be the case,
we may readily understand how the Tiger Beetle comes to resort
to the earth-burrow. It is, in fact, a return to the habits of its
larva-hood.

All the Tiger Beetles live, when larva3, in burrows under a
loose soil, remaining with their sickle-like mandibles expanded
at the entrance, just like the jaws of a steel-trap, ready to seize
any passing insect and carry it down to the bottom of the
burrow, where it can be eaten in peace. And the mode of
action when attacked is exactly the same in both cases, for,
as all practical entomologists know, the recognised mode of
obtaining the larvse of Tiger Beetles without hurting them, is
by poking a straw or grass-blade into their burrows, and pull-
ing them out gently while they cling to the supposed enemy

LARV.-E OF TIGER BEETLKS. 11

by tlieir strong jaws. Field Crickets are taken in just the same
manner.

On Plate I. Fig. 1, is seen a very pretty Beetle which belongs
to the same tribe as the preceding insect. It has no popular
name, however well it may deserve one. but is known to ento-
mologists as Tetracha punctata.

It is a singularly beautiful insect, and, lovely as it is, to
describe it is no easy matter.

Many of these Tiger Beetles are coloured in such a manner
that it is utterly impossible to define their leading hue. It all
depends on the direction of the light, and in many cases, as in
the present instance, the real ground hue of the insect is a matter
of considerable doubt. The chameleon is nothing to the Tiger
Beetle. I have made plenty of experiments on both creatures,
and come to the conclusion that all the ground colour of a
chameleon may be defined; that of many a Tiger Beetle defies all
definition. And the more pains that are taken, the more tlie
microscope is set to work, the less defined is the ground colour.

In the present species there are only two points of colour
which may be considered as fixed. One is a yellow patch at the
end of the elytra, and the other is the yellowness of the legs and
antennae. As to the upper surface of the body, it may be said
to be almost any colour. I have tried these Beetles in various
lights, and have ascertained that the leading colour is blue, fiery
crimson, green, or bronze, exactly as the light happens to fall
upon the insect, not to mention the intermediate colours of
purple and violet which ripple over the surface as the light is
shifted. As the name implies, the elytra are deeply and boldly
punctured. The insect is found along the banks of the great
Amazon river.

At Fig. 2 of the same illustration is given the larva of this
Beetle, for the purpose of showing the peculiar apparatus by
which it is able to travel up and down the perpendicular tunnel
in which it lives, and to maintain its place at the mouth of its
burrow without fatigue.

On the back may be seen a bold hump-like process, and on
the hump are two small but strong horny hooks, set upon the
eighth ring of the body, counting from the head. These hooks
are boldly curved backwards, and it is chiefly by their help

12 INSECTS ABROAD.

that the larva is able to scuttle up and down its tunnel
with such rapidity. I never had the opportunity of seeing the
larvae of these exotic Tiger Beetles alive ; but if their habits
resemble those of our British species as much as their forms,
there can be no difficulty in understanding the mode of their
existence.

Perhaps some of my readers may be, or may have been,
mighty bird-nesters, and been forced to climb trees which ran
to some thirty or forty feet without a branch, and were far too
large to be clasped by the arms and legs. Boys cannot carry
ladders about with them, and the tree is absolutely inaccessible
by ordinary means. But there is a hawk's nest on the topmost
branches of the tree, and it is clearly impossible to allow the
eggs to be hatched without paying a fair toll to the discoverer
of the nest. So, out come the " climbing spurs," iron stirrups
strapped to the foot, and having on the inside of each foot a
i^harp hook, with point downwards. A long withy is now cut —
or in default of the withy a stout piece of iron wire will do —
and is passed round the tree-trunk. The nest-hunter takes the
ends of the withy in his hands, raising the loop as high as he
can, and then jumps at the tree, supporting his body by the
withy, and driving his climbing-irons well into the bark. By a
judicious shifting of feet, the young climber very soon finds
himself among the branches, where his spurs are worse than
useless, and he hangs them on a branch while he goes after
the eggs.

Now, except that the Tiger Beetle grub has to climb the inside
of a cylinder instead of the outside, the mode of climbing is
exactly the same. The larva stretches its body so as to raise
itself as high as possible, and slightly bends its back, so that
the points of the hooks hitch into the side of the tunnel. It
then contracts its body, so as to haul itself up, and so, by re-
peating the process, rapidly reaches the mouth of the burrow.
When there, the hooks which raised it serve to keep it in posi-
tion ; and when it wishes to descend, it has only to unhitch the
hooks and straighten the body, when it slides down by its own
weight. The larva seen in the illustration is drawn from a
specimen in the British Museum.

Mr. W. Bates, in his " Naturalist on the Amazons," doseribes
sundry species of Tetracha, and gives miu'h cui'ious and valu-

COLOUR OF INSECTS. 13

alile infovmation as to their habits, mode of life, and variety
of colouring : —

" On the sandy beach I found two species of Tetracha, a
genus of Tiger Beetles, which liave remarkably large heads, and
are found only in hot climates. They come forth at night, in
the daytime remaining hid in their burrows several inches dee]>
in the light soiL Their powers of running exceed everything I
witnessed in this style of insect locomntion. They run in a
serpentine course over the smooth sand, and when closely pur-
sued by the fingers in the endeavour to seize them, are apt to turn
suddenly back, and thus baffle the most practised hand and eye.

" I afterwards became much interested in these insects on
several accounts, one of which was that they afforded an illus-
tration of a curious problem in natural history. One of the
Caripi species {Tetracha nodiirna of Dejean) was of a pallid
Imc, like the sand over which it ran ; the other was a brilliant
copper-coloured kind {Tdrarlm iiaXlipca of King). IMany insects
whose abode is the sandy beaches are white in colour ; I found
a large earwig and a mole cricket of this hue very common in
these localities.

" Now, it has been often said, when insects, lizards, snakes,
and other animals are coloured so as to resemble the objects on
which they live, that such is a provision of Nature, the assimila-
tion of colours being given in order to conceal tl^e creatures
from the keen eyes of insectivorous birds and other animals.
This is no doubt the right view, but some authors have a diffi-
culty in the explanation on account of the assimilation of colours
being exhibited by some kinds and not by others living in com-
pany with them ; the dress of some species being in striking
contrast to the colours of their dwelling-place.

"One of our Tetrachas is coloured to resemVtle the sand,
wliilst its sister species is a conspicuous object on the sand ; th(>.
white species, it maybe mentioned, being much more swift of
foot than the copper-coloured one. The margins of these sandy
beaclies are frequented throughout the fine season by Hocks of
sandpipers, who search for insects on moonlit nights as well as
by day. If one species of insect obtains immunity from their
onslaughts by its deceptive resemblance to the sandy surface
on which it runs, why is not its sister species endowed in the
same way ?

14 INSECTS ABROAD.

" The answer is, that the dark-coloured kind has means of
protection of quite a different nature, and therefore does not
need the peculiar mode of disguise enjoyed by its companion.
When handled it emits a strong, offensive, putrid, and musky
odour, a property which the pale kind does not exhibit. Thus
we see that the fact of some species not exhibiting the sanio
adaptation of colours to dwelling-places as their companion
S]:)ecies, does not throw doubt on the explanation given of the
adaptation, but is rather confirmatory of it:'

The problem which Mr. Bates endeavours thus partially to
solve is a very curious and interesting one, and certainly is not
settled by Mr. Bates's explanation. Were it true that all these
insects were protected in one way or another, none of them would
ever be eaten by other creatures. It is perfectly true that many
insects are coloured so as to resemble the spots wherein they
hide, and therefore escape the observation of birds and other
insect-eaters. Some, again, resemble in shape as well as in
colour the vegetation on which they live, such as tlie well-
known caterpillars of the Geometry, or Loopers, which so exactly
resemble twigs that none but an entomologist could detect
them. So far so good, but, I think, no further. I am inclined
to demur to Mr. Bates's theory of the protection afforded by the
evil odour of which he writes, and for this reason. Odours are
grateful or the reverse according to the constitution of the
smeller. For example, even in our own sense the apprecia-
tion of odours varies extremely. The close, filthy, foetid atmo-
sphere of an Irish cabin, which almost chokes an average
Englishman, is like the breath of Paradise to the peasant
owner. Put him in a large, clean, bright room, and he will
complain of the cold, and make for himself a cabin in one
corner, where he can be dirty and warm. Then, our nostrils
are generally offended at the smell of rancid grease and un-
washed humanity, which to a Kaffir are delightful as the
perfume of the rose. To us, the stench of a putrefying animal
is inexpressibly odious, and even hurtful, while to the vultures,
and to whole tribes of insects, it is the delight of their lives.
Therefore, though the odour of these highly-coloured, sand-
loving Tiger Beetles be very detestable to human nostrils, it
does not follow that it should be equally unpleasant to insect-
eating birds.

THE GOLD CROSS. 15

jVrost of tlie dusky Beetles wliich Mr. Bates mentions have
been formed into a separate genus called Phoeoxautha. This
term is formed from two Greek words, the former signifying
dusky, and the latter yellow. The largest of them is called
Phccoxantha Khigii, and is a curious-looking creature, quite
unlike our English Tiger Beetles, except in the long, slender
legs, and the sharp, sickle-like jaws with which the large head
is armed. The general colour is dull, pale, yellowish brown,
barred with a blacker hue. If this insect were running on
ordinary sand, it would be difficult to track its progress, in
consequence of the sandy colouring of its body, while, if it
remained still, it would be almost impossible to distinguish
the body amid the yellow sand and brown stones with which
it would be surrounded.

There is a very small species of this genus, Phwoxantha
laviinnta, which is found in Brazil. It is almost nniformly
pale brown, and the hooks which arm tlie back of the larva are
exceedingly long, stout, and boldly curved.

We now come to the typical tribe of this beautii'ul and
interesting group of
Beetles called Cicin-

(lelides, which arc , , , ^^^_^ _ _

distinguished by the - Xj,.^^^ Mtmml^K .^0^ — -«;

structure of the tar-
sus, or foot. In all
these Beetles the

males have the three Fio. Z.-GoXA Cvvs^iCiclnddaanrofasdata).

first joints of the tar-
sus widened and flattened, while the corresponding joints of tlie
female are uniformly cylindrical. There are so many species
of Cicindelides, that we must content ourselves with a selec-
tion of one or two examples, the first of which is the Gold
Cross {Ckindcla aurofasciata) of India, one of the most striking,
though by no means the most brilliant of the group. This very
remarkable Beetle forms quite a type among its relatives, as in
all of them there is a tendency to form a light-coloured cross on
a dark ground, and in all, more or less, this cross is made by a
V-shaped mark upon each of the elytra.

Such is the case with the present insect. The general hue of

16 INSECTS ABROAD.

the body is deep velvety black, and upon each of the wing-
cases there is a V-shaped mark of golden yellow ; the apex
of the V being towards the suture of the elytra, so that the
two V's form a St. Andrew's cross of yellow on a black
ground. As a rule, the lower limbs of this cross are twice as
wide as the upper, but there is a wonderful amount of variety
in the cross-mark, not only in width, but in shape and
colour. I have examined many specimens of this insect, and
never found two which were exactly alike in the hue and
form of their markings.

Perhaps the most variable of all the Tiger Beetles is that
lovely insect the Chinese Tiger Beetle {Gicindela Sinensis — or,
as it is sometimes but wrongly spelled, Chincnsis). Owing to
its extreme variableness, it is not an easy insect to describe, and
it is a remarkable fact that certain recognisable varieties are
found in different districts of China, so that the boundaries of
such districts cannot be merely arbitrary, but must have some
geographical foundation. As it is so variable, I have selected
an average specimen from my collection, and describe it as an
example of the ordinary colouring.

Just as in our common Tiger Beetles green is the leading
colour, so blue takes the chief part in the Chinese Tiger Beetle.
The ground hue of the elytra is deep, velvet azure, and they are
edged with glittering golden yellow, which spreads over the
shoulders so as to form a bold cross. Two bands of rich cream
colour cross each elytra, near the tip, and there are two little
spots of the same colour near the outer edge.

Under successive powers of the microscope a wonderful sight
is revealed. On placing the insect under a moderate power —
say about thirty diameters — the whole of the surface is seen to
be broken up into innumerable shining points, all of which have
a golden sheen when the direction of the light is changed.
Those portions which are not touched favourably by the light
look absolutely brown, and it is most interesting to shift the
light in various directions, and see the dark brown spots flash
suddenly into violet, purple, green, and gold, and change back
again to their dull brown, according as the angle of light is
altered.

I)oul»ling the magnifying power adds to the revelation of this

coLori!. 17

insect's beaiity, and shows that the glittering points are the
edges of inmnnerable pits or depressions with which the entire
surface is covered. It is not, however, nntil a power of some
two hundred diameters is employed that the real nature of these
])oints and the cause of their changeful beauty are shown. Not
in the minutest spot is there a smooth portion, but the elytron is
completely covered with an elaborate series of six-sided pits or
shallow cells. In fact, when viewed with a high power and
a favourable light, the upper surface of the elytron looks very
much like a honeycomb, the cells with which it is covered being
perfectly hexagonal. The sides, however, of the cells are not
equal as in the honeycomb, but two opposite sides are twice the
length of the others, so as to elongate the cells without altering
their hexagonal form. The shape of the cells is best seen in the
creamy spots, as the dazzling blue and green of the other parts
rather distract the eye.

Each of these cells has its surface furnished with countless
dented lines set parallel to each other, and producing, by
means of t]ieir power of decomposing the light, the Avonderful
effects of colour which have been mentioned. The gorgeous
metallic plumage of the hunmiing-bird's breast owes its splen-
dour to a similar cause, and so does the changeful purple of our
" Purple Emperor" Butterfly. The opal and the pearl also owe
their colours to this system of parallel lines, which can now be
produced artificially on almost any substance. Delicate parallel
lines can l>e ruled on steel or glass, giving to them a flickering
brilliance of colour that seems quite foreign to the material,
which, indeed, appears to be of secondary importance. As
long as the lines are there, the material seems to be of little
consequence ; and if a piece of soft cobbler's wax be pressed on
the ruled glass or steel, the lovely iridescence will at once be
evident on its surface, despite the a]iparent incongruity of the
dull black material and the splendid colours Mdiich play over it.

Such are some of the revelations of the microscope with
regard to the colouring of the velvet-like surface of the elytra.
Now, to the unaided eye, the vivid green and azure of the head
are much more brilliant than the same hues in the elytra, while
they are not so bright when placed under the microscope. The
reason is this. The surface of the head is covered with a double
series of wrinkled folds, which are so large that they can be
c

18 INSECTS ABROAD.

detected by the eye alone, while the iiiuumerable cells of the
elytra cannot be seen without a microscope.

The arrangement of these folds or wrinkles is w^orth notice.
A lin© runs along the centre of the head, from wliicli the
wrinkles sweep in curves on either side, much like the lines of
hair parted in the middle. Thus much can be seen with the
naked eye ; but if the microscope be used, it will be seen that
each wrinkle is regularly and elaborately waved throughout its
length, thus, ^^-^-.^^^^^^ ; so adding to the richness of the effect.
Still taking the human hair as our illustration, the waved
structure of these wrinkles produces a similar effect to that
which is obtained by ladies when they crimp their hair by
artificial means.

I have already mentioned tliat the upper surface of this
magnificent insect is entirely covered with wrinkles or cells, so
as to give it a saiiny or velvety appearance. The violet under
surface is quite smooth, and looks like burnished metal, affording
a tine contrast to the softly brilliant hues of the upper surface.
The one dazzles and startles the eye, the other soothes and
satisfies it. The principle which is so perfectly carried out in
this insect is followed imperfectly by ourselves. Whe}i a draper
shows a piece of silk, satin, or velvet to a lady, he does not spread
it out flat, but gathers it into folds and artistic wrinkles.

The reason is evident enough. Supposing that a yard of silk
or satin be spread flat, there is a certain amount of colour, with
a tolerably uniform distribution of light and shade. But, let
three yards of the same material be gathered into the same
space, it is evident that three times the amount of colour is
obtained, while each fold gives different gradations of hue
according to the depth of shades. This is one of the many
instances where man unconsciously borrows from Nature, and
complacently thinks that he has invented something quite new.

Of the habits of this Beetle I know nothing by practical
experience, but the specimen which has been most imperfectly
described gives a curious proof that it must be quite as tierce as
our British Tiger Beetles. The jaws of this species are long,
sickle-sha,ped, deeply toothed on the inner edge, crossing each
other when closed, and very conspicuous from their shining yellow
colour. The jaws of this specimen are firmly closed, and hold in
tl)('ir griisj) lliG fore-leg of another I'eetle of the same species.

THE EIGIIT-SFOT TIGER BEETLE.

19

Two pieces of information are tluis given. The first is, tliat
the bold tootfi on the inner edge of the jaw njost eftectually
prevents the escape of any insect that may be seized. Let the
reader imagine a pair of siclvles, each having a sliarp tooth some
three inches long on the inner edge and about four inches from
the base. Suppose tlie liandles of the sickles to be joined at their
ends by a rivet on which tliey can play, and we shall have a
very tolerable imitation of the Tiger Beetle's jaws. The reader
will at once see that if the sickles are closed so as ^o bring the
handles together, the points will cross each other, and tlvji if tl'e
leg or arm of a man be clasped in them the two teeth will give
an additional hold, and, being nearer the base, will have a more
povv^erful leverage than coukl be given to the points alone, how-
ever sharp they may be. A familiar illustration 0/ this princdple
is afforded by the schoolboy in cracking a nut. He does not
place it between his front teetli, but as far back as he can, so as
to add as much as possible to the leverage.

The second piece of information is^ that the insect was not
killed as soon as caught, but was placed alive in coniinement
with others of its own kind. After the habits of such insects,
the fellow-piisoners set to lighting, and this particular specimen
succeeded in wrenching off the leg of its antagonist. The force
required for sucli an act is wonderfully great. There are many
insects that .shed their limbs without seeming any the worse for
it, but the Tiger Beetle is not one of them. It is [)redacious, and
v.ants its legs for the purpose of chasing its prey. Consequently,
these linihs are ilrmly ,.. ^ _

jointed to the body, --.">- X, -*^-._ -, - -

and the insect must ***,.' v

have exerted very
great strength to tear
away the entire limb
as it has done.

-^^idi

Fia. 4— Eight-spot Ti^'er Beetle. (C
(Dlue-gveen and yolh

iiiilc'a uctoHutata.)
V.)

Another lovely
species is the Eight-
spot of India (Clcln-
dcla octoRotafa), which is shown in the accompanying illustration.
The colours of this most beautiful insect are much the same as
those of the Chinese species, but their arrangement is more
c 2

20 INSECTS ABROAD.

decided and very different. The ground colour of the elytra is
the deepest and richest velvet-blue, edged with emerald green
over which plays a golden glitter. The thorax is golden bronze
at the edges, while the centre is metallic red or bronze, shot
with green. The head is coloured like the thorax, and the
spots are golden yellow. The legs of this species are very long,
slender, and give a sort of spidery look to the creature.

On Plate I., Fig. 3, is shown a very conspicuous example ot
the exotic Tiger Beetle. Its scientific name is Calochroa 2)7'in-
ceps, but we may safely call it the Belted Tiger Beetle, on
account of the three bold bars or belts which run across the
body. The ground colour of the insect is velvet-black, and the
bars are bright. "king's yellow," as a painter would term them.
It is a native of India. There are nine species of this genus at
present known, and all of them are remarkable for their very
long and very slender legs, which give to the insects a spidery
sort of look. The name Calochroa is formed from two Greek
words, signifying " beautifully coloured," and is very appropriate,
as the colours of the insect, though not so vivid and rich as
those of the Chinese Tiger Beetle, are very striking, and con-
trasted in an exceedingly bold manner.

In all these Beetles the tendency in the markings to form a
cross is very notable, and much more so M-hen the wings are
closed than wlien they are spread as if in flight.

The pretty Beetle which is shown in the accompanying illus-
tration is one of a group which has rather peculiar habits. ^h\
Bates, M'ho allowed few insects to escape his notice, makes the
following remarks on these Beetles : —

"A variety of beautiful insects basked on the foliage where
stray gleams of sunlight glanced tlirough the canopy of broad
green leaves. jSTumbers of an elegant, long-legged Tiger Beetle
fOdontocheila) ran and flew over the herbage. It belongs to a
sub-genus peculiar to the warmest parts of America, the species
of which are found only in the shade of the forest, and are seen
quite as frequently pursuing their way on trees and heibage as
on the ground.

"The typical Tiger Beetle, or Cicindola, inhabits only open
and snnny situations, and are wholly terrestrial in tliiMr lialiits.

SOUTH AMEJUCAN TIGEK BEETLES. 21

They are the sole forms of the family which occur in the
northern and central parts of Europe and North America. In
the Amazons region the shade-loving and semi-arboreal Odoiito-
cheiloe outnumber in species the Cicindelfe as twenty-two to six.
All but one of this number are exclusively peculiar to the
Amazonian forests, and this affords another proof of the adapta-
tion of the fauna to a forest-clad country, pointing to a long and
uninterrupted existence of land covered by forests on this part
of the earth's surface."

Excepting that these South American species prefer the foliage
to the ground, their habits
are much the same as those '''^^^

of the ordinary Tiger Beetles.
They prey upon other insects, ,,.--=--
and are able to catch even the
swift-winged f ies by pouncing
on them as they settle on the
leaves. 1 have seen the com- ^

mon green shore-crab catch _ _ .

bees and flies in a similar fio. 5.— odontocheiia de GantUi.

manner, watching them as tliey ^^""^^°'^ ^'*^ ^'"'"^ '^'''''- > .

alight on the sand, and flinging itself on them before they
could re-open their just-furled wings.

The name Odontocheiia is formed from two Greek words
signifying " toothed lip," and is given to this genus in conse-
quence of the form of the upper lip, which is rather long and
toothed.

The colour of this insect is very conspicuous. Most of the
species are green, blue, or brown, but this little Beetle is shining
metallic crimson bronzed with green, so that it blazes out like a
red star amidst its duller companions. There is a small S-bke
white mark on the elytra.

"We now come to a most extraordinary group of Tiger Beetles
called Collyridge, in which the whole body is elongated, and the
head and thorax are drawn out into a definite neck.

One of these Beetles, named Therates Idbiata, is a native
of the Ke Islands, in the Malay Archipelago. Its colour is
deep purple-black glossed with green, and its "labium" crupper
lip is very conspicuous, being broad, and of a bright yellow

22 INSECTS ABROAD.

colour. It is owing to this peculiarity of the labium that the
insect has gained the specific name of lahiata.

Its habits are rather peculiar. Unlike our own Tiger Beetles,
wliicli are notable for their love of l)right sunny spots, this
Therates, though in the climate of the Ke Inlands it might have
as much sunshine as it liked, prefers damp and gloomy situa-
tions. Yet, even in these localities it dis2:)lay,3 the "well-knovrn
characteristics of the Tiger Beetle, running and flying restlessly
from spol", to spot with a fussy eagerness, and evidently on the
look-out for prey as it darts from leaf to leaf, and then cpiickly
scurries over the bioad foliage.

As is the case with our common ]\Iu^,k Eec-tle, its presence
may be detected by the nostril before the eye con take cogni-
sance of it. It gives out a powerful and plea?ont odour some-
thing like that of roses, which Mr. "Wallace conjecivures to be used
for the purpose of decoying the insects on which it fesds. I very
much doubt, however, whether this can be th.e case. I have
already shown that odours which are disagreeable to us are not
necessarily so to other beings, and therefore that we ought not
to assume that they are used for the purpose of protection. By
parity of reasoning, though an odour may be grateful to u<=;, it
does not follow that it should be equally grateful to other
beings ; and I therefore find much difficulty in believing tliat one
Beetle repels its foes by an odour which is disagreeable to man,
and that another attracts its prey by an odour which is pleasant
to him.

INIr. Wallace, to whom I am indebted for the foregoing infor-
mation, remarks that in the forests- of the K4 Islands, this and
anotlier Tiger Beetle, Tvkomlijla aptera, which will be presently
described, were the only two common and conspicuous insects.
The name Therates is a Greek word signifying " a hunter," and is
very appropriately given to these quick, active Beetles, which
apparently spend their whole time in the chase.

It is rather remarkable that the only two common insects in
the forest should be not only Tiger Beetles, but even belong to
the same family, the Collyrida?. The name of the se.^ond species
is Tricondyla aptera, and, according to M\: AVallace's descrip-
tion, it looks vdien alive very much like a large bkok ant, about'
an inch in length. At first sight it appears to be quits black.

V

THE TIUCONDYLA. 23

but a closer inspectiou shows that the black is, in fact, a very
deep purple.

It has no whigs, as indeed is implied by its name " aptera," i.e.
wingless, but its swiftness and quickness of foot compensate for
its inability to fly. It is mostly found on trees, but it seems to
prefer the trunks and branches to the foliage. Like our commou
creeper, the squirrel, and other tree-loving creatures, the Tri-
condyla has a habit of dodging behind the branches when
approached, and, if the intending captor goes round the tree, the
Tricondyla goes round also, and is so adroit in keeping the tree
between itself and its enemy, that it can only be captured by a
sudden run and quick snatch of tlie fingers. Like most of its
kin, the Tricondyla emits a strong odour, which is, however, not
at all pleasant, but bears some resemblance to the well-known
and very repulsive odour of the cockroach.

A very good example of these curious Tiger Beetles is given in
the accompanying illus-
tration, which lepresents ^^ -^-s X^
Colbjris acrolia, an ex-
ample of the typical

genus. "*-^^^^t '^ "^'^^^551*^ "^

Its colour is the deep- ^^^^^V -^ " ^'V^ — T ^^
est indigo, so deep that
at first sight it looks
black, just like the
colour of our familiar
Oil Beetle. The long
thorax of this insect is boldly curved, and is globular in
the middle. The creature has no wings, and the elytra are
firmly soldered together to the very end of the body, as is often
the case with wingless Beetles. The name Collyris refers to
this structure, being composed of two Greek words signifpng
"glued tail."

There are many species of Collyris, all very much alike in
colour and general form, and all having the otherwise small
head boldly developed on either side, so as to leave room for the
large and prom^'nent eyes.

This is the last of the Tiger Beetles of which description
can be given. They are, however, so numerous and so important

?^, - -

24 INSECTS ABROAD.

that they must not be dismissed without a few jjarting
words.

On a review of British and foreign insects, we cannot but be
struck with some remarkable phenomena. It might naturally
be expected that the insects of tropical climates very far sur-
pass in number and beauty those which inhabit the temperate
zones. And, in comparing the insects of a tiny island like
England with those of the vast tract which lies within the
tropical belt, it is but natural to suppose that the disproportion
of territory would be represented by an equal disproportion in
the number, size, and beauty of the insect tribes. In a certain
degree this theory is carried out by fact, but there are cases
where it entirely fails, as we shall presently see. With the
Tiger Beetles, however, the increase in the number of species is
commensurate with the area of surface. In England we have
but seven species of Tiger Beetle, all belonging to the typical
genus, Cicindela. Several of them are very rare, and the most
plentiful species, common though it may be, is seldom seen
except by professed entomologists, who know where to look
for it.

The reason is evident enough. Agriculture does not agree
with the Tiger Beetle, and, when cultivation comes in, the
Beetle goes out. There is no help for it, and the consequence
is, that in places where the lovely beetles used to flash their
blue and green armour in the sunbeams, like living sapphires
and emeralds, as long as the land remained uncultivated, not a
single specimen can now be seen, and the Tiger Beetle has been
forced ignominiously to resign its place to the turnip- fly and
the cabbage caterpillar.

No Tiger Beetle can exist in cultivated ground. They all
love loose sandy soils, in which their burrows can be made
without the likelihood of disturbance. Some prefer the sea-
shore, and others the sandy, sheltered banks of inland districts.
But in no case does a Tiger Beetle larva make its burrow in
cultivated land. Its instinct teaches it to avoid such localities ;
and, if any adventurous individual did choose a garden or a corn-
field, it would have no chance of attaining maturity, inasmuch .
as its burrow would be repeatedly filled up by the gardener or
the labourer, and the insect starved before it could get its tunnel

USE OF THE TIGEK BEETLES. 25

into workiug- order. All carnivorous creatures require a con-
stant supply of nourishment. The internal fire fed by animal
i'uel burns fast and fiercely, so that a Tiger Beetle larva would
die of hunger through a temporary deprivation of food which
would little affect the turnip grub or the cabbage caterpillar.

Then, Tiger Beetles cannot exist in cold countries, because
they could not obtain the needful supply of insect food. But
\\ hen, as in the great tropical belts of. the world, they find vast
tracts of uncultivated land swarming with insect life, it is
evident tliat all the surroundings are favourable to their de-
velopment, and that therefore they may be expected to increase
and multiply to the very utmost.

Their mission is evidently twofold. As carnivorous insects,
tliey form part of the "balance-wheel" of creation which has
already been mentioned ; and, as burrowing larvtie, they aid in
developing the power of the soil. Not only do they drill the
surface of the earth '\\ith their perpendicular tunnels, thus
admitting the light, air, and moisture on which the fertility of
the soil so much depends, but they leave at tlie bottom of the
burrows the rejected portions of the insects which they liave
slain and eaten, together with the whole of their own refuse,
and therefore manure as well as lighten the ground. In culti-
vated land both these duties are performed by human labour,
and the spade, the fork, and the plough do the work which was
formerly left to the Tiger Beetles. The work being done, the
Beetles are needless, and so perish from off a soil on which they
have no duties to perform.

Though the indirect services which they render to man are
thus evident, their direct services have scarcely been acknow-
ledged. Yet there is at least one species which is used by man,
though its use is very limited. This is a ]\f exicau species called
Cicindela curvata, which has a way of burrowing in moist sand.
The natives have an idea that, like the Cantharis, or " Spanish
fiy," with which we are all familiar, it possesses medicinal
properties, and so they prepare an infusion of the Beetles either
in water or spirits. I am n>ot aware that any other species of
Tiger Beetle has lieen in any way utilized by man.

On seeing a fair collection of these insects, the most super-
ficial observer must be struck with their marvellous beauty of
form and colour. Even when placed in formal rows in a

20 INSECTS ABROAD.

cabinet, and disfigured by the graceless and lifeless attitudes in
which entomologists will persist in setting all insects, without
the least reference to their habits when living, they never fail
to command attention even from those who know nothing
of insects.

Excepting the dull-colonred Pha^oxanthas, which have already
been mentioned, the Tiger Beetles seem to concentrate in them-
selves every beauty of the insect race. Their colours are so
brilliant as almost to pain the human eye. Flashes of the most
resplendent azure, crimson, gold, emerald, purple, and every shade
of every colour, meet the eye as it glances over the insects, and
one which is not quite so dazzling as the others gives quite a
sense of repose. There is, for example, one species, a native of
Madagascar, which would when taken by itself command admi-
ration. Its name is Earymorplm cyanvpes, and its colour is to
the naked eye deep, dull green, except on the thorax, which is
covered with a quantity of long snowy white hair. It is
rather remarkable, on looking over the collection in the British
Museum, how the eye finds itself instinctively resting on this
insect, the cool green and white giving a feeling of repose to the
sense of sight, whicli becomes absolutely fatigued with the gor-
geous hues which meet it on every side.

Should any of my readers be a classical scholar and not an
entomologist, he will probably be much surprised, and a little
scandalized, that the name of Cicindela is applied to these
Beetles. If we t'lrn to the old classic authors, we shall find
that the word Cicinrlela was originally used as the name of the
glow-worm, and was probably applied to any luminous insect.
Unfortunately, the earlier entomologists, when they first began
their formidable task of classifying the insect tribes, fell into
various errors regarding the relationships of the different
groups.

One of these mistakes was made by Linnaeus, who considered
the glow-worm to be related to the Blister Beetle, and so gave
it the name of Cantharis, while to the Tiger Beetles he applied
the name of Cicindela, which by right belongs to the glow-
worm. Subsequently he corrected several such errors, but
persisted in retaining the name of Cicindela for the Tiger
lieetles, and the result has been that, entomologicallv, the name

NOMEXCLATURK. 27

of Cicindela is now applied to the Tiger Beetle, and that of
T-ampyris to the glow-M'orm.

As to the arrangement of this large and important group of
insects, there have been, and are still, many conflicting opinions.
Some entomologists divide them into a number of distinct
families, while others gather them all into one family under
the common name of Cicindelidfc, but subdivide that rather
anwieldy family inio a number of tilbes. I certainly think
that the latter plan is the most in accordance with zoological
fact, and I have therefore followed it in this work.

CHAPTEE III.

GROUND BEETLES, OR C ARAB ID M

This great family of Beetles is quite equal in importance to the
preceding, but in one point of view it presents a curious contrast
to the Cicindelidse.

In England we possess but very few Tiger Beetles, none of
them being brilliantly coloured, whereas the exotic Tiger Beetles
outnumber ours by some twenty times, and exhibit a brilliancy
and variety of colouring which none of the English varieties
possess. Our seven little soberly-clad species look very insig-
nificant beside the array of exotic Cicindelidse, with all their
flashing suits of azure, green, gold, and crimson. But when we
come to the Carabidse, the case is nearly reversed. None of the
tropical countries can produce any species that can surpass our
familiar violet Ground Beetle, and the handsomest of all the
foreign Carabidaj is one that is a comparatively near neighbour
of ours, being an inhabitant of Italy. Altogether, some three
thousand species are known to entomologists, so that we can
only select a few of the most conspicuous examples.

The first is called Procerus tmiricm, and lives, as its specific
name implies, on the banks of the Bosphorus. It is an example
of the genus to which belong the largest and handsomest speci-
mens of this family, and which have been separated from the
rest, not on account of their size, but on account of the structure
of their feet. In the generality of the Carabi, the joints of the
front tarsi are flattened and widened in the males, while they
are cylindrical in the females. The Beetles, however, of which
we are treating, have the joints cylindrical in both sexes, and
they are on that account grouped together in the genus called
Frocenis. This word is Greek, signifying " a herald," and is given

THE ADONIS BEETLE.

29

the Proceri because they are, so to speak, the herakis or fore-
runners of the true Carabi. The accent, by the way, is laid on
the second syllable, thus, Procerus.

This fine insect measures about two inches in length, and at
first sight looks rough and black. All specimens indeed are
black on the under surface, and some are black entirely. But
many, such as the specimen from which the drawing is taken,
are of the richest violet, with a tendency to purple, and a
greenish sheen round the edges of the thorax and elytra. The
whole of the upper surface is deeply and largely granulated
and punctured, this structure giving increased richness to the
splendid violet and purple with which it is adorned.

(Deep purple.)

It will be seen, on reference to the illustration, that the pro-
jecting tubercles which are formed of the granulations are
arranged in nearly regular longitudinal rows, as is the case with
several of our own Ground Beetles. This insect is spread over
the eastern and southern parts of Europe, the Caucasus, and
Asia Minor. It does not seem to flourish near the sea, and is
found in best condition on the mountainous districts.

We now take an example of the typical genus, the singularly
beautiful Carahns Adonis, an insect which well deserves its name.

30 INSECTS ABROAD.

beiiiw both elegant in shape and splendid in colour. IMoreover,
its cliief residence is Mount Parnassus. Indeed, so gorgeous is
the colouring, that it really looks like a tropical insect.

As is often the case with Ground Beetles, this insect is
exceedingly variable both in size and details of colour. Some
specimens_ are scarcely as large as our common violet Ground
Beetle, while others are fully twice as large. Then, the hues
with which the body is adorned are equally variable. Usually,
however, the middle of the body and elytra are deep black, which
melts almost imperceptibly into green bronze, becoming fiery
red along the edges of the thorax and elytra, the former of

Fia S.-Carabus Adorns.
(Bronze-green, red edges.)

which is much llatteued on the outer edges. In some specimens
the whole of the thorax is bronze.

There is, I believe, scarcely one species of Carabus which
does not develop colour of some kind, and such colours are
invariably deep and metallic, so deep, indeed, that unless ex-
amined closely and with a favourable light, they really seem to
be Idack, A good collection of Carabi is quite as splendid a
sight as one of Tiger Beetles^ and it is interesting to compare
the two families, and see how dirforcntlythe same coloiu's can
be developed. The very same hues of blue, gieen, gold, bronze,
violet, purple, and crimson, which are found in the Tiger
Beetles, are also found in the Cavabi, the ])vinoipal distinction
being, that in the fi)nner insects the colours all have a vel-
vety or satiny aspect, while in the latter they are shining like
polished metal.

ODOUR OF INSECTS. 31

All these insects are caruivorous, and possess the power of
emitting a very strong odour when handled or alarmed. This
odour is not sweet and flower-like, as is the case with most of
the Tiger Beetles, but is very fcetid, repulsive, and persistent, so
that it clings tightly to the lingers of an5^one who incauiiou>;ly
seizes a Carabus with the hand. If, however, the insect be
smartly grasped across the body, just as one picks up a live
lobster or crayfish, the fingers are quite safe, and tlie Beetle
may discharge its red-brown evil-smelling licj[Liid as much as
it pleast>s without injuring its cnptor.

All British entomologists ore familiar witii the splendid but
rare Beetle, the Calosoma sycophanta, with its glittering green
and gold elytra, and deep purple head and thorax. The larvte
of this genus of Beetles feed upon the larvse of other insects,
mostly those of social moths, and are wonderfully voracious, so
that if two of them happen to meet, one is sure to devour the
other. It is rather a remarkable fact, that of all the Caiosomas
our British Species is by far the most splendid. There is one
Australian species, Calosoma McLcayii, which has similar colours,
though not nearly so brilliant. As to the others, they aie no-
wlicre iu the race for Sjtlendour of colour, and look quite dull
and dingy beside the British s[)ecit'S.

There i^, howexcr, one exception nimely, Calosoma ludiciim,
which r'^quius a (|uu ic e\e to -.tf^ ih i( ii i^ an exception t^r tlie
Beetle appeals at hi-t '-ij.lit to be pi tin thocolatc ltlo^\n If we
louk at the British insect, \\e shall ste Miat among the distin-

32 INSECTS ABROAD.

gnisliing marks are three rows of deep punctures on each of tlie
elytra, the punctures being placed on the fourth, eighth, and
twelfth striae, or fine ridges, which run parallel to each other
along the whole length of the elytra. In this Beetle the jiunc-
tures, although their sides are polished and glittering, are of the
same hue as the rest of the elytra. There are similar punctures
in Calosoma Indicum, but the elytra are deep chocolate brown,
while the punctures are not only polished and glittering, but
shine with a golden lustre ; in fact, they look as if each punc-
ture had been lined with gold leaf, and then burnished to a
mirror-like brightness.

In some lights these punctures are not seen, and it is scarcely
possible with any arrangement of light to see the polished gold
on both sides at once. In order to show this peculiarity, the
artist has drawn the insect in such a manner that the glittering
points are visible on one side, but not on the other. When I
first saw these remarkable points, I thought that they must be
lined with separate scales, like those of the weevils, but tlie
magnifying glass soon showed that these punctures were simply
gold-coloured and burnished. The whole of the upper surface of
this Beetle is very finely granulated in distinct rows, the stripe,
or ridges, being broken up by innumerable transverse depres-
sions. As its name implies, this Beetle is a native of India.

The tribe of Cychrides comes next in order. In England we
have but one species of this family, namely, Cychrus rostratus,
a Beetle which looks so like a weevil that it is often mistaken
for one of these insects. All the Cychrides have their elytra
fused together, and the last joint of the labial and maxillary
palpi large, flat, triangular, and hollowed underneath. The jaws,
or mandibles, are strong, project boldly in front of the head, and
are toothed on their interior edges.

The most curious of these insects is Damaster Uaptoidcs, a
rare Japanese Beetle, which is here represented of its natural
size. In this genus the mandibles have only one tooth, and that
a large one, situated near the base. Each of the elytra is drawn
out to a point at the end, and as they gape a little at their tips,
the pointed ends are very conspicuous. Altogether, the Ijcetle
gives an idea of liaving been once a stout insect, but drawn out
when soft, so that it is feeble in comparison with its bulk.

A YALUABLl': CArTURE.

33

Its limbs, together ^vitll its mode of walking, strengthen the
idea ; for instead of being, as most of the Ground Beetles are,
quick, brisk, and active, it is slow and sluggish, crawling rather
than running, even when it finds itself in danger.

Fig. 10.— l>aiiia.stL'r iilapl
(Duin.laek.)

The following lively description of the capture of a Damaster
is taken from Mr. Fortune's " Visits to Japan and China." It is
part of a letter addressed from Dr. Adams to ]\Ir. Fortune : —

" I was walking solitarily — for all hands had gone on board
to dinner — along the shell-strewn strand of Taleu-Sima, a jolly
little island, not far from the shores of Niphon — walking along
in a brown study, smoking a little clay cutty-pipe, and thinking
chiefly of the contempt in which I should be held if some of my
'very particular' friends saw me in this very disreputable 'rig,'
for my neck was bare, and my coat was an old blue serge ; and
as for my hat, it was brown felt, and I must say ' a shocking bad
one.' However, the sun was bright, the clear blue rippling sea
w^as calm, the little island w^as clear and verdurous, and I
smoked serenely. On a sudden my abstract downward gaze
encountered a grotesque Coleopteron, in a suit of black, stalking
slowly and deliberately among the drift-wood at my feet — step-
ping cautiously over the spillacan twigs. At once I knew my
Coleopterous friend to be Damndc.r blcqdonles ; for although
D

34 INSECTS ABROAD.

my eyes are small, yet I have been assured by a young lady
friend of mine — sometimes irreverently called Polly — that they
are penetrating ; and my friend Adam White, when he warned
me not to forget my ' Carabs,' had sent me a rough outline of
the 'corpus' of Damaster. So I carefully lifted my unresisting
sable friend from his native soil, and after giving him a good
long stare, I deposited him in a bottle. From his name and
appearance I judge him to be cousin to Blaps, and I turned
over the rockwood for his brothers and other relations ; but
though Helops was there, Damaster was not. Puzzled, but
not baffled, I conceived his taste was more particular, so I
ascended the steep green sides of the island, and cast about
for rotten trees ; nor was I long in discovering a very pro-
mising stump, nicely decoyed, and full of holes enough to
captivate the heart of any Beetle. Being, however, fatigued
with my scansorial efforts, I sat down before the citadel of
Damaster, and assisted my deliberations by smoking a solemn
pipe. Having propitiated Nicotiana, and matured my plan of
operations, I commenced the work of destruction, when, lo !
among the vegetable debris I descried a long dusky leg, anon
two more, and then, buried among the ruins, the struggling
Damaster.

" In this manner was the rarest Beetle known captured by a
wandering disciple of ^sculapius and an eccentric Fellow of
the Linnaean Society."

The colour of this insect is dull, dead black, and, both in
general contour and in hue, it bears so great a resemblance to
the well-known Churchyard Beetles (Blaps), that the specific
name of hlaptoides, i.e. like the Blaps, has been giA^eu to it.
Since the above-mentioned letter was written, many other speci-
mens of this curious Beetle have been taken, so that it is not
now nearly so rare as it was then. Many more travellers visit
Japan than was the case, thirteen years ago, and the hal^its of
the insect are better known.

The second example of the Cychridse belongs to the typical
genus, and is named Cychrus vidua.

The shape of this Beetle is singularly elegant, as can be seen
from the illustration. It is a native of North America. Both
in shape and colour it presents a very decided contrast to its

UO.MBAlCDlEi; DEETLES. :]d

relative, the Damaster, fur its outlines are all gracelul, aud its
colour peculiarly intense. The hue of this Beetle is the deepest
purple-violet, the colour being almost painfully splendid in a
brilliant light. The thorax has more blue in it than the elytra,
which are deeply and rather coarsely granulated in longitudinal
lines, so as to add to the vividness of the purple.

On looking at this Beetle from above, it seems to be a very
bulky one ; but when viewed sideways, its body is seen to be
curiously flat, the depth --- ^,-v ^
being apparently quite
disproportionate to the
width. The object of this
structure is evidently to
enable the Beetle to creep
beneath stones, under
bark, and so to hide itself
where a stouter insect
could not enter. The spe- F'g- n--cychms vidua.

.7 • T i- (Deep purple.)

cmc name vidua is Latin

(the "vidder" of Mr. Weller), and has been given to the insect

on account of the very dark colour of its surface.

It has already been mentioned that the Carabidse have the
power of ejecting a noisome liquid when alarmed. Both from
the mouth and the tail proceeds this weapon of defence, and in
some of the species this latter liquid is so volatile, that wlien it
comes into contact with the air it explodes with a slight report,
leaving a cloud of thin smoke. This is specially the case with
the tribe of Brachinides, of which our little Bombardier Beetle
{Brachinus crepitans) is a familiar example. These Beetles are
very social, and it is said that at least a thousand have been
seen gathered under a single fiat stone near the river's brink.
On being disturbed they at once begin to eject the explosive
liquid, and a smart fusillade is kept up for some time.

I remember that at one time schoolboys were in the habit of
amusing themselves during the winter evenings by scattering
coarse grains of gunpowder very thinly along the bars of the
fire, and then waiting for them to explode singly. The little
explosions of the Bombardier Beetles are exceedingly like thosQ
of the grains of powder, and, like gunpowder used in w^ar, are
D 2

3G IXSECTS ABROAD.

inteuded to be employed against an enemy. The foe in question
is generally one of the larger Carabidse, which would soon
devour the small and helpless Brachinus w^ere it not deterred
by the repeated explosions and clouds of blue vapour that issue
from its expected prey.

The fluid and the apparatus which secretes it have been
carefully investigated by M. Leon Dufour. Like most internal
organs, the secreting apparatus is double, one on either side of
the abdomen. M. Dufour describes the organ as consisting of
two distinct portions, one being the "preparatory organ" in
which it is secreted,. and the other the "conservatory organ," in
which it is reserved until wanted. The actual secreting organs
are two slender fibres, which are in fact glands in their earliest
condition, and which open into the preparatory organ just
as the secreting organs of the bee or wasp open into the
poison-bag.

The preparatory organ of the Brachinus assumes two very
different aspects, according to its degree of contraction or ex-
pansion. When contracted, it is a soft, round, opaque, whitish
body, situated under the last rings of the abdomen. When
expanded, it becomes oblong, translucent, filled with air, and
occupying nearly the full length of the abdomen. The reservoir,
or conservatory organ, does not alter its shape, but is always
small, globular, reddish-brown, tough in texture, hollow in the
inside, and placed within the last ring of the abdomen. Both
sexes possess this apparatus.

As to the fluid itself, it is capable of staining the human skin
black, and that so deeply that the stain remains for several
days. Mr. Westwood, in his " Modern Classification of Insects,"
gives the following anecdote, which was narrated to him by the
celebrated African traveller, Burchell : —

" While resting for the night on the bank of one of the large
South American rivers, lie went out with a lantern to make an
astronomical observation, accompanied by one of his black
servant boys ; and, as th.ey Avere proceeding, their attention was
directed to numerous Beetles running about upon the shore,
which, when captured, proved to be specimens of a large
species of Brachinus. On being seized, they immediately began
to play off their artillery, burning and staining the flesh to such
a degree that only a few specimens could be captured with the

THE EXPLOSIVE LIQUID.

?.7

naked Land, leaving a mark which remained for a considerable
time. Upon observing the whitish vapour with which the ex-
plosions were accompanied, the negro exclaimed in his broken
English, with evident surprise, 'Ah! Massa, they make smoke.'"

The explosive fluid is soluble both in water and alcohol, and
after repeated explosions deposits a sort of dust on the elytra.
The interior of the reservoir is coated with the same dusty
deposit.

The name Brachinidse is derived from a Greek word signify-
ing " short," and was given to these Beetles because most, though
not all, of them have their bodies shortened and almost squared
behind, as if tliey had been cut off abruptly with a knife or
chisel.

Fig. 12.— Pterosophus comjilanatus.
(Dark blue with yellow marks.)

Bmcliinus Sinensis.
(Brown with green gloss.)

In the accompanying illustration the left-hand figure repre-
sents the Ptcrosophus comj^lanatus of India. It is a very pretty
creature, and in its general outline and the arrangement of its
colours really exhibits a curious similitude to tlie well-known
Asparagus Beetle of this country. The ground colour of the
elytra is dark, shining, violet-blue, and the patches upon them
are yellow, as is the thorax. Tlie shortened form of the elytra
is shown very plainly in this insect.

On the right hand of the same illustration is one of the largest
of the true Brachini ; namely, the Chinese Bombardier Beetle
{Brachinus Sinensis). This insect really looks quite a giant
among its kinsfolk ; and if it be able to eject a corresponding
quantity of the volatile fluid, it must be rather a formidable
antagonist to any insect foe.

As is the case with many other Beetle.^, the colouring of this
insect is rather variable. It may, however, be described as
follows. The general hue is brown, slightly glossed, however,

38

INSECTS ABROAD.

with green. Tliis latter colour does not extend to the legs,
which are entirely brown. The elytra are covered with bold
parallel ridges, an arrangement which gives the green gloss a
wider play than if the surface were entirely smooth.

The tribe Lebiadas comes next in order, and we will take but
one foreign example of it. This is Agra Megcera, which is
represented in the accompanying illustration. The Beetles
belonging to this genus have the last joint of the labial palpi
very broad, flattish, and axe-shaped. The body is much elon-
gated, and the head is narrowed behind. The name Agra is

Greek, and signifies hunting,
or the chase, in allusion to
the predacious character of
these Beetles.

This is a very odd-looking
insect, its thorax alone being
nearly as long as the body,
and its head being also elon-
gated. The legs are elongated
in proportion to the body,
and so are the antennre. The
general colour is very dark
green, the elytra are squared
and deeply pitted, and the thorax is covered with wrinkles
interspersed, with large punctures. In this genus there is a
bold distinction between the two sets of palpi, the maxillary
palpi being simple and thread-like, while the labial palpi have
the last joint flat and axe-shaped. All the insects of this genus,
which is a tolerably large one, are natives of South America.

The habits of the Agree are rather remarkable. They are tree-
lovers, sitting motionless on the leaves, with their long fore-legs
and antennae stretched out in front of them. It is rather a
remarkable fact that the leaves on wliich tliey are most fre-
quently found are those which have been attacked by the leaf-
rolling caterpillars, the roll forming a convenient couch whereon
to sit.

They are very wary Beetles, and have that habit which is so
detested by entomologists ; namely, spying a foe at a distance,
and instantly dropping from the loaf to the gronud, where

Fig. 13.— Agra Megrera.
(Dark green.)

THK FIDDLER, OR MCtRMOLYCE. 39

tliey are safely liidden araoug the grass and other lierhago.
Although they use the grass as a city of refuge, they appear to
be very ill at ease among it, their long heads and necks coming
awkwardly in contact with the leaves among which they are
crawling.

Of these curious Beetles forty species are known, the largest
and Jiandsomest of wdiich is A(jra Moritrii, an insect whose
colour is rich metallic gold glossed with crimson. The whole
of the upper surface is deeply pitted, which gives additional
lichness to the colouring.

Among all the Insects Abroad, there is not one which at first
sight takes the attention more instantly than the strange-looking
creature wdiich is represented on Plate I. Fig. 4. No matter
how large, beautiful, or strange may be the other insects with
which it is placed, the eye at once fixes on this flat, leaf-like
creature, in spite of its comparatively dull hue. Like most of
the foreign insects, it has for some time borne no English popular
name. Eecently, however, it has been found in considerable
numbers near Penang, where it goes by the popular name of
Fiddler, on account,, of its singular form, which has some
resemblance to that of a flattened fiddle. Scientifically it is
termed Mormolycc phyllodcs, the meaning of wliich name will
presently be explained.

It is a native of Java and China, and is not very scarce,
lieing found, as might be surmised from its shape, under bark
and in similar localities. It lias well been said that Nature
never leaves a crevice but she makes something flat to creep
into it, and certainly the INIormolyce carries out this theory, for
it is so flat, that if the crevice be only vide enougli, its depUi
is of little consequence.

The actual body of this beetle, though long, is not very wide,
the width seeming to have been given to the elytra, or wing-
cases, and the edges of the thorax. The elytra are flattened in
the most extraordinary manner. They are scarcely thicker
than the paper on which this account is printed, and are of a
horny and translucent character, so that they permit the legs
to be seen through them. Indeed, so transparent are they, that
'if one of these beetles be held over a book printed in bold type,
and the light carefully adjusted, the cnpital letters can be read

40 INSECTS ABROAD.

througL tlio elytra, and the general shape of tlie sniall(;r letters
be made visible.

The colour of these elytra is dark red-brown. Their surface
is highly polished, like shining horn, and is covered with
rounded wavings like the marks left by the sea-ripple on tlie
sand. The general appearance and colour of these strange
elytra have been happily compared to the thin, flat, shining
gingerbread called "jumbles." The edges of tlie thorax are also
flattened, just as if they had been made of some soft substance
and then pinched, and they are furuislied with rather formidable-
looking teeth at the sides.

The legs and body are much blacker than the elytra, but tlie
blackness is evidently owing to the greater thickness, inasmuch
as the thorax, which is red-brown at the sides, wdiere it is thin,
is red-black in the middle, where it is thick. If the elytra be
separated, the wings can be seen snugly packed away between
them and the body, so that we may consider it to be among the
flying insects.

In consequence of its strange and almost eccentric shape,
systematic entomologists were for a time rather puzzled as to the
place which it ought to hold. Sorne wished to place it with
the genus Sphodrus, on account of the structure of the mouth
and the deep notch near the tip of the front tibiae. Some ranked
it with the Brachinidre, or Bombardier Beetles, because it cer-
tainly has, with the exception of the flattened elytra, a decided
resemblance to some of the genera of that family. Moreover, it
has similar habits to the Brachinidte, being always found hiding
under some substance that will exclude the light, just as our com-
mon British Bombardier Beetles are always found hiding under
stones. Some thought that it ought to come at the very head
of the Beetle tribes, even taking precedence of the Tiger Beetles.
However, the multitude of counsellors has found wisdom, and
by degrees the Mormolyce has settled down into the place which
it now occupies ; namely, tlie family of the Pericalides.

Although a large Beetle, it does not seem to be a strong one,
and, in spite of the saw-like edges of the thorax, its general
aspect conveys an impression of feebleness. The head, for
example, is small in proportion to the rest of the body, and is
very much elongated and slightly flattened ; the jaws nre in-
significant, and the legs give no indications of power. Indeed,

HABITAT OF THE MORMOLYCE. 41

the large and long antennae seem nearly as powerful as the legs,
and quite as capable of offence.

Like many of its kin, the Mormolyce is exceedingly variable
in point of size, some being an inch and a half longer and two-
tliirds of an inch wider than others. This perhaps does not
seem so very great a discrepancy on paj)er as it really is in
fact. A quarter of an inch makes a very great difference even
in a large insect. Just as an elephant of nine feet high towers
like a giant over his companion of eight feet, or a man of six
feet over one of five, so does a Beetle of an inch and a quarter
in length look gigantic when compared with one wliich only
measures an inch. It is for this reason that entomologists are
so very careful in measuring the dimensions of insects and their
several parts.

Mr. \V. L. Distant, during a recent visit to the British
Museum, communicated the following particulars of this insect
and its habits. Near Penang there are a number of very large
trees, on whose trunks gro\\^ large fungi, like the boleti that
grow on birch, oak, and ash in this country, and are used for
sundry domestic purposes. If one of these boleti be torn off,
the Mormolyce is generally found hiding between the fungus and
the bark, the crevice being so narrow that no one who was un-
acquainted with the insect would think that so large a creature
could find shelter there. It is much more active than might be
supposed from its appearance, and as soon as it is exposed to
the unwelcome light it runs off with such speed that a quick eye
and hand are needed for its capture.

Mr. J. C. Bo wring, who took many specimens of the Mormo-
lyce in 1860, tells me that both the larva and pupa are found
under the same fungus. The strangest part of this curious
insect's history is, that during its lifetime the fiat elytra are
quite soft, only attaining their hardness and stiffness after death.
He took the insect both in Java and Penang, and states that the
specimens of Mormolyce pliyllodes taken in Java were larger
than those of Penang. Theie are now in the British Museum
several specimens of the larva, pupa, and perfect insect, all
caught and presented by this gentleman.

Now let us pass to the name of this most singular insect.

The word Mormolyce is Greek, and generally sigiv"fies "a bob-
goblin." Literally, it is the ex.ict an;i^)gue of our " bugbear" —

42

INSECTS ABEOAD.

the word Mormo, or Mormon, bearing precisely tlie same signi-
fication as the old English Bugge, viz. some object of terror, and
the latter portion of the word signifying " a wolf." There is
certainly something very spectre-like and uncanny about the
look of this strange beetle, which looks as if it had been smashed
flat and in some strange way contrived to survive the accident
and to maintain life in its flattened condition.

The name phyllodcs is also Greek, and is taken from a word
signifying " a leaf." Indeed, anyone who is in the least conversant
with Insects Abroad must be struck with the singular resem-
blance in shape between the Mormolyce and the Leaf Insects,
although they belong to totally different orders, one ranking
among the Beetles and the other among the locusts and grass-
hoppei-s. Just as the leaf insects can sit among the foliage of a
tree and be scarcely distinguishable, even by practised eyes,
from the living leaves, so can the Mormolyce, which is one of
the groundlings, sit among the brown and withered leaves which
have fi^llen from the branches, and be equally indistinguishable
from them. AVhether these remarkable resemblances were in-
tended for the purpose of protection is very doubtful, but there
is no doubt that, ^\ilatever may be their object, they certainly

perform that office when-
ever the Beetle ventures
l^y day from the shelter
of the fungus-home in
-which it generally hides
itself during the hours of
sunshine. As, however, the
Beetle \eTj seldom does
so venture, its convenient
i-esemblance to a withered
leaf can scarcely be in-
tended for defence.

The tribe of the Siagoaides is represented l)y the insect which
is known by the name of Encdadus gigas.

This is a remarknbly fine and consi)icuous insect, of elegant
shape, and notable for the very broad collar which separates the
thick, broad \wm\ from IIk^ tliorax. Tlte colour of the insect
is very sliini ng l)lack, and the elytra are covered with bold,

DEFECTIVE NOMENCLATURE. 43

parallel, longitudinal ridges iuterspersed with deep punctations.
The thorax is very shining, and on either side, near the base,
is a deep and large pear-shajDed pit. A narrow groove rnns
along the centre of the thorax between the pits. It is a native
of South America.

I very much regi-et the name that has been given to this
insect, as nothing could have been more thoroughly inappro-
priate. The classical reader will remember that Enceladus was
not only a giant, but a giant among giants, the leader of the
rebellion against Jupiter, who was at last struck down by
Jupiter's thunderbolts and condemned to perpetual imprison-
ment under Mount Etna, whose flames were the angry breath of
the imprisoned giant.

The name of Enceladus therefore carries with it ideas of
gigantic size, strength, and terror, and nothing can be more
absurd than to give the name to any insect, especially one that
is so slightly shaped as that which is shown in the illustra-
tion. It might with appropriateness be given to some new
species of whale, elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, or any
large and terrible animal, but there is an absolute batlios in
calling by the name of the dead giant who could only be
vanquished by the thunderbolt, a pretty Beetle, several of which
would go in the waistcoat pocket.

The Graphipterides are also represented by a single example,
Grapliiptcrus varicgatus.
All the members of this
family have a rather curious
aspect, and have been aptly
compared by Mr. Westwood -
to broad Tiger Beetles.
Their bodies are all short,
and the abdomen is broad,
oval, and much rounded, as
may be seen by reference ^^
to the accompanying illus- ' ^--'-'^^-

tration. ■'■'i^- l^- — Grajiliiptems variegntiis.

„. 1 1 -i. <? j-l (Dead black and wliite.)

ihe habits oi these
Beetles are rather unlike those of tlie Carabida? in general.
Usually these Beetles are nocturnal, hiding themselves by day

4-4 INSECTS Ar.ROAD.

under stones, in dark crevices, and similar habitations, so that
they are seldom found except by those who industriously look
for them. But there is at least one species of Graphipterus,
which was seen by M. Lefebre in Egypt, running about quite
actively in the hottest part of the day. This occurred in March,
and the insect was seen near the edge of the desert.

The same observer noticed that this is one of the noise-
producing insects, being able, like our common Musk Beetle, to
emit squeaking or creaking sounds. In this case the sound is
produced by rubbing the thighs of the hind legs against the
edges of the broad elytra.

There are many species of Graphipterus, the most striking
of which is, in my opinion, the insect which is represented in
the ilkistration. The colours are simply "dead" black and
white of a rather peculiar texture, which cannot be seen without
artificial aid. If a moderately powerful magnifier be brought to
bear upon the insect, the whole of the white surface is seen to
be covered with exceedingly minute longitudinal black streaks,
looking like the smallest imaginable hairs, so that by them all
shine and glitter are prevented. The dulness of the black
portion is obtained in precisely the same manner, the hair-like
streaks being best seen by a side light. The reader will doubt-
less notice the shape of the elytra, which are very wide behind,
and then squared off abruptly. It is a very variable insect,
both in size and colour. This species inhabits Eg3^pt.

Nearly all the species of this genus are so pretty that I should
very much like to figure them all, but our space is so limited
compared with the enormous number of foreign insects, that I
can only give brief descriptions of one or two.

There is Graphijjteriis mdanocejjhalus of Southern Africa, which
is entirely dull yellow. But the yellow is only a sort of powdery
coat or covering to the elytra, and is almost as easily rubbed off
as the down of a butterfly's wing, showing the black elytra with
their delicate punctures. In consequence of this peculiarity it
is scarcely possible to obtain a really perfect specimen, and I
should think that the only way of doing so would be to rear the
insect from the larva.

From the same district also comes Graphipterus elcgans, an
insect whicli thoroughly deserves its name. On the top of the
head there is a spindle-shaped mark of deep brown-l)lack, a

MARKINGS OF THE GKAPIIIPTERI. 45

larger on the thorax, and a still larger on the middle of the
elytra, all three joining each other. These marks are sur-
rounded by a narrow Land of pale golden yellow, then by a
broad band of buff, and lastly by a second narrow band of
yellow.

Then there is Grcq^hiptcrus Wesiwoodii, yellow, with a large
butterfly-shaped black patch on the elytra; Grcqjliipterus corcli-
(jcra, having a similar patch, but looking Like a heart suspended
by a string. Qraphiiotcrus Scncgalcnsis is striped with narrow
bands of yellow and buff-brown; and Graphipterus exdamationis
is black, with a grey mark on each elytra, shaped just like a note
of exclamation.

The generic name Graphipterus, or " written- wing," is given
to the insects in consequence of the manner in which their
elytra are decorated with marks defined as clearly as if they
were drawn or written with a pen.

CHAPTEE IV

GROUND BEETLES, OR CARJBID.E (contimied)

The tribe of the Aiitliiades comprehends some of the giants of
the great family of the Carabidse — insects which are not only
large and powerful, Lut armed with jaws of enormous propor-
tionate size. These jaws are, as is often the case with insects,
fully developed in the male sex alone, the females having them
comparatively small. From this fact we may infer that the
great size, cruelly hooked shape, and sharp points of these jaws,
show that, in the male at all events, they are not required so
much for the purpose of obtaining food as of fighting.

One of these Beetles, Anthia scx-guttata, is shown on Plate I.
Fig. 5. The colour of the insect is black, and the spots are
either white or cream-coloured. Both in the colour of the spots,
in its general size, and in the development of its jaws, it is quite
as variable as our own Stag Beetle, and it is impossible to see a
series of these Authias without being struck by the curious
resemblance in these points between two perfectly dissimilar
insects. The peculiar projections of the thorax are covered with
pale down, sometimes nearly yellow and sometimes white.

As to the habits of these insects, they can be inferred from a
letter written by M. Westermann, of Copenhagen, to Mr. West-
wood. The former gentleman had found iu Bengal a curious
larva, about three inches and a half in length, and, not knowing
what it might be, sent it to M. Latreille, the celebrated naturalist.
Mr. Westwood afterwards wrote to the discoverer of the larva,
and received a letter, of which the following lines are an
extract :—

" Being on a visit in Burdwan, iu Bengal, one night returning
home, I observed, by the light of a lantern, the larva crawling in
the road. I immediately took it to be the larva of some large

HABITS OF THE ANTIII^. 47

Coleopterous iusect, but had not the least idea to which it be-
longed till the day after, when I observed at the foot of a large
bauiau tree several AntJtia guttata, which, however, I could not
secure, as they retreated into holes when I came near them. I
therefore ordered my palankin bearers to dig them out, when we
at the same time obtained another of the larva found on the
preceding evening.

" Without being positive, as I wrote to j\I. Latreille, I now
consider it to be that of an Antliia, and conclude it was in the
habit during the night of leaving its hole and crawling about in
search of worms. M. de Haan having observed to me that this
larva appeared, according to his observations, to belong to an
Elater, I informed him that on the very tree where we obtained
the larvfe from the holes at the roots, I found Elater fascipcs
(Fabr.) in great abundance, this being the largest Elater which
ever came under my observation in Bengal." Mr. Westwood is
inclined to agree with M. de Haan, saying that the larva,
although found in the same locality as the Anthia, does not
belong to any Carabidous insect, whereas it does present many
of the characteristics of Elater larvie.

To my mind, the insect which is here represented is the most
striking and characteristic of the whole genus.

The arch-looking jaws are of enormous proportionate size, bent
rather than curved, and so long, that when they are closed their
points cross each other even further than do those of any Tiger
Beetle. The thorax is developed in a most singular manner
— a projecting, heart-shaped, shining-black shield guarding the
junction between the thorax and the abdomen, and in front of
the shield two flattened discs rendering the thorax quite as wide
as the abdomen. In the specimen from which the illustration
was drawn, these discs are thickly covered with yellow down,
a narrow belt of wliite down runs along the edges of the elytra,
and there is a good deal of sindlar down on the antenna. The
rest of the insect is shining black. All the Anthias are confined
to a few districts of Asia and the greater part of Africa.

The bidding habits of the insect are well shown in M. Wester-
mann's letter. Generally the Anthiae prefer dry and sandy soils,
in which they scrape small hollows as hiding-places in which
they lie in wait for their prey. "In manners" (writes Mr.

48 INSECTS ABROAD.

Duncan in the "Naturalist's Library"), "and even in the figure
of their bodies, they bear a greater resemblance to the Beetle
named Broscus ccjyJialotes, found abundantly on the sandy shores
of the sea in many places both in England and Scotland, than
to any other British insect. They partake of the form which
prevails among Beetles accustomed to burrow in the soil, and
which is best exemplified in the Scarites and Clivina?, or Mole
Beetles as they are sometimes called, which live chieHy beneath
the "round.

Fig. 16.— Autliia thoracica.
(Shining black ; yellow down on thorax.)

" Tlie head is very thick and strong, fitted to make its w^ay
through a resisting medium, and the thorax is attached to the
abdomen by a narrow neck-like portion, which admits of the
anterior part of the body being easily turned in a lateral direc-
tion, and therefore answers the same purpose as the flexibility
of the vertebrate column in moles and other burrowing quad-
rupeds. The hinder part of the body is considerably wider than
the anterior, a circumstance never observed in burrowing Beetles,
properly so called, as it would materially impede the insect's
progress through its cylindrical excavations."

It is one of the most variable of insects, and has consequently
been described under several names. Some specimens are very
much smaller than others, while the colour and arrangement of
the down-clad patching differ so much that no one who did not
thoroughly know the insect would be likely to imagine that

SINGULAR ELYTRA. 49

such differently coloured creatures could be only varieties of one
species. Sometimes the baud which edges the elytra is yellow-
instead of white, and sometimes it disappears altogether ; while
there are many specimens in which there is not only no white
edge, but its place is taken by four large yellow spots. Most
down-bearing Beetles are liable to similar variations, which in
many instances are simply mechanical, the down getting rubbed
off the more projecting portions and remaining in those which
are hollow and therefore protected from friction. The present
species is a native of Southern Africa.

The name of Anthia is scarcely appropriate when applied to
this insect, or indeed to any insect whatever, as it was originally
given by old Greek writers to some sort of sea-fish, and is there-
fore singularly unsuitable to an insect which loves dry and
sandy places.

One of the most remarkable of the Anthiada3 is Cypholoha
Ranzonii, a native of Southern Africa.

Fit, 1, — ( Nilmldlia Ranzomi
(Shining blaiMc , dull ud inside tliP cells,)

This singular Beetle has very short and powerful jaws, curi-
ously short antennae, and a bold collar between the head and
thorax and the thorax and abdomen. The colour is black, that
of the head and thorax being rather dull, in consequence of the
innumerable wrinkles wdth which it is covered, and which are
too small to be seen without a magnifying glass.

The chief peculiarity, however, lies in the elytra. These
organs possess very strong longitudinal ridges, connected at
E

50 INSECTS ABROAD.

regular intervals by cross ridges, so as to form a series of bold
deep cells, six rows on each elytron, each cell surrounded by a
wall of strong, shining black, horny material. These cells are,
as it were, stamped so deeply into the elytra that their floors are
exceedingly thin and fragile, and it is scarcely possible even to
touch them with the point of a needle and not to break through
the floor of the cell.

Each cell is paved with a dusky-looking substance of a rust-
red colour. At first I took this substance to be formed of yellow
down like that on Anthia thoracica, which has recently been
described. The magnifier, however, soon showed, that it was
not down, and then I thought that it might be a mere powdery
deposit, such as often settles on insects which have been ke]ii
for some years. Mr. F. Smith, of the British Museum, kin(]]y
undertook to examine the insect more thoroughly than I could
venture to do with specimens not my own property, and found
that, though the powder could be removed by friction, it could
not be touched by either water, spirits of wine, or benzine, and
was clearly a natural growth on the insect. This is the only
species of its genus, but there are Beetles belonging to allied
genera which are formed after the same manner, and have their
elytra similarly covered with deep cells paved with reddish
powder.

The family of the JVIorionidre is represented by the insect
called Hyperion ScJirocteri, an inhabitant of New Holland.

At a first glance this Beetle does not seem to be particularly
worthy of notice, but a short inspection shows that it is too
remarkable to be passed over without description.

Its colour is wholly black, that of the head and thorax being
of a satiny texture, owing to the innumerable punctures with
which it is covered, and which are too minute to be seen by the
unaided eye. There is a deep longitudinal line along the middle
of the thorax, and a large, bold, deep impression on either side
of the back of the head. There is also a deep impression on the
forehead. The jaws or mandibles of this Beetle are very strong
and powerful, and are remarkable for a very large tooth on the
inner side near their bases.

Like the thorax, the elytra are black, but are covered with
bold longitudinal ridges, each of which is well rounded and

POSITION OF THE LEGS.

51

hiolily polished, so that they look much like a number of ebony
cylinders laid side by side. As is often the case with Beetles,
a row of rather deep punctures runs along the outer edges of
the elytra.

The most remarkable point in this insect is the mode in which
the legs are set on the body. A reference to the illustration
will show that the hind legs are placed so far from the middle
pair that they seem to be set quite at the end of the body. On
looking at the under-side of the insect, however, it is seen
that the tliorax is prolonged enormously, the lower and hinder
portion, called technically the mota-sternum, running under the

abdomen almost to its end. It is to this portion of the insect
that the hind legs are attached, and thus the legs, which appear
from above to be actually set on the abdomen, are really in their
usual place.

The tibia of the hind legs are boldly curved, and in conse-
quence of this peculiarity Mr. Westwood proposed a new generic
name, viz. Camjpylocncviis, or " crooked shin." Its name would
at all events have the advantage of being intelligible, whereas
the name of Hyj)erion gives no intimation whatever as to the
appearance, general form, or the structure of any part of the
insect. However, the name Hyperion has the precedence, and

52 INSECTS ABROAD.

according to zoological custom, although uot nearly so appro-
priate as Mr. Westwood's name, it must be retained.

All the three pairs of legs are very short in proportion to the
size of the insect. As the Beetle is long-bodied, almost cylin-
drical, short-limbed, and possessed of powerful jaws, it has
much the look of a boring insect, something like our own
familiar little Beetle, Clivinafossor, which this insect very much
resembles in general form. Nothing, however, is known of its
habits, as is unfortunately too often the case with foreign insects.
It is very rare, and neither of the two specimens in the British
Museum is perfect.

The important and interesting family of the Scaritidse is re-
presented by the largest known species, which is shown of its
natural size on Plate I. Fig. 6. There is some difficulty about
the name of this insect. It is called by one author Scaritarchus
Midas, by another Scarites gigas, by another MouJiotia glorissa,
&c. These names, however, have been resolved into two, both
of which were given in 1862. Mouliotia glorissa was published
a few months before its rival, and therefore is retained. Still,
the first of these names is infinitely the better. The word Scari-
tarchus signifies " chief of the Scarites," or, to transpose the two
portions of the word, " Arch-Scarites;" while the specific name
Midas is singularly appropriate, referring to the golden lustre
which makes the insect so conspicuous even at a distance.

In this fine Beetle the chief characteristics of the Scaritides
are well shown, and almost exaggerated. These Beetles have
the tibiae of the fore legs broad, strong, and notched, evidently
for the purpose of enabling them to dig in the ground. In this
species the legs are not only powerful, but peculiarly long, and
the tibiae of the front pair are armed with three formidable teeth
or spikes on the outer edge, those of the middle pair having two
similar teeth. In fact, the Beetle has altogether a very spiky
look, and would be very disagreeable if handled carelessly. The
hind legs have not the spikes, but they have sometimes a
tubercle or projection marking the spot where the spikes might
be expected to be.

For every reason it is a very conspicuous insect. In the first
place, it well deserves the name of Scaritarchus, for it looks
among its kin like an elephant among Shetland ponies. It is

FOREIGN SCARITirxE. 53

thickly and stoutly built, possessed of enormously powerful
jaws, and, in consequence of its long legs, stands rather high
from the ground.

Its colour is equally conspicuous. The head and greater part
of the thorax and abdomen are dull black, but round both
abdomen and thorax runs a broad band of most brilliant metallic
colours, changing its hue with every shifting light, and scarcely
any two portions appearing of the same colour at the same time.
It is a sort of mixture of green and blue foil, fiery copper-red,
and burnished gold, and is peculiarly fascinating to the eye. I
should say that if one of those insects were walking at liberty
in the sunshine, it could be detected at a distance of many hun-
dreds of yards by the metallic gleams of this splendid border.
The middle of the elytra, black though they be, is yet handsome,
being covered with parallel rows of bold rounded tubercles.

As a rule the Scaritides are black and dull, so that the
splendour of this species is all the more conspicuous. There
are, however, two exceptions which are worthy of notice, both
belonging to the same genus, and being inhabitants of Yucatan.
One of these is called Molobrus purjmratus, and has a broad
purple-copper band round the elytra, and a very narrow edge of
the same hue to the thorax. The second is Molobrus rotundi-
planis, which has its thorax surrounded with a narrow green
edge, and a broad red-copper band round the elytra. Both
insects are, however, comparatively small. The name Molobrus
is Greek, signifying " a glutton," and is given to these insects on
account of their voracity.

The explanation of the last-mentioned name indicates the
general character of the Scaritides. They are pre-eminently
carnivorous, feeding mostly on living insects and larvae. For
this purpose they are well fitted by their firmly mailed bodies,
their powerful legs, and strong sharp jaws, which enable them
to pursue their prey into their very strongholds and there to
devour tliem.

Several entomologists have observed tl;e habits of this species,
and agree in their accounts. They say that it is accustomed to
burrow under cowdung, using for this purpose its powerful
palmated fore legs, after the well-known manner of the Dor
Beetles. It does not, however, burrow for the purpose of laying
its eggs, but for the sake of feeding upon the larvae of the

54 INSECTS ABROAD.

various Beetles which are found in such situations. It has even
been seen to fall upon the Beetles themselves, though of great
size, to pull them in pieces, and devour them.

Like many other Beetles which are adorned with brilliant
metallic hues, this insect seldom displays its beauties to the sun,
but remains hidden in some dark place during the day, and only
issues from its den after dark in search of prey. It is said to
feed largely on cockchafers, which, like itself, are mostly noc-
turnal in their habits.

The sub-family or tribe of the Panagreinffi is represented by
several species, the first of whicli is the curious and rare TcJ/ivs
Mcgcrlci of Guinea.

This insect is the largest of its tribe, though not the hand-
somest in point of colour, as we shall presently see. Its colour
is black, but of different quality in the thorax and abdomen.
The former is covered with a whole network of small and intri-
cate wrinkles, like those in the faces of Eembrandt's old women.
The latter, whicli is rotund and much depressed towards the
end, has the elytra covered with bold longitudinal rounded
ridges, set widely apart, and having between each ridge a double
row of squared knobs, rather longer than wide. These knobs
break up the light in a very artistic manner, and, in spite of the
uniform black of the colour, give a variety of light and shade
that could hardly be expected from so simple a device.

THE EUDEMA. 55

In point of colour, the two liandsoaiest of the group are
natives of Bolivia, and by far the finest of them is BrachygnatMis
oxygoniis. It is not half the size of the Tefllus, but is a most
resplendent insect, its thorax being polished, shining blue,
glossed with intense yellow, especially at the edges. The elytra
are covered with parallel longitudinal grooves, very deeply cut
and slightly punctured, and are reddish bronze, changing into
green when the light falls obliquely on them. Another
remarkable characteristic of this insect is the shape of the
thorax, which is flattened above, and the two hinder angles
lengthened into sharp points. The head is very small, and the
shape of the head and thorax together is very much like that of
a deeply barbed spear-head. The jaws are small in proportion
to the head, thus giving rise to the generic name Brachyfjnatlius,
i.e. " short-jawed." The specific name, oxygonus, or " sharp-
angled," refers to the peculiar shape of the thorax.

The second brilliant species is Brachygnathus 2')yroptcrus, a
Beetle coloured in a similar manner, thougli not so brightly, and
not possessing the pointed angles of the thorax so proportion-
ately long. The specific name, 'pyropterm, or " fire- wing," refers
to the fiery-red bronze of the elytra.

Another species of this group is the East Indian Euclcma
tovientosus, which is shown in the accompanying illustration.

This is really a pretty, though not brilliantly coloured insect,
attracting the attention of the
entomologist by the strong like-
ness to its little British relative,
Panaga3us pundatus. The head
and thorax are black, and so are
the elytra, except that near the
shoulder and tip of each elytron
there is a large yellow spot,
which gives to the Beetle a look

as if it were yellow, with a large black cross drawn upon it.
The elytra are boldly ridged and very finely punctured, and the
wdiole body and limbs are covered with very minute black hairs,
which extend even to the tips of the antennas.

The generic name, Eudema (the " e " being short), signifies
"beautifully banded," and the specific nnwwjomfixfosus, si<>nifies

56

INSECTS ABROAD.

" downy." Some writers employ the generic name Graspcdo-
phorns — i.e. " hem, or edge-bearing," — on account of the downy
clothing which projects on all sides and forms a sort of edging
or fringe round the body. There are several species of Eudema,
and one of them, Eudema eximius, has five little round yellow
&pots on each elytron, set like the number five on a die. This
IS in itself nothing extraordinary, but the remarkable point is,
that there is a small variety of Eudema fomentostis which re-
t<embles the last-mentioned insect not only in size, but in having
five little yellow round spots on each elytron.

The many insects that belong to the group of Chheniides are
remarkable for possessing very similar shapes, colours, and
habits, no matter in what part of the world they may exist.
Their general shape can be seen by reference to the accompany-
ing illustration. Their colour is some shade of silky green or
brown, with a light edge, and their habits are to haunt moist
spots. The sea-shore is the great gathering-place of these
Beetles, which love to hide under heaps of decaying seaweed,
M'here they find shelter and food.

The present species is selected principally because it is nearly
^ the largest of all the Chlseniides.

It inhabits Senegal, and, wdien
viewed among the long ranks of
its kin, seems to be a very giant
among them, so small are they in
general. Some, indeed, may almost
be ranked among the minute species,
and the average size is barely one-
fourth of the Epomis Grcesus. The
name Epomis is a Greek word sig-
the point of the shoulder-blade," and is given to
these insects in consequence of the pointed hind angles of
tlie thorax.

This is a handsome insect, the thorax being deep polished
green, and the elytra black-green, surrounded with a broad
yellow edge. The legs are pale yellow, something like the
colour of the band round the elytra. Thijs is, as I have already
mentioned, the typical colour of these insects ; but there are
exceptions to every lule, some species being black, some entirely

Fio. 21. - Epoini.j Orciesus.
(Greon, yellow edge.)

nifyinr

VARIATION, AND ITS CAUSE. 57

green, and a very few purple, while one or two are marked with
a black cross oii the elytra, like that of Eudeiua.

A MOST conspicuous example of an exception to a general
rule is found in the strange Beetle which is shown below, and
which seems quite out of its place, looking, in fact, as if it
ought to have been among the Scari tides. Still, if the reader
will compare the structure of the legs of the Scaritides with
those of the present insect, he will see that they must belong
to two widely different groups. The front legs of the Scari-
tides are powerful, palmated, notched, and spiky, while those
of the Dioctes are comparatively feeble, slender, without any
palmations, and entirely spikeless. There are many other
distinctions, but this is the principal.

Fig. 22. — Dioctes Lehmannii
(Black.)

The chief points in the shape of this insect are the enormous
development of the head and thorax, and the very small size ot
the rounded abdomen. The jaws are absolutely gigantic, and
look as large in proportion as the bill of the Toucan or Hornbill
does to the body of the bird. Then, in order to supply attach-
ment to the large muscles which move these jaws, the head must
necessarily be increased in size, and that in its turn requires a
strong thorax to support it.

The legs of this insect are very long in proportion to its
body, and are liberally supplied with hair. The colour is uni-
formly black, and the elytra are only marked by rows of very
faint punctures. This Beetle is a native of Central Asia, and

58 INSECTS ABI10A.D.

tlie specimen which has been described was taken at Djan-djan.
The generic name, Diodes, is Greek, and signifies " a pursuer."
The name Chlaeniidae, by which the whole tribe are distin-
guished, is also Greek : it signifies a soft woollen manrle of
silky texture, and is applied to these Beetles on account of the
peculiar silken gloss of their upper surface.

Next comes the tribe of Pterostichi. This name is formed
from two Greek words, the former signifying " a wing," and the
latter a "row" or "rank." It is given to these insects because their
elytra are covered with bold ridges, set in row^s or ranks parallel
to each other. We have plenty of them in this country, mostly
however small, black, and seldom noticed except by professed
entomologists. They are all very quick and active in their
movements, and, if disturbed from beneath the stones under
which they love to hide, run to find another shelter with such
rapidity that it is not too easy to catch them. One or two of our
British species have received names expressive of this quality,
among which is the generic name Stej^ojms, or "lightning."

One of the largest and most remarkable of these insects is
given in the illustration on the next page. It is a native of
Java, and is known to entomologists by the name of Cataclromus
tencbrioides.

This is altogether a big Beetle, and conveys at once an im-
pression of very great strength. At first sight it appears to be
nothing but shining black, but when the light falls favourably
upon it, both the thorax and the elytra are seen to be decorated •
with a band of deep, brilliant, shining green. On each of the
hinder angles of the thorax there is a large and deep im-
pression, and the interior of that depression is of a similar
green. The elytra, which are rather flat, are boldly ridged, and
there is a sort of flattening at the ends as if they had been
pinched while soft. Along the green edge is a series of rather
large and moderately deep punctures. With the exception of
the green edging the whole of the insect is shining black.

Both the legs and jaws are exceedingly powerful, and the
body is so formed, being of exactly equal diameter throughout
its length, that the insect is evidently able to penetrate into
places which would seem too small to conceal an insect of such

BLACK, AND ITS CAPABILITIES OF CONTllAST.

59

dimensions, and to chase and destroy those insects and other
living creatures on which it feeds.

Its speed of foot is implied by the name Catadromus, which
is formed from two Greek words signifying "running about,"
while the specific name of fcnebrioides refers to its resemblance
in point of general form to the well-known Meal Beetle {Tenebrio
molitor), which is so prevalent in corn stores, and is the parent
of the common meal-worm on which nightingales and other
delicate cage-birds are feil. There is a variety of this insect in

Fig. 23. — Catadromu.s tenebrioiilcs.
(Black, green eilge.)

which the colour, instead of being black, is reddish brown, the
only sign of the splendid green margin being a very slight tinge
of purple on the edges of the thorax.

A SECOND example of this tribe is found in the insect which
is called Homalosoma Vigorsii, an insect which looks as if it
were made especially to show what wonderful contrasts can be
got out of the deepest black. The insect is wholly black, and
yet it looks quite lively, contrasting favourably with many
insects that even possess positive colouring. The head and
thorax are shining as if made of polished jet. The elytra are
also black, traversed by bold parallel ridges of shining black
like that of the thorax. The spaces between the ridges or ribs,

60

INSECTS ABKOAD.

if we may so call them, is soft, dull, dead black, very much like
that of our common flat Silpha Beetles. The outer edges

of the elytra are flattened,
highly polished, and fur-
nished with large and deep
punctures.

The name HoTnalosoma
signifies " similar bodied,"
and is given to the insect
because its whole body is
entirely black, without any
admixture of colour, such
as a green or coppery edge
to the elytra. The specific name Vigorsii is of course given
in honour of the well-known zoologist. The insect is a native
of New Holland.

-Hoinalosoiiia Vigors
(Black.)

Our last example of the great family of the Carabid<B
belongs to the tribe of Bembidiides. The insects belonging
to this group are small, and many of them oid brilliantly
coloured. They can at once be distinguished from the other
Carabidse by the structure of the palpi, both pairs of which have
the last joint pointed, and so small that a magnifier of some
power is required to show it,
even in the largest species.
The tibise of the front legs are
notched on the inside near
the tip.

They are semi-aquatic in their
habits, some preferring the sea
and others the fresh water. In
our own country, plenty of them
may he obtained under the hillocks of seaweed which are flung
ashore by the waves during a storm, and are left to peaceful
decay and to be the home of sand-hoppers and other shore-loving
creatures. Even on those coasts which afford easy access inland,
and where in consequence the seaweed has scarcely had time
to settle on the beach before it is carted into the fields for
manure, the Bembidiidae may be taken in numbers, simply by
following the men who carry off the seaweed, and in so doing

Fig, 25,— Pselaphanax seto.sus.
( Reddish brown.)

SHOKE-BEETLKS. CI

eject hundreds of living creatures from their hiding-places.
Marshy places, especially those which edge the banks of tidal
rivers, are well-known haunts of the BembidiidiB, which abso-
lutely swarm under the dead herbage, sticks, and other floating
refuse \\'hich is so plentifully scattered about such lands.

Although they chiefly feed upon dead anirnal matter, they
can seize and devour living prey, even though the animal
attacked be much larger than themselves. Thus, our own little
Beetle, Cillenium laterale, gets under stones and bunches of sea-
weed for the purpose of preying on the sand-hoppers, which, as
everyone knows who lias walked along a sandy shore and used
his eyes, are fund of hiding under such shelters. The sand-
hopper is often twice as large as the Beetle, but yet the insect
seizes it under the body, holding on tightly with its notched fore
legs, and so eating its way into the very centre of the creature's
life, the nerve-cord that runs along the middle of the under
surface.

The name Bembidiidffi is taken from a Greek word which
represented an insect of some kind. Its primary signification
is " a whip-top," but it was also applied to some insect. Except,
perhaps, that the active movements of the Bembidiidse may be
thought to have some fanciful resemblance to the gyrations
of a whip-top, I scarcely see the appropriateness of the name,
especially as the Bembix of the ancients was an insect that
buzzed, which the Bembidiidte certainly do not.

The insect which has been selected as our foreign example
of the Bembidiidae is a most remarkable little creature. It
scarcely looks like a Beetle as it runs along, and even in a
cabinet it is generally mistaken for a little brown ant by non-
entomologists. In proportion to the general dimensions the head
is very large, furnished with exceedingly long antennas, powerful
jaws, and large, round, projecting eyes, — all tliese details point-
ing to the carnivorous and predacious habits of the insect, small
though it be.

The head is connected with the thorax by a wonderfully thin
and long neck, and that again with the abdomen in a similar
manner, so that it really seems strange that the three parts do
not fall asunder as the Beetle moves. The general colour of
this curious little insect is shining reddish brown, except its
legs and antennae. The former are yellow except the latter

62 INSECTS ABROAD.

half of the thigh, which is black or greeu on its junction with the
tibia. The long antennoe are variously coloured in four tolerably-
equal parts. The basal quarter is reddish dun, something like
the hue of the body, only lighter. Then comes a black portion,
then one pure white, and the last quarter is black.

The whole of the body is covered with bristles, which, though
in themselves small, are quite large wdien compared with the
size of the body. From this peculiarity the specific name of
setosus, or " bristly," has been given to the insect. The generic
name, PselapTianax, has been given to the Beetle by way of a
joke, on account of its very minute dimensions. It is composed
of two words, the former of which signifies " feeling" or "groping
by touch," and refers to the great development of the antennae
or feelers, which are as long as the head, thorax, and abdomen
together. The second word signifies " a king," and has been
given to the insect ironically, just as the name of "General" or
"Admiral" is given to a very small dwarf, and the sohriquet
of " Baby" is often applied to a man of gigantic stature.

As to the rest of the group, there is little of interest. They
are mostly like our own species, so familiar to those who wander
by the sea-shore or river brink and try to use their eyes. It is,
however, wortliy of notice, that not only do the Berabidiides
approach the Water Beetles in their habits, but in portions of
their forms. The reader will remember that the minute terminal
joint of the palpi was mentioned as one of the distinguishing
characteristics of this group. Now, there is a genus of the
Water Beetles, called Haliplus — i.e. "a seaman" — which has the
same joint of the same organ formed almost exactly like that of
the Bembidiides.

This necessarily brief history of the Carabidce requires a few
remarks by way of summary.

In the first place, the word Carabus is apparently quite as
inappropriate as is that of Ciciiidela. Originally it signified a
"crab," which word indeed is nothing but a modified and con-
tracted form of the Greek Karalos. So is the German Krchs,
and so is the Latin Scarahcvus. It was also employed to desig-
nate the cuttle-fish, on account of its mode Oi" crawding, the name
being composed of two Greek words signifying "to walk on the
head." By Aristotle it is applied to an insect which is evidently

SUMMARY OF THE CaRABID^. 63

the Stag Beetle, but Linnreus was the first ^Yho gave it to the
Ground Beetle; and though a protest was lodged against the
name, it has been so universally employed that it Avill certainly
continue to hold its place.

Now as to the part which the Carabidte play in the world.
They are of but very slight direct use to man. In fact, very few
insects are directly utilized ; and with the exception of the Bee,
the Silk Moth, the Lac Insect, the Blister Beetle, and one or two
others, the hundreds of thousands of insects that inhabit the
world are not converted to any direct use.

With regard to the Carabidse, the only direct use that is made
of them, as far as I can discover, is that in some places where
they are very numerous they are collected and boiled down so
as to extract the fat, of which a kind of soap is made. I fancy
that if the soap-makers in question were better entomologists
they would not use for this purpose the perfect insects, but the
larvre, these being filled with fat which is afterwards absorbed
into the complicated mechanism of the Beetle.

For my own part, I think that this non-usage of insects is not
so much due to the useless character of the creatures as to our
inability, or perhaps negligence, in discovering their properties.
I have no doubt that man had long inhabited the world before
he found out that the bee which could sting him could also
furnish him with sweet honey, and that he must have been
many years on the earth before he discovered that wax had any
other use than to hold honey. Then man must have been
very far advanced wdien he could utilize the silken thread spun
by a caterpillar; for he must not only have felt the need of
clothing, but must have passed through the stages of leaf-dress,
skin-dress, and cotton or linen dress, before the beauty and
strength of the silken fibre could have attracted him. It is so
at the present day, and there are many countries where silk-
producing insects live, and yet in which no use is made of the
silk, the men of those countries regarding the cocoons much as
we regard those of the commonest English moths or the webs
of the garden spiders.

I cannot believe that tlie myriads of insects wliich surround
us contain no more uses than those few which we have managed
to discover and develop in so many thousand years, but think
that we have neglected to look for those uses Because insects

64 INSECTS ABROAD.

are small and appear to be beneath our notice. Yet it is just in
such apparently insignificant things that the most important
resiilts are found. The steam-engine and the electric telegraph,
which have altered the -v^'hole condition of civilized man, lay
hidden for countless centuries in the bubbling of the pot and
the child's amber toy; and so it may be that there lie still
hidden in the insect hosts certain properties which may be as
useful to man in their way as steam and electricity, and only
wait for the hand of the discoverer to tear away the veil which
conceals them.

CHAPTER V.

HYDRADEFHAGA, OR PREDACIOUS WATER BEETLES.

CoNSiDEKiNG the vast wealth of insect life which is seen in the
hotter countries of the world, we might readily imagine that
under a ti-opical sun every group of insects must be developed to
the fullest extent.

The practical entomologist, howe\'cr, knows that this is not
the case. Some groups — such, for example, as the Long-horned
Beetles and the Ants — swarm in such vast numbers that the
insect-hunter finds almost every rood of ground add to his
collection numbers of species hitherto unknown to science.
And, if another collector should go over the same ground, the
latter is nearly certain to find many species M^hich his pre-
decessor had missed, i^artly on account of the different mode of
working which any two practical men must needs adopt, and
partly because the numbers of the insects are so enormous that
it is hardly possible for one individual to exhaust the resources
of a single district, however carefully he may ransack it.

But, though some groups are so enormously strong in numbers,
others are strangely deficient, sadly disappointing the ento-
mologist, who thinks that he may add to the present stock of
insect lore, information concerning numbers of species which he
hopes to discover. Such a group is that which forms the sub-
ject of the present chapter. In this country, where the hottest
summer heats are barely the average of a tropical temperature,
where the thermometer often indicates a frost below zero, and
where for months together the earth is often covered with snow
and the water with a thick coating of ice, the Water Beetles
thrive wonderfully. They are marvellously hardy beings, revel-
ling in the full blaze of the summer sun, and yet darting about
in the depth of winter, apparently quite as contented with the

66 INSECTS ABROAD.

water when covered with ice as when warmed by the hot sun-
beams of July and August. Yet, though they are thus hardy,
they have a manifest preference for warmth ; and in any place
which is kept exceptionally warm, there the Water Beetles and
their larvai flourish mightily.

Close by my house there is a little pond of this character.
No wind but the soft southern breeze blows over it, and
throughout the whole of the year every sunbeam that passes
the barrier of the clouds falls on the surface of the pond. Con-
sequently it absolutely swarms with aquatic Beetles, which can
scarcely swim or dive through its waters without jostling each
other; and if an ordinary insect net be simply drawn once
through the water, it comes up laden with a large mass of
kicking and struggling Water Beetles.

Such being the effect of warm temperature upon the aquatic
Beetles at home, it is but natural to infer that the ponds and
streams of tropical climates, which are much warmer than those
of our own country, would furnish a vast number of new species
to the insect-hunter. This, however, is not the case, for the
whole of the tropical countries put together scarcely exceed our
tiny island in the number, size, and beauty of their Water
Beetles. Our common Great Water Beetle {Byticus marginalis)
is about as large and just as handsome as the finest of its tropical
relatives, and among the whole of foreign Water Beetles there
are very few that are in any way distingniished from our own
insects.

Mr. Bates, in his " Naturalist on the Amazons," makes some
remarks on this subject. While at Para he was visiting a lake
for the express purpose of collecting specimens of Natural
History, but was much disappointed in one respect. " I was
surprised to find no Coleopterous insects on the aquatic plants.
The situation appeared to be as favourable for them as possibly
could be. In England, such a richly-mantled pool would have
yielded an abundance of Donaciae, Chrysomelae, Cassidae, and
other Beetles — here I could not find a single specimen. Neither
could I find any Water Beetles ; the only exception was a species
of Gyrinus, about the same size as Gijrimis natator, the little
shining AVhirligig Beetle of Europe, wliich was seen in small
groups in shady corners, spinning round on the surface of the
J water precisely as its congener does in England."

WATKi; I'.i'ETLES. G7

After examining carefully a vast numl)er of foreign ^\'ater
Beetles, I find that they are so exactly like our own familiar
insects in size, shape, colour, and habits, that three examples
will be quite sufficient to illustrate the whole of the Hydra-
dephaga, numerous though they be.

The species which is shown in the illustration, Dyticus latis-
simus, is certainly the most conspicuous of these Beetles, and
yet, as the reader may see, does not differ remarkably from our
common Dytims mnrrfinalis.

Y\i. 'Jfi — U\ i:cux lati^-iiMUs
(Bri \Mi. or.mge linps )

The colours are the same, though perhaps rather brighter.
The gi'onnd hue is very dark brown with an infusion of green,
and this, besides orange, is the only colour. Eound tlie edges
of the thorax runs a band of orange, so as to leave a nearly
square dark patch in the middle. Along the outer edge of tlie
elytra there is a similar band, and there is another a little way
inside it, running from the base of the elytron to the point, and
rapidly becoming narrower as it approaches the tip. This
second stripe forms the most conspicuous portion of the colour-
ing, and is well shown in the illustration. There is also near
the tip of the elytra a very faint and undefined stripe of orange
drav.-n diagonally across, and looking as if it had been made
F 2

68 INSECTS ABROAD.

with a brush on a wetted surface. This streak varies somewhat
in different individuals.

The specific name of latissimus, or "very wide," is given to it
on account of the peculiar form of the body, which is wider and
flatter than our British species. The epithet, however, applies
especially to the elytra, which are formed after a rather curious
fashion. Although flatter than those of the British Dyticus,
they are yet moderately convex as far as the second orange
stripe. This forms, as it were, the crest of a ridge, from which
the elytron is suddenly and boldly flattened, so that it looks
very much as if it had been pressed under a heavy weight when
soft, and then hardened while flat.

OuE second and last example of this family is an exception to
the general rule among these insects. They are nearly all dull-

,___^-^^_ coloured, brown and black

being the usual hues, relieved
in a few species by the
orange stripes which have
already been mentioned in
connection with Dyticus la-
tissimus. As to any definite
pattern, there is none what-

''"■ ^:^^S.Sr^'- e^^^' ^^^ ^^^^^■'^^•^^e it is some-

what startling to find any of
the family which not only possess bright colours, but are marked
with a bold and sharply defined pattern.

Such is the insect now before us, a native of the East Indies.
It is exceedingly variable both in the details of the pattern and
in the colour, and the present example has been selected as
showing the kind of pattern which predominates. The colours
are so exactly balanced that it is almost impossible to say which
is the ground hue and which is the colour of the pattern, but as
the dark hue is most conspicuous we will take that as forming
the pattern.

The ground hue, then, is alwa3's some shade of yellow, in
some specimens pale, but in others becoming nearly orange, and
the pattern is deep, shining black, so that it must be a very
conspicuous insect when darting through the water. In some
specimens, however, where the ground colour is very decidedly

WHIRLIGIG BEETLES. 69

orange, the pattern is dark brown. The specific name of
festivus, or " handsome," is given to it in consequence of its
beautiful colouring.

The Gyrinidse, or Whirligig Beetles, of foreign countries
follow the same rule as the Dyticidse, being scarcely larger than
our familiar British species, and resembling them also in colour
and form. There is, however, one group of Gyrinidse whicli is
so utterly unlike the British species that it is well worthy of
description. This is the genus Porrorhynchiis.

This rather crabbed word is a very appropriate one. It is
composed of two Greek words, the former signifying " forward,"
and the other " a snout." It is given to these insects because
their heads are lengthened in front to a point which projects
forward like the snout of a pig or any similar animal. The
word, by the way, might have been written with equal accuracy
ProsorhyncMs, and so the three successive " r's" might have been
avoided.

In these Beetles the fore-legs, whicli are used for seizing
their prey, are extremely long,
forming a great contrast to the ----:-';^^i^ "

short limbs of our British species. "^^^^B^^^^^R.^ ^-^

The antennse are very short, thick, ^^^^^^5

and straight, and the eyes are -^ '^

yellowish white, showing out

1 • j_ ji 11 Fig. 28. — Porrorhynchus marginatus.

conspicuously against the dark (Black-trown, with orange edge.)

shining head. The colour of the

insect is very dark black-brown, with a distinct olive-green
gloss, and very highly polished. If--lhe reader will refer to
the illustration, he will see that a stripe of lighter colour than
the rest runs round the edge of the elytra. This band is yellow,
sometimes pale, but in many specimens deepens into orange.
The specific title marginatus, or " bordered," refers to this con-
spicuous stripe.

The general outline of these Beetles is very remarkable. The
sharply-pointed snout has already been noticed. At the shoulder
the body is widest, and then narrows very slightly towards the
end, where it is abruptly squared off. Each elytron, however, is
furnished at the tips with two long and sharp spikes, the object
of which is not easy to determine. If the insect be viewed

70 IJSISECTS ABROAD.

sideways, it is seen to bear some resemblance in outline to a
tortoise. The under surface is nearly flat, while the upper rises
with a bold ridge in the middle, and thence flattens down to the
tips of the elytra and the end of the snout.

The genus Forrorhynchus is a very large one, and has repre-
sentatives in many parts of the world. In the British Aluseum
tliere are specimens from North and South Africa, Madagascar,
North and South America, India, and the Philippine Islands.

In the whole of the Water Beetles, however diverse their
size, form, colour, or habitat, one characteristic is common to
all, — namely, the polished smoothness of the entire surface, the
manner in which all angular projections are avoided, and the
absolute closeness with which the elytra are fitted together, so
as to be net only water-tight but air-tight also. This structure
is absolutely needed, because, although finding their food in the
water, and passing the greater part of their time beneath its
surface, they are really denizens of air, and not of water.

In fact, they play much the same part among the Insects as
do the whales, seals, and dolphins among the Mammalia, living
in the water though they do not breathe it, and imitating the
fishes in mode of life though differing from them in mode of
respiration. During their imperfect or larval life, they were
actually inhabitants of the water, and capable of extracting the
oxygen from it by means of gills, just as the fish do ; but when
they attained the perfect state, the gills, or " branchise," as they
are scientifically termed, were lost, and another system of respi-
ration was developed. Like all other insects, they then begin
to breathe the same air as ourselves, but, instead of having the
respiratory apparatus confined to the lungs, as is the case with
us, they have it extending over the entire body, the tubes
through which the air passes running even to the ends of
the antennae, and terminating in a series of apertures called
"spiracles" along the sides.

Now, it is evident that if an insect has to fulfil two appa-
rently opposite conditions — i.e. living beneath the water and yet
breathing atmospheric air — it must possess some peculiar modi-
fication of structure whereby the air is ensured admission into
the spiracles and the water is kept out of them. These condi-
tions are fulfilled by the structure of the elytra, which are wide

KESPIKATION OF AQUATIC INSECTS. 71

euough to hang well over the spiracles, are sutficiently convex
to contain air between themselves and the body, aud fit so
closely to each other and to the sides, that when they are closed
no air can by any possibility escape.

By reason of this structure the insect is enabled to take with
it a sufficient quantity of air for respiration, aud when it needs
a fresh supply it comes to the surface, opens its elytra slightly
at the tips, admits the air, and dives again in its perpetual search
for food. The process by which the air is passed through the
respiratory organs of sub-aquatic insects, has already been
described in my " Insects at Home," and need not be repeated
here.

CHAPTEE VT.

PAUSSID^ AND BRACHELYTRA, OR ROVE BEETLES.

According to the system which is followed in this work, we
take next in order a great tribe of Beetles which have been
gathered together under the common name of Eypophaga, i.e.
"refuse-eaters." As their name implies, these Beetles act the
part of scavengers, feeding upon various substances, whether
animal or vegetable, which would otherwise be decomposed and
become nuisances. The exact order of these insects is somewhat
obscure, and, indeed, it is not easy to fix the precise limit which
bounds them. This work, however, treats more of the offices
and forms of the insects than of the characteristics by which
their systematic arrangement is described, and we will therefore
content ourselves with selecting some of the most important
examples of each group of the Eypophaga.

The first family is that of the Paussidee, and a most remarkable
family it is. It is a tolerably large one in point of number, but
all the species are very small, and require to be examined
through a lens before their extraordinary structure can be pro-
perly made out. None of them exceed half an inch in length,
while the greater number only attain half that measurement,
Mr. Westwood has devoted much attention to these curious
Beetles, and for further information on the subject I must refer
the reader to his monograph on the Paussidse, published in
his "Arcana Entomologica," and illustrated with a number of
coloured plates.

They arOj^all dull and heavy in their movements, from which
habit they derive their name of Paussidre, that being formed
from a Greek word signifying to "rest" or "repose." They

REMARKABLE ANTENN.^i:. 73

have been taken in various localities. Some, which were
captured at Sierra Leone, were caught within houses at night.
They had been evidently concealed in the ceiling, and when
the candles were introduced they fell on the table and so were
taken. Some species have been found in ants' nests, and others
under dry patches of cowdung and beneath the bark of trees.

As to their habits little is known. Like most of the Eypo-
phagous Beetles, they can fly well ; and several species, found
in the Moluccas, the Sunda Islands, and Senegal, have been
observed to possess an explosive power like that of the Bom-
bardier Beetles, which have already been described. Another
curious property is thus described by Mr. Westwood : —

"Afzelius also states that on looking at one of his specimens
of Faussus sphceroccrus (remarkable for the globular, glossy, and
pale-coloured club of its antennae) in the evening, and happen-
ing to stand between the light and the box in which it was
enclosed, so that his shadow fell upon the insect, he observed,
to his great astonishment, the globes of the antennse, like two
lanthorns, spreading a dim phosphoric light. He adds, how-
ever, that he was prevented from ascertaining the fact by
reiterated experiments, as his specimen died. ]\Iay not the
reflected light falling upon the semi-pellucid livid-coloured balls
of the antennae, give them the described appearances ? Or may
it not be accounted for precisely in the same manner as the light
emitted by the shining moss mentioned in Loudon's Magazine
of Natural History, No. XV. p. 463, by the late Mr. Bowman?"

On looking at a number of the Paussidae, the observer is at
once struck with the enormous comparative size and strange
shape of the antennae, which are as characteristic of these
Beetles as is the proboscis of the elephant, the horn of the stag,
or the long neck of the giraffe. Some antennae look as if they
were made of a number of flat discs strung together. A similar
structure may be seen in some of our Eove Beetles, except that
in them the discs are further apart. Some have their antennas
composed apparently of only two joints, one very large joint at
the end and a very small joint next the head. The terminal
joint takes all kinds of forms. Sometimes it is globular, some-
times pear-shaped, and sometimes nearly flat. Several species
have the antennae looking exactly as if a pair of bill-hooks had
been stuck on the head, the points outwards ; while others have

74

INSECTS ABKOAi).

them of a similar form, and notched like a saw below ; and
others, again, have them axe-sliaped, and furnished with two or
more long teeth. It is impossible to figure or even describe all
the varieties of form assumed by the antennge, and I will there-
fore^select one or two of the most conspicuous insects.

The first example is Homoptcrus Bradliensis, one of the few

species that have been found in the !N"ew World.

This little Beetle measures rather more than a quarter of an

inch in length. Its colour is wholly red, without any markings,
^__ whence its name of Homopterus,

i.e. " equal- wing." The whole surface
is very delicately punctured, and the
thorax has a channel on either side,
just within the hinder angles. The
legs are very short and flattened,
and the thighs are grooved so that
the Beetle can close its legs and shut
up the tibiae into the grooves. The
insect was taken on the Corcovado
Mountain, near Eio Janeiro, by a

negro in the employment of Mr. Miers. The whole body is

rather flattened, and the head, including the whitish eyes, is a

trifle wider than the thorax.

Fig. 29. — Homopterus Brasiliensis
(Red-duu.)

-'S3!

The genus to which our next example of the Paussida;
belongs has been variously named. In ]\fr. Westwood's mono-
graph it is called Platyrhopalus.
This term is formed from two Greek
words, one signifying ''wide" or
" broad," and the other a " war-club" or
"mace." It is given to the insect on ac-
count of the structure of the antennas,
the terminal joint or club of which is
very wide and rather flattened, like
the head of a metal war-mace. This
enormous joint is so large that it is actually wider than the
thorax, and indeed, if one of the antennae were detached
and laid flat on the thorax, the head would be almost hidden,
and the thorax completely so. The name Phcrhopalus simply

Pig. 30. — Piierliopalus d^iitiuorais.
(Red ; black marks on elytra.)

THE PAUSSID.i:. 75

sigiiilies " club-bearing," and is scarcely so appropriate a name
as Platyrhopalus.

This is rather larger than the preceding insect, sometimes
approacliing half an inch in length, and mostly exceeding one-
third of an inch. The large, flattened club of the antennte has
a notch or tooth at its base, from which is derived the specific
name denticornis, or " tooth-horned." There is a slight variation
of form in this organ, some specimens having the club more
pointed than others. It appears as if this remarkable club is
formed by the fusing together of several joints ; and Mr. West-
wood points out that in the present species, as well as in some
others, there are slight transverse impressions which seem to
denote the lines of junction.

The same entomologist has examined in detail the structure of
the organs of the mouth, which are quite as remarkable as the
antennae, and has given many figures of them. As, however,
such details would scarcely be interesting to the general reader,
however important they may be in a purely scientific point of
view, I will only refer the entomological reader to Mr. West-
wood's " Arcana Entomologica," vol. ii. Plate 68, pp. 75 — 78.

The colour of this insect is bright chestnut-red, and the
markings on the elytra are black, but have a slight tinge of
red in them. It inhabits Bengal.

The last of the Paussidee which we can mention is the
Pherhopalus aplusirifer, which is shown in the accompanying
illustration. This singular insect may
be at once recognised by the shape of
the antennae, which liave the outer
edge developed into two long spines,
the interval between them being
deeply notched. The specific name
aplustrifcr refers to this peculiarity,
being taken from the Latin word '^'" ''^YSoS'redT'"'"'"''
aplustre, which signifies a " pennon "

or " streamer," the ends of which are mostly double-pointed, like
the two long spines of the antennse. The transverse impressions,
which have already been mentioned, are very apparent in this
species, and are sufficiently bold to resemble wrinkles.

The colour of the insect is yellowish red, without any markings,

76 INSECTS ABROAD.

and the upper surface of the body is covered with very minute
punctures and fine down. This down extends even to the
antennae, and is longest towards the ends of the spines. The
head is rounded in front, short, and the eyes are yellowish
white. The body is flattened, and the elytra are of a rather
brighter colour than the thorax and head. This is one of the
small species, being under the third of an inch in length. It is
a native of Bengal.

BEACHELYTEA, OE EOVE BEETLES.

The systematic arrangement of insects is always a troublesome
matter. There are, it is true, certain groups which are tolerably
well marked by Nature ; such, for example, as those which have
already been described. But there are many others which are
vague and uncertain to the last degree, and even in the best
marked groups the boundary line is very undecided, while the
order in which they ought to come, and the relationship which
they hold to each other, are points which it is very difficult to
ascertain. Such is the case with the insects now before us.

It is easy to see that there must be some connection between
the Eove Beetles and the Burying Beetles, but the exact succes-
sion of the connecting links has always been a matter of doubt.
In this work we cannot do better than follow the example of
the British Museum, and accept the arrangement of Lacordaire,
who traces the succession as follows : — First come the Brachely tra,
or Eove Beetles, followed by the Pselaphides, which have very
short elytra, almost exactly resembling those of the true Eove
Beetles. Then come the Scydmaenidse, and so to the true
Burying Beetles ; the remarkable blind insect called Leptoderus
being evidently the connecting link.

The name Brachelytra, which is given to this group of insects,
is a very appropriate one. It is formed from two Greek words,
signifying " short wing-cases," and is given to the Beetles be-
cause their elytra, or wing-cases, are so short that they seem
quite incapable of concealing wings which are large enough to
sustain the insect in the air. Yet, underneath these tiny elytra

ROVE BEETLES. 77

are packed a pair of broad and expansive wings, which in some
of the species can he used ahnost as readily as those of a fly
or a bee.

The popular name of Eove Beetles is also appropriate. They
are veritable rovers, ranging over earth, air, and even water.
That they can fly well has already been mentioned. They are
found in decaying animal matter, in foul or decaying vegetable
substances, under the bark of trees, within the nests of ants, wasps,
and even in the habitation of the formidable hornet. Some of
them haunt the blossoms of flowers ; others, more darkling, hide
themselves away in rocky crevices ; while some few species are
actually in the habit of living on the sea-shore below high-
water mark, so that they are submerged for several hours twice
every day.

As is the case with the groups which we have already de-
scribed, the Brachelytra are but little represented in tropical
countries, and, as a rule, those of temperate climates are superior
both in size and colour to the inhahitants of tropical lands. I
have, however, selected a few examples of foreign Brachelytra
which present points of interest in which they differ from our
own insects.

The first insect is iho. Sterculia fulgens, a really splendid Beetle,
outshining almost all the rest of its kinsfolk. The Sterculias
are readily known by their very
peculiar shape. The head is
comparatively large, the an-
tennae are very long, and the
eyes are very small. The
thorax is so narrowed in front
that it looks like a thin,
slender neck, and it rises in
the middle into a bold ridge.
The mandibles are small, and ^ tlnvtY,;:^™?!'" '"f "" ^

' (Metallic blue, purple, and cojipor.)

are toothed at the base.

The present species is found in various parts of the West
Indies, there being specimens in the British Museum brought
from Jalapa, Cayenne, Surinam, &c. There are many species of
this genus, some of which have not been named at the moment
of writing this account, and they range widely in point of colour

78 IMSECTS ABROAD.

and size, green and purple being the prevailing hues ; while in
dimensions many of them are but d\yarfs compared with the
present species.

The head and thorax of SUrculia fidgens is deep shining
metallic blue, the head having a tendency to pink on the edges,
and being covered with deep punctures. The elytra are also
blue, but with a purple gloss, and deeply punctured, though not
so boldly as the head. The abdomen is shining coppery bronze,
and the whole of the under surface is blue, like that of the 1)1up-
bottle fly, and the limbs are of the same hue. Tt belongs to the
family Xantholinidae.

Another of these Beetles belongs to the typical family
Staphylinidae. This is Staphylinus versicolor, a native of Para.
Though not as splendid as tlie preceding insect, it is yet far
handsomer than any British species of the same genus, and
, — _j deserves its name of versi-

color, i.e. changeable colour.
It is chiefly remarkable for
the enormous size of the
mandibles and the peculiar
sliape of the head, which
is large, and has a bold keel
running along its centre.
The head of the male, indeed,
is much larger and wider than

yio. 33.-Staphylinus versicolor. ,, thorflT thp o-rpat dp

(Black, with yellow hair.) ^'^^ tnorax, iJip great ae-

velopment of the jaws ren-
dering a corresponding development of the head necessary.
In the female the head is comparatively small, and the jaws
feeble.

The jaws themselves are black, but in their inside there
is a membrane covered with yellow hair. The head is dull
black, mottled with yellow doAvn, and so are the elytra, the
down on them containing a slightly greener hue. The abdomen
is black except the tip, which is covered with bright golden down.
The insect is found in wet weeds, generally in decaying vege-
table manure : indeed, it has a look as if it were meant to dwell
in such places, its flattened body and drooping head showing
that it is one of the darklinc: insects, meant to crawl into narrow

THE FISII-FLY. 79

recesses and there to pass away the .crreatest portion of its
existence.

Shaped strangely like tlie earwigs, the Eove Beetles have
several similar characteristics. A Eove Beetle is hut seldom seen
in the open air, any more tlian is an earwig. Tear decaying bark
away from a fallen tree-trunk, pull to pieces a fungus, turn
over stones that are lying on the ground, dig up loose soil, shake
the blossoms of flowers, and in each of these localities speci-
mens of Eove Beetles may be found. Excepting the smaller
species, which use their wings almost as readily as gnats, and
really look very like those insects when flying, the Eove
Beetles seldom take to the air in the daytime, so that even the
closest observer has but few opportunities of seeing the manner
in which the ample wings are folded and packed away under
the tiny covering. Whether insects abroad follow in this
respect the examples of insects at home, I cannot say, but I
never saw either of our two largest species on the wing, and
only once sawtheEed Eove Beetle {SfajyJnjUnns Ccesarevs) in the
act of alighting.

Mr. Gosse, in his "Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica," has the
following remarks on an insect of this family : — " In Helmet-
shells buried for this purpose, I found a Brachelytrous Beetle,
which enjoys a very wide geographical range. It is Staphylinvs
iCrcophilus) mllosv.s, which is so abxnidant in Newfoundland as
to be quite a pest, crawling about and devouring the dying cod
fish ; it is there called the Fish-fly. In Canada and in Alabama
U.S.) I have also met with it, but rarely, and now I trace it to
Jamaica. The Brachelytra, however, are very scarce here, as
are the carrion-eating Beetles generally ; their place is probably
supplied by the Aura vultures. I only on one other occasion
met with this foetid and disgusting Beetle."

The family of the Oxytelida? is represented by a very small,
but a very singular insect, called Megalojos cephnlofes. In length
it barely reaches a quarter of an inch, and, until a magnifying
glass is brought to bear upon it, appears hardly worth notice. The
lens, however, at once shows the extraordinary shape which is
reproduced in the illustration. The creature seems aU eyes, these
organs being enormous in proportion to the size of the insect, and
projecting from the sides of th'^ head very much like two round

80

INSECTS ABROAn.

dDor-handles. The generic name Mrgalops, or "large- eyed/' is
given to tlie Beetle on account of this enormous development.
Tt is the more striking because, as a rule, the eyes of the
Brachelytra are small, and scarcely project at all from the head,
as may be seen by looking at our largest and commonest species,
the well-known "Devil's Coach-horse." What may be the use
of such huge eyes is quite uncertain. At first sight it appears
as if, like those of the Dragon-
flies and many other predacious
insects, they are intended to aid
the Beetle in chase of prey. But
the jaws are so slight and feeble
that such an object seems scarcely
possible. The specific name of
cephalotes signifies "large-headed,"
and is given to the insect on
*■ account of its shape. Without

the eyes the head is not remarkable in point of size, but the
head and eyes together are so enormous in proportion to the
rest of the body that the epithet of " large-headed " is quite
appropriate.

The general colour of the insect is brownish black, the head
and thorax being very rough and wrinkled. The elytra are
yellow, and the legs and antennoe are red, the latter being tipped
with a knob-like club. This curious insect is a native of
Columbia.

Fig. 34. — Megalops ceplialotes.
(Black, with yellow elytra, and red legs.)

CHAPTEE VIL

NECROFIIAGA, OR CARRION-EATERS.

IMosT of the insects wliicli we have already seen performing the
office of scavengers do that duty merely for their own sakes,
devouring, and devouiiDg largely, any decaying animal matter
that they may find. We now come to a large group of Beetles
which frequent simikir substances for a different purpose. It is
true that they do feed on the putrefying flesh of any dead
animal tliat they can find, but that is not their chief object in
visiting such substances. Their real business is to bury their
eggs in it, so that the young may find plenty of food.

The first family of this important group is called Scydmtenidie,
from a Greek word signifying "sullen" or "dull-coloured," and

the name is given to the insects ^ ^

on account of the dull antl
dark appearance of most of the
species. In our own country,
the species, which are about
nineteen or twenty in number,
are very small, the largest
being scarcely the tenth of an
inch long. They are all more
or less hairy.

'. ^ 1 • 1 *■' — 1 111 u 1 onstiobus

The curious Beetle which (Black.)

forms our example of the

foreign Scydmtenidai is a native of Ceylon, and, like most of its
Ihitish relations, is found in moist and marshy places, where
there is plenty of decaying vegetable and animal substances. As
may be seen by reference to the line above the illustration, which
represents the actual length of the Beetle, though not a large

82 INSECTS ABIIOAD.

Beetle, it is quite a giaut among- its family. The actual colour of
its body is reddish, and the surface is rather shining. It is, how-
ever, coarsely j^unctated, and densely covered with dead pitchy-
black and very coarse hair, so that at first sight the insect appears
to be a black one. These hairs even extend to the head and
legs. The body is very convex, the head is much narrowed in
front and broad behind, and the thorax has a very similar form,
except that it is rounded and not squared behind. Altogether
it is an odd-looking creature, and is valuable to English ento-
mologists as being a naturally magnified example of the minute
species to which he is accustomed at home.

The next group of the Carrion-Eaters is popularly known by
the name of Burying Beetles, because they always bury beneath
the surface of the earth the substance in which they are about
to lay their eggs. They themselves do not know the reason
why they are impelled to this act, but there is no difficulty in
understanding it. The larvse or grubs, which are developed
from their eggs, can only feed on soft substances. Their scientific
name is Silphid*.

There are many of the Carrion-Eaters which are strong-
toothed, and can eat almost any animal substance that is less hard
than bone ; but those of the Burying Beetles cannot do so, and
must have their food kept soft for them. For this purpose there
is nothing better than burying it in the ground, where it cannot
be dried up by the hot sunbeams or liquefied by the wet, and
absorbed into the ground before the grubs have lived their full
larval life. That wonderful substance, earth, is the best pre-
servative that could be found. The body of an animal, if covered
with only a few inches of earth, decays but very slowly, and
j)reserves its softness and moistness to the last.

Of this property the Beetles in question are taught by their
instinct to avail themselves, and, inadequate as their bodies may
seem to be for such a task, they manage to bury beneath the
surface of the ground any small animal that may be lying dead
upon it. This they do, not by digging a hole and putting the
animal into it, but by scooping away the earth from beneath it,
and so letting it gradually down. ' ,

Even in our own country, where land is extensively cultivated,
and where in consequence comparatively few carcases are allowed

BUllYING BEETLES. 83

to lie imburied, the Burying Beetles are very niuuerous, and
their work is really valuable. It is chiefly owing to their
labours that a dead bird, mouse, rat, or any similar creature is
so seldom seen. In the first place, all wild creatures, on feeling
the approach of death, seek out some retired spot wherein to
breathe their last; and, in the second place, thiir bodies are
mostly found and interred by tlie Burying Beetles before they
become offensive to the nostrils. The sensitive organs of these
insects detect decaying animal matter at wonderful distances, so
that if a dead bird be laid on the ground and left undisturbed, it
is mostly beneath the surface in four or five days.

When collecting these Beetles for the purpose of dissecting
them throughout their various stages of existence, and watching
the develo]3meut of the various organs, I used to take dead birds,
mice, rats, or even pieces of butchers' offal, and hide them away
in fields, taking care to place them on soft ground, and always
covering them with a flat stone so as to prevent them from being
seen. The stone was no impediment to the Beetles, who are
directed by their olfactory and not their visual organs, and in
the course of a single summer I thus obtained as many
specimens as were needed.

Abroad, however, and especially in those vast tracts of land
which have never been subjected to man, the Burying Beetles
are, as might be supposed, larger, more powerful, and more
numerous than they are with us, and perform good service in
placing beneath the ground those dead animals which would
otherwise be allowed to decay upon its surface. Thus they are
not only scavengers, but agriculturists, for they enrich the soil
by burying beneath its surface those substances which would
only be wasted if allowed to decay above ground.

There is proverbially no rule without its exception, and such
exceptions are found in this group of insects. Though the
typical Beetles do bury decaying animal substances, several
s^jecies do nothing of the kind, among which is the singular
insect which is shown in the illustration on the next page.

It is a very odd-looking creature, with exceedingly long and

slender legs and antennas, and a very smooth and convex body.

The creature is absolutely without eyes, so that the antenme

probably supply their place. The body is red, and the skin is

G 2

8-1 raSECTS ABROAD.

SO tvaiisliicent that when the liglit shhics on it, it loohs ahnost
exactly like a red currant, the convexity of the body adding to
the resemblance. The generic name of Lcptodenis refers to this
peculiarity, being constructed from two Greek words signifying
" delicate-skinned." The specific name sc7'iceMS signifies "silky,"
and is given to the insect on account of a sort of silken glo.ss
upon the surface of its body.

The habits of the Leptoderus are as remarkable as its form.
As far as is known, the insect is found only in one place in
the world; namely, Carinthia, in Austria. It inhabits certain
dark caves, and is found only in the deepest and darkest recesses
of the caverns. The caves in question are profusely adorned
with stalactites and stalagmites, and in their crevices the Lepto-
derus is to be found.

It walks very slowly and
deliberately, standing high on
its long and slender legs, look-
ing, according to M. Lacordaire.
as if it were walking on stilts.
Being blind, it cannot see nn
enemy, but at the least noise
it stops, crouches low upon the
,^ , , , substance on which it is walk-

FiG. 36 — Leptoderus soru'eus.

(Tiausiucentied.) ing, tucks iu its legs, lays its

long antennre over its back, and
lies motionless until it imagines that all danger has passed away.
In such a locality it might appear to dread no enemy, but it
has one foe which it may well fear. This is a spider belonging to
the genus Ohisium, which inhabits the same place, and, curiously
enough, is also blind. The reader may perhaps be aware that tliere
are many examples in the animal world of the absence of eyes
in creatures that live in total darkness. We shall come to some
more of them among the insects, and in the higher orders the
most familiar examples are the Blind Proteus {Proteus angnimis)
of the Adelsberg caves, and the Blind Fish {Amlilyopsis spdcens)
of the Kentucky caverns.

Now we come to the insects that roidly deserve the name of
Ihirying Beetles, the first of which is Necrophorns grandis of
North America. The genus to which this insect belongs is a

COT.OUIi OF nuRYixr; PEI-TLES. 8n

very extensive one, numbering a vast number of species, of
■which this is tlie hxrgest. In the British Museum is a very
line series of these Beetles, and tlie observer is immediately
gtruclv with their great similarity in shape, colour, and in fact
in almost every point except size, which, as has already been
explained, has very little to do with distinction of species
in Beetles.

In this insect the general colour is black, relieved by a red
patch on the middle of the head and another on the middle of
the thorax. There are also two orange patches on each of the
elytra, one near the shoulder and the other at the ti[). The
powerful jaws are black, and so is the thorax on the edges,
which are very boldly flattened, nnich like the brim of a hat,
the middle of the thorax being much elevated and rounded. An
orange line runs aloug the edge of the elytia.

Fig. 37. — Necrophorus gran(ll^;.
(Blat-k, wit.h orange-red marks.)

One of the most striking points in this insect is the preva-
lence of a beautiful golden down. Between the head and the
thorax there is a sort of downy collar, but the greatest develop-
ment in this respect is on the tarsi of the fore-legs. The limb
itself is quite black, and is armed with a number of sharp
spikes. The chief point of interest, however, lies in the
abundant gold-coloured down witJi which the tarsi are thickly
clad, and which have a sort of sheen as if made of spun glass
or the glossiest of silks.

86 INSECTS ABROAD.

The l^eetle which is here represented can be at once referred
to its ])roper genus, if only by the shape of the ridges on its
elytra. It is really a remarkable insect, and deserves a fuller
notice than our limited space will permit. It has a considerable
geographical range, as I have examined specimens that were
taken in Borneo and India.

Tlie general colour is dull black, and upon the elytra tliere
are large spots of a paler hue, which evidently ought to show
some definite colour. If a lirush charged with benzine be drawn
over the elytra, there is an instantaneous change, the lighter
portions sliowing themselves as dull red, and the rest of the

Fig. 3S. — Necroftes ptganteiis.
(Black, wit.li dull ml m.arks.)

elytra assuming a deeper black. P.enzine, by the way, is an
invaluable aid in detecting colour in dark and apparently
uniform insects. It can be used without the least danger. It
evaporates almost as soon as applied, and does not injure the
most delicate of tissues, but, on tlie contrary, destroys any
parasites that may exist in the specimen, and makes it peculiarly
distasteful to any that may happen to attack it afterwards.

The anteniifB of this Beetle are very remarkable in tlieir
structure. I can only describe the organ by likening it to a string
of birds' eggs threaded on a grass stem, and tipped with a crown
piece. The antenna consists of a number of oval and nearly
equal joints, and at the end is one flat, circular joint, that
irresistibly suggests the simile which has been mentioned.

The head and thorax are black, and the latter is boldly, not
to sny coarsely, granulated. The thighs of the hind legs are
eiKiniiously hirge and po\v(M'ful, like tliose of the grasshop]jer or

THE SILPHAS.

87

other leaping insect. This development is more conspieiioiis
when viewed from the under side of the insect, the polished
shining surface of those joints contrasting boldly with the dull
downy surface of the under side of the body. Just below the
bases of the hind legs are two large squared patches of dull
yellow, and a quantity of yellowish down is scattered sparingly
over tlie under surface. Like the preceding insect, it has the
tarsi of the front legs adorned with golden down, but the tarsi
are not spiked, and the down is neither so long nor so briglitly
coloured.

There is another foreign species of tliis genus which seems as
if it w^ere made to show the connection which exists between
these insects and the Brachelytra. Its name is JVeovdcs oscic-
lans, and it is a native of India. The body of this insect is
very long and narrow, closely resembling that of a Ivove Beetle,
and the similitude is increased by the dull black of its long
body and the shining surface of its short elytra. The specific
name oscichins, i.e. " kissino;," refers to this rcsendilauce.

EvEP.YONE who has })uid any atttntion to our own insects
knows the Silphas, those rounded flat-bodied lieetlcs wliiidi are
found in such abundance in dead and
decaying animals, old 'bones, and
similar substances. The banks of
tidal rivers are always sure haunts
of the Silphas, because the drowned
dogs and cats are invariably leit
ashore some time or other, and the
water has scarcely receded from them
before they are assailed by swarms
of Burying Beetles, Silphas, Histers,
Bove Beetles, and their kin, not to
mention the flesh-flies, blue, green, and
of similar habits.

All our own s[)ecies are dull coloured, and, as a rule, so are
the foreign Silplias, with one exception, wliich will ])resently l)e
mentioned.

The fine insect which has been selected as an example of
foreign Silphas is, as its name implies, an inhabitant of America,
being found in Georgia. The g(?neral colour of tlie Beetle is dull

Fid 39. -Silpha Aniuiic
(Black, yellow thurax

gi'oy, an

i otlier insects

88 INSECTS ABROAD.

black, and there is a large dark spot on the middle of the thorax,
which is much raised and of a bright yellow colour. The spot
is slightly punctured, and has no definite boundary, the black
fading by degrees through various shades of dun and brown into
the yellow of the thorax.

Underneath, it is much handsomer than on the upper surface.
If the insect be turned over, its actual body is seen to be quite
small and narrow, the great width being obtained by the flatten-
ing of the elytra and the ends of th.e thorax. The body itself
is dark brownish black, while the thin edges of the thorax are
yellow and translucent. The edges of the elytra are also
flattened, and at their extreme margin are turned up into a
sort of narrow fold, which is covered with bright golden down.
The chief beauty of the insect lies however in the flat portion,
which is deeply crinkled, and of a vivid metallic green, deeply
punctured. The contrast between the dark brown body, the
streak of golden down, and the vivid glittering green band is
very striking, and quite takes the observer by surprise when he
sees it for the first time, as the upper surface gives no indication
of the hidden beauty below.

I mentioned that there was an exception to the general colour
of the Silphas. This is found in the insect which is appro-
priately termed Silpha ccelestina, a Beetle which seems to have
transferred to its upper surface the splendid colouring which
adorns the under surface of the preceding insect. The head of
this beautiful Beetle is shining polished green, and the thorax
has three distinct colours, the fore-part being red coppery bronze,
the middle dark blue, and the hinder portion dark green. The
boldly ridged elytra are ultramarine blue, the body itself is dark
green, and the legs are dark shining blue, so that there is scarcely
a more beautiful insect in existence.

Many entomologists rank the group of Beetles to which onr
next example belongs in a separate family, under the name of
Histeridce. They are all flat, square, black, hard-bodied Beetles,
with skins so hard and shining that they look and feel much as
if they were incased in steel armour. None of our English
specimens are large, but many of them are so hard that when
they are " set " the entomologist is obliged to pierce them with a
needle before he can get the pin through their steely elytra.

THE HISTETIS. 89

Tlicy frequent similar localities ^vitll the Silphas, and indeed are
mostly found in company with them.

The present species has been chosen because it is a very giant
among its kin. It is a native of Senegal, and its very appro-
priate name is Ulster gigas, or the Giant Hister.

The colour of tliis insect is blaek, and, in proper condition,
the surface is highly polished. An old sj)ecimen, however, is
almost invariably dull-black, this effect being produced by
innumerable scratches over the whole of its surface, caused by
friction against the substance in which it has been burrowing.
The jaws are large and curved, and cross each other at the tip
when closed. There is a good deal of golden down about their
base.

The thorax is smooth, but finely punctured, and the elytra are
also polished, and marked with deep punctures, set in regular
lines. The fore-legs, as is the
case with burrowing insects in
general, have very hard and power-
ful tibiae, armed with projecting
spikes. The middle legs are
thickly haired. Altogether this
is a very common insect, and
scarcely looks like a Hister, It
is so big, and so rounded, that it

, T, „ . Fig. 40.— Hister i;'igas.

much more resembles one of the (steei Wack.)

Dor Beetles, more especially as the

armed fore-legs of both insects are almost identical in shape.

The last of the Necrophaga which can be mentioned in this
work belongs to the family of the Nitidulidae. None of them
are large Beetles, and, though they belong to the ISTecrophaga,
many of them are found on flowers, under the bark of trees, and
in the nests of hymenopterous insects. Of these last, our own
species are mostly found in ants' nests, but that which is here
represented inhabits the nest of a wild bee, called Trigona, in-
habiting tropical America and New Holland.

The nest of this bee is very curious. It is not placed within
a hollow tree or underground, as are the nests of most social
honey-sucking bees, but is hung to the end of a branch, the
tough wax being plastered against the boughs so firmly that the

90 INSECTS ABROAD.

nest maintains its place in spite of its weight and the tossing
which it undergoes in windy weather. The honey is not de-
posited in continuous combs like those of the domestic bee, luit
in separate cells or "honey-pots." The wax is first formed into

. 1 strings about as thick as crow-quills,

and made into a sort of loose net-
work, in the interstices of which tlie
oval honey-pots are fixed, with th(;ir
mouths upwards. The wax is of dark
yellow-brown colour, much like that
of old leather. There is a good speci-
FiG.4i.-BnKi,ypepiu.auritus. men in the British Museum, where
the Trigonas [Trigona carhonaria of
New Holland) have deserted their usual trees and taken pos-
session of ati old box, which they have half filled with thtdr
curious combs.

Within this nest is found the Bracliypeplus, scattered among
the sponge-like congeries of honey-pots and network. Its colour
is very much like that of the wax, being reddish black, the
former colour predominating around the edges of the body. The
name Bracliypeplus is formed from the Greek word signifying
" short tunic," and is given to the insect on account of its veiy
short elytra. The specific name auritas, or " eared," refers to the
two car-like projections from the head, which, as in all the
Nitidulidrc, is deeply sunk in the thorax.

CHAPTEE VIIT.

PECTUnCORNES, OR COMB-HORNED BEETLES.

AccoKDiNG to the system of Lacordaire, the Beetles which next
come before ns are gathered into a group called Pectinicornes.
This word signifies " combed horns," and is given to these Beetles
on account of the rather peculiar structure of their antenna?.
The tips of these organs are not pointed, nor simply clubbed, but
their four last joints are furnished with flattened projections
which stand apart from each other like the teeth of a comb.
There is no definite number for these projections, or " lamella?,"
as they are scientifically termed, and there are specimens in the
British Museum which show that even in the same species con-
siderable varieties may exist in this respect.

In that collection is a series of the common Stag Beetle
{Lucanus cervns), showing a most singular variation in the num-
ber and shape of the lamellpe. Some have four lamellae, some
five, and some six. In some the lamellae are shortened so
regularly from the tip of the antennae towards its base, that it is
almost impossible to define where the ordinary joints end and the
lamellae begin. In some they are all very long, while in others
they are very short, while one specimen has them so large and
thick that they lose altogether the comb-like appearance, and
look like a thick, flattened, solid club.

There is another peculiarity in these insects ; namely, the
extraordinary development of the jaws in the males. Our own
Stag Beetle affords an excellent instance of this development,
but some of the insects which will presently be mentioned show
an enlargement of jaw before which the mandible of the Stag
Beetle appears almost insignificant. So different an aspect is
given to the males by their large jaws that they scarcely seem to
belong to the same species as the females, and, indeed, in the

92 INSECTS ABKOAD.

earlier days of Entomology the two sexes were set down as
different species.

Then, in these Beetles a still furtlier pecnliarity is fonnd ;
namely, the great variation in size of the males, and the differ-
ence in shape as well as in size of their jaws. It often happens
that two males are found in the same locality, and that one of
them will be at least four times as large as the other, while the
jaws of the smaller specimen shall be comparatively small and
feeble, and without the bold teeth and knobs which arm that of
its larger relative. It is conjectured that this difference in size
and development is caused by insufficient food during the larval
state, as is known to be the case with some other insects, but the
reason for the constant appearance of this arrested development
in the Pectinicornes is not very easy to see,

Owing to their great size and remarkable development of jaw,
this group of insects has always attracted attention. Dr. Thos.
Mouffet, in his "Theatre of Insects," written about the year
1620, has a quaint description of Beetles belonging to the
Lucanida? : —

" Beetles are some greater, some less. The great ones, some
have horns, others are without horns. Those that have horns,
some are like Hart's horns, others like Goat's horns. Others
have Bull's horns ; others have ram's horns ; some have horns
on their nose : we shall speak of them all in order.

" The Platycerus, or Hart's-horn Beetle, is called Lucanus by
Nigidius, as Pliny witnesseth. Some call it the Bull, others the
Plying Stag. , . . Amongst all the horned Beetles, for the shape
of its body, length, and magnitude, it may challenge the first
place, and is the most noted. It is blackish, of a dark red,
especially about the outward cover and the breast. It hath two
whole horns without joynts, and with haunches like a stag, as
long as our little finger in such as are grown up, but they are
less and shorter in the young ones : or (as Pliny saith) it hatli
long and moveable horns nicked with cloven pincers, and ^hen
it will it can bite or nip with them.

"Por it will close them wilfully, and useth its homes for that
end for which crabs and lobsters do their clawes. The eyes are
hard, putting forth, and whitish : it hath fore-yards on both sides
of them, one pair that are branched between the homes and the
eyes, the jnynt thereof making almost a right angle, and two

AN OLD NATURALIST. 93

more breaking foilli from the midst of tlie foreliead straiglit and
plain, ending as it were in a little smooth knot : it goes upon
six feet ; the fore feet are longer and greater than the rest.

" Lonicerus makes this to be the male ; but I (if there be any
distinction between the male and the female) shall not doubt to
call it the female ; both because the other kindes of Beetles are
less (lor, as Aristotle observes, the males in insects are far less
than the females). The male is altogether like it, but 'tis less
Ijoth for body and homes, which, though they be not branched
on both sides, yet, pressed together, they do more sharply piick
one's finger than the female doth."

The reader will doubtlessly have noticed the curious mixture
of correct description and wrong theory in this passage. In the
first 2>lace, Dr. Mouffet evidently thinks that the small undeve-
loped males are only young Beetles which will in time grow to
a larger size; and in the next place he mistakes the male for the
female — stating, however, with perlect accuracy, that tlie bite of
the latter is sliarper than that of lier larger jawed mate.

We will now pass to an example of these Beetles, the first of
Avhich is tlie Chiasognatlms Grantii of Chili.

I really hardly know where to begin in treating of this mag-
nificent insect, which is ecpmlly surprising from its strange sluqie,
its great size, and its mar\'ellon5 colouring. "We have nothing
like it in England, and it is so peculiar in its form that, togethei
with a few other Beetles, it forms the family of Chiasognathida-.

This is a rather long word, but it is easily explained. The
first portion of it signifies anything that is marked with a cross,
lik<' the (ireek character ^ or c^ii, or anything that crosses
another in like form. The latter half of the word signifies " a
jaw," and we shall frequently find it as forming portions of
certain insects' names. This name is given to the insect on
account of the extraordinarily shai)ed jaws of the fully developed
male, which, when closed, really do bear some resemblance to
the ^. The word, by the way, is not quite correctly spelled, the
proper rendering being Chiastognatlius.

The form of the extraordinary jaws is shown in the illus-
tration, but it is impossible by the plain black and white of
]irinter's ink to give any idea of their colour, which is shining
dark bronze green, over which plays a crimson radiance according

94

INSECTS ABROAD.

to the slightest change of light. This crimson line is strongest
near the base and upon any projections. Each of the jaws has
a bold curve downwards, and at the base is an enormous tooth,
boldly curving forwards, and so large as almost to look like a
second jaw. These teeth are never exactly of the same length,
that of the right jaw being generally, though not always, larger
than that of the left, .and when the jaws are closed these teeth
meet each other. The whole inside edge of the jaws is covered
with small teeth, so that what with these little teeth and tlie
large teeth at the base, the hold of the jaws is extremely
powerful.

Fig. 4'J. — Chiasogii.'itluis Grantii.
(Grceu, bronze, criiusuu, and gold. )

Measured along the curve, tlie length of jaw in a fine speci-
men is no less than two inches and a half, while from base to tip
in a straight line it is not quite two inches.

The head and throat are dark, metallic, shining green, glossed
like the jaws with carmine, this gloss being very conspicuous at
tlie hinder angles of the thorax, which project in two long and
sharp spikes. There is a curious tuft of hair on the antennae,
just where the lamellae begin.

The legs are coloured much like the jaws, and are armed with
a multitude of thorny points.

USE OF THE JAWS. 95

The elytra are also greeu, Liit liave a silky sort of a look.
The carmine gloss also belongs to tlieni, and is most apparent
along the edges and in the suture. The under surface is also
green, but is covered with a quantity of golden yellow down.

The female is shaped much like the male, except in the jaws,
which are very short, stout, and rounded. Still, though they do
not look so formidable as the enormous jaws of her mate, I think
tliat if I had to be bitten by either insect, I would prefer the
bite of the male to that of the female. She is gi-een in colour,
but the surface is not polished as in the male, and tlie green is
altogether of a duller quality.

This splendid insect is tolerably common in forests, where it
is found upon the trunks of trees, climbing them actively, and
even gracefully. The great development of jaw in the males
appears to be for the pjurpose of afibrding weapons whereby
they may fight for their mates. During their combat they raise
themselves upon their hind legs and bite fiercely, the stronger of
them breaking the jaw of his weaker opponent. Nine speci-
mens of this splendid genus are known to entomologists, but
none of them are nearly so large and so plentiful as the present
insect.

The Beetle which forms our second example of this singular
group is not so striking in point of form, but is much more

^V

Pig. 43. — Laiiipiima aurata.
(Gold-greeu, glossud with coplnjr.)

splendid in point of colour than tlie preceding insect. It is
called Lamprima aurata, and is a native of Southern Australia.

Of) INSECTS ABTtOAD.

In those insects the most striking point is the colour ol
tlie jaws. Generally among Beetles, however brilliantly the
head, boJy, and elytra may be coloured, the jaws are either
brown or black, whereas in these Beetles the jaws are not only
as vividly coloured as the rest of the body, but in some cases
are even of brighter and more conspicuous hues. Such is the
case with the present insect, the jaws of which are shining
coppery red, very deeply punctured, and their basal parts are
black covered with rich golden down.

The thorax is gold-green, covered with large punctures, and
having a large deep pit near each of the hinder angles. It
examined with a moderately powerful lens, it is seen that the
spaces between the large punctures are tilled with innumerable
tiny punctures, much too miiuite to be detected by the unaided
eye. It is to these multitudinous punctures that the peculiar
gloss of the surface is due.

The elytra are also gold-green, with a wash of coppery red,
and at the shoulder of each elytron there is a large shallow pit.
Like the thorax, the elytra are boldly punctured, but the lens
shows that the whole of the surface is covered with the minutest
imaginable furrows, drawn as if with a needle's point, from one
puncture to another, in a sort of irregular pattern. The colour
of the under surface is nearly the same as that of the upper.

There are many species of this genus, which seems to be re-
stricted to Australia. They are of all colours — azure blue, coppery
red, emerald green, dark green, gold bronze, &c. ; so that a collec-
tion of them is at first sight absolutely dazzling to the eyes.
Kot only does the colour thus vary, butv even in each species
there is considerable variation in colours, so that in describing
them it is necessary to select the average colouring of the species
generally, and not that ot any individual specimen. The name
of Zamjn'ima is taken from the Greek, and signifies anyone
that is adorned with gorgeous clothings so that it is a very appro-
priate title for so brilliant a genus. The name of aitr-atus, or
"gilded," which is given to the species, alludes to the conspicuous
golden gloss which plays over the green surface as the light
changes.

Next come the Lucanides, or true Stag Beetles, of which our
common British Stag Beetle is so familiar an example. One of

STRUCTURE OF THE JAW.

97

the finest foreign Stag Beetles is Cladognathiis giraffa, wliicli is
represented in tlie accompanying illustration. There is nothing
remarkable in the colouring of this insect, which is very much
like that of our own Stag Beetle, i.e. brown-black, with a tinge
of chestnut-red on the elytra. But it is a very striking insect
on account of its size and the shape of its formidable jaws.
Tlieir usual form in the fully developed male is shown m the
illustration. They bear some resemblance to the gnarled boughs
of a leafless oak-tree, and hence have secured for the genus the
name of Cladognathus, i.e. " branch-jaw."

Pig. 44. — Cladognathus giratfa. Male.
(Brown-Wack.)

The reader will probably notice that the upper portion of each
jaw is formed into three strong teeth, the third of which is much
the largest. In no instance do these teeth exactly coincide with
each other in both jaws, but in every case one is placed a little
higher or lower than its companion tootli, so that when the jaws
are closed the teeth cross each other, but do not meet. Beside
these three principal teeth there is a row of saw-like projections
on the inner side of the jaws, and at the base is a large rounded
projection which seems to serve the purpose of adding to the
firmness of the articulation. In colour the jaws are shining
black.

98 INSECTS ABROAD.

If examined with a lens, the soft and almost velvety surface
of the head and thorax is seen to be caused by an innumerable
multitude of very minute projections or pustules, all perfectly
circular, and placed just so closely together as to allow a small
ring of level surface to be seen round each of them. When
viewed with light that falls directly upon the surface, these
rings appear to be not circles, but hexagons, just like the lenses
of the insect's compound eye, or, to use a familiar example,
like those glass tumblers whose outer surface is covered with
small hemispherical knobs. The elytra are smooth to the naked
eye, but under the lens they are seen to be profusely covered
with very small punctures.

The female has remarkably .small jaws, which, as well as her
head, are covered with large and deep punctures. As her head
has not to support such enormous jaws as those of the male, it

Fio. 45.— Cladognathus giraffa. Female.

is small in proportion to the jaws, and in consequence gives her
an aspect very unlike that of her formidable mate.

There is no species of Lucanidae in which the variation in the
jaws of the fvilly and partially developed males is so marked as
in this insect. In the collection of the British Museum there is
a fine series of specimens, showing an amount of variation which
Avould make anyone but an experienced entomologist believe
that insects so different in size and shape must belong to dif-
ferent species. Indeed, as we shall presently see, many such
varieties have actually been described and figured as different
-species. In one of these small males the jaws are not half as
large as in the fully developed insect, and the boldly branch-

VARIATIONS. 99

shaped projections from which the genus derives its name are
represented by three little teeth, none of them larger than the
saw-like scoopings on the jaw of the large insect. But the most
conspicuous example of all is one in which the entire jaw is not
much more than one-third of an inch in length, is scarcely
thicker than a common worsted needle, and has only one very
slight and blunt tooth near the middle.

It is rather remarkable that, however small may be the
insect, however feeble its jaws, and however destitute these
organs may be of the branch-like teeth which render the jaws of
the fully-developed insect so formidable, the rounded projection
near the base is never absent. It differs in size according to the
dimensions of the jaw ; but whether the latter be large or small,
the rounded knob is always there.

The genus Cladognathus contains an astonishing number of
species. Major Parry enumerates and describes no less than
fifty-four, and it is almost certain that others wall be discovered
as the habits and haunts of the Beetles become better known.
In order to show how different are these species in colour, form,
and size, I will briefly mention one or two of them. There is
Cladognathus cinnamonca, the largest specimen of which is not
half the size of the ordinary giraffa, the elytra of whicli are
entirely of that peculiar warm yellow-brown which is so familiar
to us in the cinnamon, the thorax and head being black-brown.
Then there is Cladognathus vittatus, quite a small insect, scarcely
as large as our common Ground Beetles, Like the preceding
insect, it has the elytra cinnamon yellow, but upon each of them
is drawn a bold black band, or vitta, in consequence of which the
name vittata has been given to the species.

Another is Cladognathus occipitalis, which in point of colour
is perhaps the most conspicuous of the species. It is almost
entirely yellow, but on the thorax there are two bold oval spots
of shining black, each spot rising to a ridge ; there is a similar
spot, but diamond-shaped, on the middle of the thorax, and a
black line is drawn along the sutures and round the edges of
the elytra.

Although not the most striking in colour, yet, in my opinion,

the handsomest in that respect is Cladognathus inquinatus. In

this species the head and thorax are shining black, and the

elytra are warm, ruddy cliestnut. But each of the elytra is

H 2

100 INSECTS ABROAD.

edged with deep black, and a broad belt of the same colour runs
along the sutures almost as far as the tip. Indeed, if other
species were not known, we should have some difficulty in
deciding whether black or yellow is the ground-tint of the elytra,
so evenly are the two colours balanced.

There is one group of Oriental Stag Beetles which have the
elytra more or less dun, upon which is a certain amount of
black. They are gathered together under the generic title of
Odonfolahris, a term composed of two Greek words signifying
" toothed forceps," and given to the Beetles on account of the
powerful teeth with which their pincer-like jaws are armed.
In all the species belonging to this genus, the eyes are com-
pletely divided by a horny projection technically named the
" canthus," the club of the antennae is formed of three joints,
and in the males the tibia3 of the front pair of feet are armed
with spines on their outside edges, the corresponding joints in
the other limbs being smooth.

It is an extremely puzzling genus, owing to the extraordinary
variation of form, size, and colour which prevails throughout it,
and which is so erratic that our best entomologists have been
perplexed about the systematic arrangement of the insects. The
insect which has been selected as an example is so variable that
it has been described and figured under different names, the so-
called species having been afterwards proved to be nothing more
than varieties. The name of this species is Odontolabris Cuvcra,
and the specimen from which the drawing was taken is a good
average example of the colouring.

Tlie head is large and squared, and in the front the upper edge
is flattened and turned up something like the brim of a hat.
The thorax is also squared, and at the hinder angles there are
two sharp points, separated by a deep rounded notch. Both
head and thorax are black. If the insect be turned over, each
side of the head is seen to be covered with a multitude of pits
about as large as those in a lady's thimble, a few of them, how-
ever, being much larger than the others.

The elytra are warm yellow, and down their middle runs a
large black patch, shaped as shown in the illustration. Generally,
a narrow line of warm orange runs along the edge of the elytra
and skirts the black patch, but the variation in the depth and

A GICAXTIC BEETLE. 101

extent of colour is so great, that scarcely any two specimens are
exactly alike. Some, for example, have the elytra nearly all
black, some are almost entirely brown, and some have scarcely
any black about them. It has already been mentioned that in
the Lucanidte the males are liable to extreme variation in size,
and it is rather remarkable that in this genus the females are
principally varied in colour. This Beetle inhabits China and
Northern India, and it is thought tliat certain well-marked
varieties occur within certain geographical limits, as is the case
v/ith the Chinese Tiger Beetle.

Fig. 46. — Odoiitolabiis Cuvera.
(Black and vvaiiii yellow.)

There are several acknowledged species of the genus, the
largest of which is Odontolahris dux, a really gigantic insect.
Not only is it four inches in length, but it is broad, sturdy, and
thick-set, and must be enormously powerful. When I first saw
the splendid specimen in the British Museum, it recalled to my
mind a saying of a well-known German physiologist, who occu-
pied the table next to mine in the dissecting-room. " Af;h," he
muttered, sotto voce, " I wish a peetle so pig as a lopster." The
incident had almost been forgotten, when the sight of this
splendid insect recalled it to my mind, and I could not help

thinking that if Dr. C could only have possessed the insect

before it was pinned and dried, his desire for "a peetle so pig as

101

INSECTS ABEOAD.

alopster" would have been gratified. The colour of this large
insect is wholly black, except a slight edging of golden down on
the front and hinder edge of the tliorax, and a coating of similar
down on the inside of the tibioe of the four liinder legs.

The Beetle which is shown in the accompanying illustration
is, though not so large as the preceding insect, a very conspi-
cuous species, on account of its splendid metallic colouring. The
colour is not easily described, for the green and red vary su
much according to the light in which the insect is viewed, that
the Beetle may with equal truth be called green glossed with
red, or red glossed with green. The head is very large, and the
thorax comparatively small. The antennae, jaws, and legs are
long in proportion to the size of the body. The club of the
antennffi possesses four joints, and each jaw has several small

(Red, glossed witli gold-green.)

teeth near the tip, and two much larger teeth placed so as to
divide the jaw into three tolerably equal portions.

The colour of the jaws is very beautiful, and arranged in a
rather singular manner. As far as I can make out by careful
examination, the original hue is metallic red, with a tinge of
brown. But their whole surface is covered with a multitude of
punctures, and the interior of each puncture is deep, shining
green. Thus the reader will see that if lighted from above,
when the interior of the punctures becomes illuminated, the green
predominates over the red ; whereas, if the light falls on the
insect from the side, the interior of the punctures is thrown into

DORCUS BEETLES, 103

shade, and so the hrown-red of the surface predominates over
tlie green.

The thorax is covered with nudtitudinous hokl punctures,
between which run a vast numl^er of tiny wrinldes, too minute
to be detected by the unaided eye. The general hue of the
elytra is yellowish green, with a peculiarly satiny gloss, while a
narrow strip of dark metallic green runs on either side of the
suture. Below, the insect is wholly green, but not nearly so
bright as above.

There is, liowever, considerable variation in the colour, some
specimens being almost wholly browai, and their mandibles
very small and witliout the large teeth. One such specimen has
jaws only about half an inch in length. Near the tip there is a
row of sixteen very tiny teeth, then a large rounded notch, and
then another row of minute teeth near the base.

Tlie female is smaller than the male, has very small and com-
paratively feeble jaws, and is not so brilliantly coloured as her
mate. The colouring of an average specimen is as follows : — The
liead and thorax are brown with a cast of green, and covered
with large punctures. The elytra are reddish-brown, like new
mahogany, and upon them deep circular punctures are plenti-
fully scattered, between which are a vast number of tiny wrinkles.

The generic name of Cydommatus, given to this Beetle and
its kin, is formed from two Greek words signifying " circle-eyed,"
or "round-eyed." It is given to them because the eyes, instead of
being completely severed by the " ca-nthus " as in the preceding
insects, so that they look rather like four than two eyes, are
barely indented by it, and are therefore almost circular. The
insect comes f)"om Borneo.

According to the system of Lacordaire, the Beetles of which
our common Dorcus is a familiar example are separated into a
distinct group called Dorcides, which is cliiefly distinguished by
the club of the antennpe. This consists of four joints, and the
projections are flatter than in the Stag Beetles. The whole body,
too, is rather flattened.

Our insect is a small one, measuring oidy an inch in length,
Init the gigantic Beetle which represents the foreign Dorcidte is
four times that length, and correspondingly large in every respect.
Its name is Eunjtrachclvs Titan.

104

INSECTS ABROAD.

Both names are appropriate. The generic name, Eurytrachelns,
is formed from two Greek words signifying " broad-necked," and,
as may be seen by reference to the illustration, one of the principal
characteristics of the insect is its thick, sturdy form, the neck being
as wide as any part of the body, and hardly any break of outline
denoting the distinction between head, thorax, and abdomen.
This peculiar form is the sure sign of a boring insect, and enables
the creature to pass easily through passages in which any differ-
ence in diameter would cause it to stick fast. The name Titan
is taken from that of the well-known mythological giant, the

Fig. 48.— Eurytracheius Titan.
(Black.)

eldest brother and rival of Saturn. This is indeed a very Titan
among the Dorcida^ though there is one of them, Dorms Antmis,
which does not fall very far short of the dimensions of the Titan,
It is scarcely necessary to remind the classical reader that
Antaeus was another of the race of giants, and that his name
is in consequence conferred upon a gigantic insect.

When the enormous and powerful jaws of the insect are
closed, their armed points cross each other considerably, the
right jaw passing above the left. The formidable teeth which
spring from the centre of the jaw not only cross, but one passes

DIFFERENCE OF TEXTURE 105

just under the other, so that when the mandibles are tightly
closed, scarcely any space is left between them.

The colour of this Beetle is simply black, but it has a sort of
satiny appearance which can only be explained by the magnify-
ing glass. To the unaided eye both the elytra and the rest of
the body have the satiny gloss, but with a difference of texture,
like that of two qualities of satin. How this difference is ob-
tained the lens reveals. The head and thorax are covered with
myriads of raised semi-globular prominences, very similar in shape
to those which stud the petal of a Hower — say a geranium, and
give it the peculiar softness which no pencil can even approach.

If we double a petal of a geranium, and place the folded
portion under the microscope so as to look along it, we shall
find that the edge, instead of being quite straight, is studded
with a row of little semi-conical projections, thus — '-^---^^— •
each being in fact a partially developed hair. Now, if we take a
portion of the present insect, or of any insect which possesses
a similar texture of surface, and manage to get a side view of it,
we shall find that it is studded with almost similar projections,
they being partially developed spines or spikes. If, however,
w^e shift our lens to the elytra, we shall see the difference of
texture at once explained ; for the surface, instead of being
studded with little projections or " pustules," is covered with
little hollows or punctures, each much the same size as the
pustules.

There are many foreign Dorcidte, one of which, Dorcus Antams,
has already been mentioned. The only other species that pre-
sents any distinctive points is Dorcus Dehaanii. The elytra of
the female are covered with parallel rows of shining black ridges,
and between each of the ridges is a double row of very large
and deep punctures. These punctures are as dull as the ridges
are bright, so that there is a very bold contrast between them.

There is a small British Beetle, familiar to entomologists wlio
know where to look for it, but scarcely ever seen by others.
It is called Sinodcndron cylindricum, and it inhabits decaying
wood, being generally found within fallen ash-trees. Its cylin-
drical body points it out at once as a boring Beetle, as does that
of the Dorcus, and, indeed, these two insects are often found
inhabiting the same tree.

106 INSECTS ABROAD.

Just as we have seen foreign examples of the Dorciis, so the
Ceruchus striatns of Vancouver's Island appears a good example
of the foreign Sinodendron. It is larger than our British species,
and has the surface even more conspicuously marked. It gains
its generic name of CerucJtns, or " horn-hearing," from the two
horn-like projections of the head, which are but slightly indi-
cated in the Sinodendron. When viewed sideways, the head is
seen to be bent downwards, flattened and shovel-shaped, so as to
' _ -^^ assist the Beetle in forcing its way

through the material in which it
lives. Both in the larval and perfect
states, these insects, as well as the
Dorcus, inhabit rotten wood, so that
the infrequency of their appearance
in the open air- is easily accounted for.
The surface of the insect is broken
up in a very complicated fashion. The
■ims striatns. head is covcred witli larsje puuctures,

black ) c> r ^

and so is the thorax, which has also
two depressions or pits on each side, so large that they almost
look as if they were injuries. The elytra are covered with
bold ridges, and both they and the furrows between them
are profusely covered with large punctures. According to the
system of Lacordaire, this insect forms one of a group called
yEsalides.

The next group, called Passalides, is looked upon as a link
between the Pectinioorn and Lamellicorn Beetles, on account
of the form of the larva, which, as we shall see, very much
resembles that of a Lamellicorn Beetle. Our example of the
group is the fine insect called Kcleus or Passalus intcrruptus.
It inhabits Demerara.

It is really a striking insect, though the colouring is very
simple. The body is shining black, but there is a wonderful
quantity of silky golden down, which contrasts boldly with the
otherwise uniform black. The upper part of the head is thickly
covered with this down, which in this place has a dash of orange
in it, very much like the beautiful tuft on the head of our
golden-crested wren. Tufts of similar hair project from the
shoulders, and densely clothe the hind tarsi, which look like

HABITS OF THE LARVA. 107

yellow bruslics. Along the middle of the thorax is a deep
channel, and a few very shallow pits are scattered over it. The
elytra turn rather abruptly over the sides, and that portion is
covered with deep punctures. Each elytron is marked with ten
bold stria3, and one of them, which runs from the shoulder,
extends only half-way along the elytron, whence comes tlie
specific name intcrrvjjtiis.

The habits of this insect are very similar to those of the
Dorcus and Ceruchus, both larva and. beetle living in rotten
wood. The insects of this genus possess large wings, but tJie
larger species appear seldom to use them. The smaller species,
however, are more active, and are accustomed to fly about after
dark.

The larva} of Dorcus, Sinodendron, and their kin arc, as is
often the case with wood-boring larva?, rather deeply ringed.

l-iG. .:i(i.— .^eleus iiiten-n;itns,
(J31;ick, with gulden down.)

In the Passalidos, however, the larvre are comparatively smooth,
the rings are but slightly marked, and the general form very
closely resembles that of the Lamellicorn larva.

M. Lacordaire, after giving a description of the insect, makes
a statement which seems absolutely astounding. "All those
insects which I have observed in America are remarkable for
the rapidity with which they die when pierced with a pin. The
most vigorous individual scarcely survived three or four hours
after that operation" (vol. iii. p. 45).

From which account we gather that M. Lacordaire was accus-
tomed to pin Beetles while still alive, and to allow them to
remain for hours after "that operation" without killing them.
There is a cool unconsciousness of cruelty al)Out the whole state-
ment which seems scarcely credible in a professed naturalist,

108 INSECTS ABROAD.

especially to English entomologists, who are always searching
for the best means of killing as quickly and with as little pain
as possible, the insects which they need for the purposes ot
science. The idea of pinning living Beetles, and then being
surprised to find that they died in three or four hours, would
never have occurred to the least humane of our entomologists.
I can but wonder how long those Beetles might have lived
which did not die within four hours of the " operation."

CHAPTER IX.

LAMEILICORN, OR LEAF-HORNED BEETLES, SOMETIMES
CALLED PET ALO CERA.

In most respects the Pectinicorn and Lamellicorn Beetles re-
semble each other, but in many points there are decided distinc-
tions. In the first place, the form of the larvoe differs in both
these groups, as has been mentioned in the last chapter ; and, in
the second place, the antennas are differently constructed. In
the Pectinicorns the club of the antennae is formed by comb-
like projections, whereas in the Lamellicorns the projections are
flat, like the leaves of a fan. The name Lamellicorn is formed
from two Latin words, the former signifying " a little flat plate,"
and the other " a horn." The second name, Petalocera, is Greek,
and has precisely the same meaning, i.e. " petal-horned."

The larvee of the Lamellicorn Beetles are odd-looking creatures,
familiar to the practical cultivator who uses spade and fork him-
self, but never seen except when turned out of the earth. They
are large, fat, smooth, paly-white grubs, always doubled up,
and with the hinder end very much larger than the rest of the
body. In uncultivated lands it is probable, if not certain, that
all these subterranean larvae, perform a necessary and useful
office. When, however, land is cultivated, and consequently
the arrangements of Nature are altered, the ofBce of the Lamel-
licorn insects is altered too, some being doubly useful, while
others are definitely injurious. Taking our own country as the
locality, and two Lamellicorn Beetles as examples, namely the
Cockchafer and the Dor, we find that the former has now
become an utter nuisance, destroying the roots of grass in its
larval state, and the leaves of trees in its perfect condition;
while the Dor Beetles confer singular benefits on the proprietors
of pasture lands by seizing on the droppings of the cattle and

110 INSECTS ABROAD.

carrying them deeply into the earth so as to fertilize the soil and
improve the crop of grass.

How effectively they perform this duty is scarcely to be
known except by those who watch the habits of the insects.
Last year I was much struck with the amount of work done
by these Beetles. Not far from my house there is a field wdiich
is used as pasture land for cattle, and which is in consequence
thickly sprinkled with their droppings. There had been a
succession of moderately warm and very wet days, so that the
ground was quite soaked with the rain. Having to search for
certain wood-boring insects, I had to pass through the field, and
was greatly struck with the appearance which it presented. Its
whole surface was literally riddled with the holes of the Dor
Beetles, the burrows being placed so closely together that every
square foot of grouijd contained forty or fifty of them. Here,
then, we have a vast army of agricultural labourers, working
without wages, and doing in a short time the work which would
have occupied a strong body of men for a considerable time,
and would have forced them besides to take up the turf and
re-lay it.

In warmer lands than ours similar Beetles also exist, but
there are others who perform the same work in a different
manner, as we shall presently see. The number and variety ot
these insects are enormous. Some of them are quite small,
soberly coloured, and smooth surfaced. Others are of huge
dimensions, magnificently coloured, and furnished with the
strongest imaginable projections from the head and thorax.
Indeed, so important are they from their great numbers, the
offices which they fulfil, the gorgeous colouring and gigantic
dimensions of many of the species, that the late F. W. Hope
told me that he very much doubted whether the Lamellicorn
Beetles ought not to be placed at the head of the insects instead
of the Geodephaga.

"V\"e will begin the history of the Lamellicorns with the Scara-
beides, one of which is the most celebrated Beetle of their race —
perhaps the most celebrated insect in the world. This is the
Sacred Scarabteus {Atcuclms sacer), which was held in such
veneration by the ancient Egyptians, and which is represented
in such profusion on tlieir tombs and even on their personal

THE SACRED SCARAB^US. Ill

ornaments. The reason for its sacred character, or at least one
of the reasons, we shall presently see.

The mode of depositing its eggs is very remarkable. Our
British Beetles merely dig through the patch of cowdung, carry
some of it to the bottom of the hole, and therein lay a single
egg. In those places, however, where the Sacred Scarabteus
lives, such a proceeding is impossible, on account of the difference
of the soil. The earth of our pasture lands is comparatively

^j^^^-r"

Fig. 51. — Ateuchus sacer.
(Black.)

soft and can be easily excavated, but, as a rule, in the country
inhabited by the Sacred Scarabseus, the earth is hard and stony,
so that the insect is obliged to search for a spot sufficiently soft
to allow her to excavate. It is necessary therefore that the
Beetle should be able to transport from place to place a sufficient
amount of the material on which the young larva is to feed, and
this she does in a very curious manner.

Taught by instinct, she gathers together exactly so much of
the material as will give to the future young an ample sui)ply of
food, places in the midst an egg, works it into a rudely globular
form, and then proceeds on her travels in search of a spot in
which she can burrow. The mode of progression also is very
peculiar. Turning her back upon the ball, and grasping it with

112 INSECTS ABROAD.

the hind legs, slie works backwards, pushing the ball along
innch as a horse backs a cart.

Her perseverance in this work is really wonderful. The task
is a very hard one, for the insect cannot see where she is going,
and is just as likely as not to push the ball over a steep and
stony hillock which she might have skirted without the least
difficulty. When quite tired out, she rests for a while and then
sets off again on her travels, seldom failing in the end to bring
her labours to a successful conclusion. Her work is the harder
because the ball is never quite spherical. At first it is made
. rather at random, and by degrees becomes more rounded as it is
rolled, just as a great snowball becomes rounder as w^ell as
larger while it is rolled through the snow. Still, the ball is
never a smooth sphere, but is of an irregular outline, so tliat the
difficulty of rolling it is much increased.

There are two points in connection with this ball which are
worthy of notice, the first being the instinctive attachment which
the Beetle feels towards it, and the second the utter want of
reason in such attachment. It is hardly possible to induce one
of these insects to abandon the ball wdiich contains her egg until
she has laid it safely beneath the earth. But she cannot recog-
nise her own ball from that of any other Beetle; and if two
females be engaged in the task of depositing their eggs, and the
balls be exchanged, neither insect seems to be conscious of the
deception, but labours as cheerfully for the ball which contains
her neiglibour's egg as she did for that which held her own.

For the perfectly instinctive and wdiolly irrational attachment
to the egg-ball, we have a parallel in our own country. There
are certain little black-brown, swift-footed spiders, which spin
no webs, but keep to the ground, on which they catch their prey
by fair chase. The female Wolf Spiders, as these creatures are
called, may be seen in the summer-time carrying about with
them a little silken bag containing their eggs. Nothing can
induce them to relinquish their treasure, and the spider would
sooner lose her life tlian her egg-sac. Yet if, as is the case
with the Scarabaus, the egg- sacs of two Wolf Spiders be ex-
changed, both creatures are perfectly satisfied ; and even if a
little particle of cotton-wool be rubbed up and placed in the
way of a bereaved female, she will take it up and carry it about
just as if it wore hor own egg-sac.

A CURIOUS ATTITUDE. 113

It is botli on account of the shape of the egg- ball made by the
Soarabffius, and of the intense love which the insect bears for
it, that the ancients employed it as an emblem of the Divine
Creator's power. The earthen ball, with the egg in its centre,
was taken as an emblem of fertility, and the attachment of the
beetle to the ball was recognised as an emblem of the Creator's
love towards His creatures.

There are many species or varieties of this Beetle scattered
over all the warmer portions of the w^orld, and in most places
they have some popular name. In many parts of America, for
example, they are plentiful, and go by the popular name of
Tumble-bugs, the latter word being in general use in America
to designate a Beetle of any kind.

In general appearance this Beetle has rather a striking
appearance. It is black in colour, and furnished beneath with a
quantity of long, dense, brownish hairs, to which the earth clings
so firmly that I have hardly seen a specimen which had not its
downy coat clogged with soil. The head is very flat and shovel-
like, and is cut into deep notches so that it seems to be sur-
rounded with spikes. The tibios of the fore-legs are furnished
on their outer edges with four long and powerful teeth ; and
when the Beetle assumes an attitude of which it is very fond,
i.e. placing its fore-legs on 'either side of its head, the whole
front of the insect looks like a flat, spiky wdieel. This attitude
was very familiar to the ancient Egyptians, and in almost every
case wdiere the Sacred Scarabteus is sculptured, whether it be the
gigantic granite image in the British Museum, or the tiny gold,
glass, or porcelain figures that are strung on necklaces and
bracelets, the insect is represented in the attitude of rest,
crouching low iipon the earth, with its fore- legs on either side
of its head. The body is very rotund, and the elytra are nearly
smooth, being only marked by some lines of faint punctures.

The generic name Atcuchus signifies " unarmed," and is given
to the insects because neither the head nor thorax possesses those
horn-like projections which are so conspicuous in many of the
larger Lamellicorns. The name Scarahceus has already been
explained on page 62.

The number of these Beetles is so very great that we must be
contented with, two types ; namely, the Sacred Scaraba3us wdiich

I

114 INSECTS ABROAD.

lias just beeu described, and the curious insect wliicli is sliowu
ill the illustration below. Tlie genus to which it beloni:s
is distinguished by the hard and rounded body, the very long
curved legs, and the general crab-like look of the insects. They
are spread over a considerable portion of the globe, and, indeed,
few of tlie warmer parts seem to be without them. IMany
species, such as our present example, inhabit Southern Africa;
one, Sisyphus Sclimfferi, is known to be European; and others
are Asiatic. The most remai'kable of the latter is the smalk'st
of the genus, called Sistjphus minntus, the body of wliich is
scarcely as large as a swan-shot.

All the legs of the Sisyphus are enormously lengthened, and
are bent in a most singular fashion, the peculiar curvature not
being properly visible unless the insect be viewed from behind

and nearly at the level of
the eye. This peculiar form
of tlie leg is probably useful
to the insect in rolling its
egg-balls.

" The colftur of this Beetle
is dull brownish black, bui
upon the elytra are a number

Fig 52 -Si-,yi.Iuis muucatus ^f ixxhn of jct-black doWIlV

hairs, that stand boldly from
the surface on which they are planted, and are very con-
spicuous. The thorax is covered with a coating of very shoit
and veiy dense down of a dark-brown hue, something like tlie
fur of the mole. All these insects fly well, and, like our
common Rose Beetles, keep the elytra almost closed, instead of
spreading them as most Beetles do, when they fly.

The generic name of Sisyphus is given to these Beetles because
their task of rolling their egg-balls has an evident analogy witli
that of the mythological Sisyphus. The specific name murimtus
signifies "spiky," or "prickly," and is given to the insect on
ac'count of the bold spike-like hair-tufts with which its elytra
are studded. The word conies from the Latin murex, a whelk,
which, in the plural {murices), was employed to signify caltrops,
or "crow's feet," i.e. iron spikes thrown on the ground to arrest
the progress of cavalry.

1 cannot quit these insects without quoting a few extracts

^^£

BEETIES MOltALIZKD.

115

from De INIouffet's quaint and elaborate treatise npon the Sacred
ScaraljiTeus, in which he compares men and lieetles together, and
shows, very much to his own satisfaction, that the man ought to
take example by the insect : —

"The Latines call it Pilularius, because it turns up round
pills, which it fashions by turning them backwards Avith its
hinder feet. All your Pilularii have no females, but have their
generation from the sun ; they make great balls with their
hinder feet, and drive them the contrary way ; like the sun, it
olisorves a circuit of twenty-eight dales. . . . The Beetle called
Pilularius makes a round ball of the roundness of the heavens,
winch it turns from east to west so long till it hath brought it
to the figure of the world ; afterwards it laies it up under the
earth where it breeds, and when that hath so laid it up, it lets
it remain there for a lunary rooneth; when that is ended, it
casts every ball out of its nest by itself, which being dissolved in
water, the beetle-worm comes forth without wings, but in a few
daies it grows up to be a flying Beetle. For this reason the
.^Egy[:)tians consecrated this to Apollo, and adored it for no
small god, by the curious interpretation of Apion, whereby he
collected that the likeness of the sun was given to this creature,
and so he excused the idolatrous customs of his country.

" They wonderfully hate roses as the plague of their family,
but dung, especially of cowes, and dunghils, they love so much
that, smelling the smell of them a very long way off, they
will fly suddenly to it. But they go but slowly, yet they
labour continually and exceedingly, and delight most of all to
produce their young ones ; for ofttimes the little round bals that
they mal^e, by the injury of the winds in places, fall away, and
fall from a high place to the bottome ; but this Beetle, desiring
a propagation, watcheth with perpetual care, and raising this
Sisyphian ball to its hold with continual striving, and that
tumbling back again, at length she produceth it. And truly,
unless it were endowed with a kinde of Divine soul (as all things
are full of God's wonderfulnesse), it would faint and be spent
in this great contest, and would never take this pains any mora

" Beetles serve divers uses, for they both profit our mindes

and they cure some infirmities of our bodies. F'or when this

living creature (and scarce a living creature, for it wants some

senses), being of the basest kinde of insects, and nothing but a

I 2

116 INSECTS ABROAD.

crust, doth excel man iu divers faculties, this slioukl teach us
modesty, temperance, labour, magnanimity, justice, and pru-
dence. For, though its house be but a dunghil, yet it lives
contented therewith, and is busied and delighted in it ; nor doth
it more willingly eat or drink among roses than in goat's dung,
which smels in its senses as sweet as marjoram. For it lives by
the laws of Nature, and will not exceed her orders.

" The greatest care it takes is to make the greatest bals it can,
as if they were sweet bals which with wonderful labour it
rolleth from her; and if it chance to roll its burden against
some heap, that the bals slip away and fall down again, you
would imagine that you saw Sisyphus rolling a stone to the top
of a mountain, and falling back upon him, yet is it not weary,
nor will it rest till it hath rolled it to its nest, so earnest is it
about its work. But we poor men do nothing that is worth our
labour, or as we have power to do, and we give off in the very
steep entrance of vertue, and we spend all our pains and daies
in idleness, following ill-counsel, till we get a habit of mischief
to our own destruction.

" Who doth not see the courage of the Beetle ? if he shall
observe him fighting with an eagle (as 'tis related of the Beetles
in India). And indeed, though the eagle, its proud and cruel
enemy, do no less make havoc of and harm this creature ot
so mean a rank, than our lordly storks do to the peasant frogs ;
yet, as soon as it gets an opportunity, it returneth like for like,
and sufficiently punislieth that spoiler. For it flyeth up nimbly
into her nest with its fellow-soul diers the Scara Beetles, and in
the absence of the old she-eagle bringeth out of the nest the
eagle's eggs one after another till there be none left : which
falling and being broken, the young ones, while they are yet
nnshapen, being dasht miserably against the stone, are deprived
of life before they have any sense of it."

After narrating many similar anecdotes showing how the Beetle
ought to " profit our niindes," the author proceeds to instruct us
how to use the Beetle so as to " cuje some infirmities of our
bodies." Among many remedies the following deserves to be
quoted: — "Tor the awaking of such as are troubled with the
dead sleep and with the lethargy (when cantharides and
cauteries have done no good), two or three Dung Beetles alive,
put up together under half a walnut-shell, to be made fast about

A LIVE BLISTEK 117

the nape of the neck, being first well shaved, and upon the
muscles of the fore-part of the arms (on every muscle one), and
under the sole of each foot one, because this doth wonderfully
rouze up such as are in a lethargy."

I should think that it did rouse them up ! Let any of my
readers take into his hand one of our common Dor Beetles,
and let it try to scratch its way out. He will not be very long
before he lets it go. The pain which must be inflicted by the
large and powerful Scarabai'us, especially when fastened on the
tenderest parts of the body, which have already been blistered
and cauterized, must be something almost too horrible to
contemplate.

The next family is tliat of the Deltochilidie, of whicli we
have no example in England. These insects have the head almost

Fig. 5.1— Deltochilum Macleayi.
(Black, with chocolate elytra. )

hexagonal, and the eyes are so completely divided by abroad band
of horny substance, that a small portion of them appears on the
upper part and a large portion oh the lower. Indeed, the insect,
like the well-kuown Whirligig beetles, appears to have four eyes
instead of two. The name Ddtockilum is Greek, and signifies
a delta-like or triangular jaw.

The tibia of the fore- legs are broad, flat, strong, and armed
on their outside edges witli three long and sliarp spikes, evidently

118 INSECTS ABROAD,

used for digging purposes. It is rather remarkable that none of
the specimens in tire British Museum have any tarsi, and in all
these Beetles the tarsus of the fore-legs is very small, and can
be tucked away so as to be protected while the limb is employed
in excavating the earth. Probably, in such operations the tarsus
was broken off, but, as it is of such minute dimensions, the
Beetles get on very well without it.

The head and thorax are bhick, the former being roughly
granulated, and the latter very finely punctured, so as to give it
a sort of satiny surface. The elytra are rather curious. They
are very flat, and are roughly wrinkled. At first sight the
wrinkles appear to be without any order, and to be scattered
over the wing-cases as vaguely as wheat-blades appear to be on a
field, from almost every point of view. But just as the wheat
arranges itself in regular lines when viewed from the ends ot
tlie furrows, so do these wrinkles show themselves to be arranged
in longitudinal rows when the eye is directed parallel to the
central line of the body. The colour of the elytra is dark
chocolate, and on each end they are flattened and turned up like
the rim of a hat. If the insect be viewed edgewise, the elytra
will be seen to be also turned downwards, so as to cover a con-
siderable portion of the side.

There are several species known to entomologists. They are
mostly black and dull in colour, but one or two depart from the
general rule, and are really brilliant insects. By far the prettiest
is Deltochihtm Icarus, which is of a bright metallic cojiper-red,
sliglitly glossed with bronze, having the whole surface very finely
punctured, and the elytra marked w^ith bold stria3, each covered
with fine punctures. All these Beetles inhabit South America.

Next come the Coprides, of which we have some six or seven
species in England, the best-known of which is Copris lunaris,
the male of which has a long and upright horn on the head.
The Coprides dig deep burrows, mostly oblique, and not perpen-
dicular like those of our Dor Beetles. They have the power
of making a creaking sort of noise, which is said to be produced
by the friction of the tips of the elytra against the abdomen.
This sound is conspicuous in the British species which has just
been mentioned.

The finest foreign example of these Beetles is undoubtedly

THE COPPJS BEETLES. J19

the large ami massive Cop-is Hamadri/as. ^This insect is a
wonderfully fine one, measuring two inches and a half in length,
of a shining black colour, and being densely clothed in parts
with long silken, gold-coloured down. It is found both in
Africa and Asia. The general form of the male may be seen
by reference to the illustration. The head, with its forked,
upright horn, is deeply punctured and granulated, and so is the
thorax, except in the middle, where it is highly polished, like
black, burnished steel. The elytra are punctured in parallel

Fig. 54. — Copris Hamailryas.
(Black, with golden yellow down.)

rows, and are so highly polished that it is not easy to hold even
a dead and dried specimen, as it persists in slipping through the
lingers as though it were oiled.

The female is without the formidable-looking horn of the
male, and even in the latter sex there is very great variation in
the size and shape of the horn. Some of the species have a
curious resemblance to the Dynastidas, a family which will
presently be described. The most curious of them is Copris
Laius, which has two large pointed horns on the thorax, and a
very long horn on the head, curved back so as nearly to touch
those of the thorax.

If the insect be turned over so as to bring the under surface
into view, the quantity of the golden down with which it is
clothed is seen to be very great, especially in two large oval

120 INSECTS ABROAD.

patches under tliahe.ul. The ftire-h\g3 are exceedingly powerful,
and the tibia is flat, hollowed, armed with two very hold teeth
on tlie outside, and its under surface is covered with a vast
number of slightly curved ridges, running parallel to each
other, and diagonally across the limb. The tarsus is so small
that hardly anyone except an entomologist would notice it.

This sj)ecies lives underground, at the bottom of very dce]^
burrows, so that it would easily escape observation, even in
localities where it was plentiful. As, however, like our own
species, it lives und(U^ patches of cowdung, an entomologist can
mostly hit upon its dwelling-place. It possesses large and
powerful wings, and when it chooses to use them, which appears
seldom to be the case, it inakes a loud humming noise. Tro-
bably it flies more by night than by day, and so its flight
escapes observation.

I HAVE chosen the splendid insect which is here figured, not
only because it is the flnest example of its genus, but because; it is

(rurplc aiul green.

also the rarest, the British IMuseum only possessing a single speci-
men, which was brought Ijy Mr. Bates from Para, on the Amazon
liiver. The length of the specimen is an inch and three-

HABITS OF THE PHANyEUS. 121

quarters, the tliickness of the body is an inch, and the horn of
the head is one inch and a third in length.

The colouring of this Beetle is singularly beautiful, and not
very easy to describe. The head and greater part of the horn
are deep purple, shot with green, or vice versa, just as the light
happens to fall on it ; the tip of the horn being black. Tlie
stpuire, flat plate at the hinder portion of the thorax is deep
purple, and is thickly and boldly punctured. The strangely
curved elytra are rich violet in colour, are boldly ridged, and
between the ridges their surface is deeply granulated. The eyes
are divided like those of the Deltochilum.

There are many species of this genus, all exceedingly variable
both in colour and size. Some are quite black, and some
blue, but the prevailing hue is green with a golden gloss. The
generic name of Fhana'iLs, or "conspicuous," is given to them on
account of their beautiful colouring and strange form. Their
habits are much the same as those of the preceding genus.
Mv. Westwood mentions that one species, PJuxnccus melon, is
found under dead fish, and yet smells strongly of musk ; and
that two other species, Fhatiociis nigro-violaceus and sulcatus,
dig holes under dead snakes and bury them in a few hours.

The next family, the Geotrupidae, are so similar to our own
familiar British species that I have only selected one species by
M'ay of example ; namely, Bolhoceras Rcichci, an insect which is
spread over the greater part of Australasia.

It is a thick-bodied, sturdily built Beetle, and though not
large, measuring not quite an inch
in length, is one of the largest of
the genus to which it belongs. Its
colour is a very shining yellowisli
brown, so that the Beetle looks \ery
nuich as if it were immature and had
not been exposed to the light long
enough to have assumed its deeper
colouring. The elytra are covered witli ])arallel ])unetured stria?.

The most conspicuous feature in this insect is the enormous
horn w^hich rises pejpendicularly from the head of the male,
and which gives to it, when viewed from the front, much of the
air of a rhinoceros. The length of the horn is rather more than

122

INSECTS ABROAD.

half an inch. The lower surface of the insect is clothed with
long and dense hair, of the same colour as the hody. The name
Bolhoccrus is formed from two Greek words signifying " bulb-
horned," and is given to this insect because the base of the horn
is swollen into a sort of bulb.

Like many of their kin, the Bolboceri fly in the twilight.
M. le Vaillant mentions that great numbers are captured by
frogs and toads, and may be found in the stomachs of these
creatures. The reader may not be aware that the stomachs of
toads are recognised localities for many rare Beetles. The toad
is out all night engaged in insect hunting. At dawn the ento-
mologist catches him, kills him, opens his stomach, and finds in
it plenty of Beetles, some of which are nearly sure to be rarities.
I think that the late Eev. F. W. Hope was the first entomologist
who made me aware of the value of a toad's stomach to the
collector of Beetles. Thei'e are plenty of other insects in the
same locality, but they are generally too much damaged to
be placed in a collection, while the hard and horny mail ot
the Beetle suffers but little injury.

One example of the
Enoland we have but one

^SSx^V

Hoplidie must also suflSce us. In
representative of this family, namely,
Hoplia jjJiilanthus, a little dark
Beetle which flies in the hottest sun-
shine, and has a habit of conceal-
ing itself in flowers, thus receiving
the specific name of 2^hilanthus, or
" flower-lover." The generic name of
Hoplia is taken from a Greek word
signifying " a heavy-armed soldier,"
and is given to the insects on account
of their hard mail-clad bodies.

Fio. 57.-Hoplosoelisgi-ossipes. mi • i. i • i t i i i n

(Black head and thorax; chestnut elytra.) lllC lUSCCt WlllCh i liaVC Selected

at once arrests the eye on account
of the extraordinary development of its hind-legs. The whole
limb is very powerful, the thigh being large, stout, and
rounded. The greatest development is, however, seen in the
tibia, the end of which is very much widened, and is spread ,
into two great horn-like projections, from the junction of which
proceeds the long tarsus. The colour of the legs is shining

BEAUTY OF THE HOPLIAS. 123

black ; that of the head and thorax is also Llack, and that of the
elytra is chestnut, or reddish brown. The insect is found at the
Cape of Good Hope.

Though we have not space for more figures of Hoplidte, some
of the species are too remarlcable to be passed over.

Some are covered with long hairs, one of tliem (Anisoni/x
ursus) looking so like a fat, hairy spider, that it might easily be
mistaken for one. Its colour is black. But there is another
(Lynx crinitus) which is equally hairy, and which is green.
The most hairy of all, however, is tlie Fcritrichia. This
remarkable insect is so thickly covered with long hair, even to
the ends of its legs, that it has no particular outline, and looks
exactly like a small bundle of black hairs pinched loosely
together.

Some of them are exceedingly beautiful in their colouring.
One of them is bright green, covered with squared black spots
arranged in regular rows along the elytra. xVnother, belonging
to the genus Eciinolioplia, is velvety black, with two golden
stripes on the thorax, and the whole of the elytra, except a
patch in the middle, powdered with tiny golden spots. One
specimen in the British Museum has the spots blue instead of
gold.

The most beautiful of them all is the Hoplia cccrulca, a Beetle
rather larger than our own species. To the unaided eye it is of
a beautiful pale blue, with a sheen like that of the richest silk.
This lovely exterior causes thousands of them to lose their lives,
for they are taken by collectors in vast numbers, and sold for
the purpose of being made into those " beetle pictures " which
are an abomination to every true naturalist.

When placed under the microscope with, say, a half-inch
power, the secret of its beauty is at once disclosed. The reader
may remember that many of the exotic Hoplias are thickly
covered with hairs. In this species the hairs are modified into
Hatteued scales, each scale having a changeable iridescence
playing over its surface. Blue is the predominating colour, but
when seen under the microscope, scarcely any two scales possess
exactly the same colour. Some are deep azure, edged with
crimson, while others are tipped with green and shining gold.
Some are almost entirely green, with gold edges, while others
are all gold except a slight edging of crimson.

124 IxVSFX'TS AHKOAD

Tliere are otlier species in which the hairs are changed into
scales, but in none are the scales so splendidly coloured as in
Boplia ca'rulea. One of these scale-bearing species is Hoplia
squamosa, in which the scales are all of pale golden yellow.
This is one of the smallest of the Hoplias, being no bigger than
a small house-fly.

When alarmed, all the Hoplias have an odd habit of sticking
out their legs in different directions, and remaining perfectly
motionless for a time. They rest principally on the breast, sup-
ported by the middle pair of legs : the front pair are pushed out
in front, and the hind-legs straightened as much as possible, and
held high in the air. In this peculiar attitude the shape of the
Beetle is quite altered, but whether it be intended as a mere
counterfeiting of death, or as a protection against its enemies, is
very doubtful.

jSTow we come to the Melolohthides, or true Chafers, a fannly
which is familiar to us on account of the Cockchafer and
Summer Chafer, which are such pests botli in their larval and
their perfect stages.

The species which has been chosen as the representative ot
its family is a very large one, the specimen from which the
figure was drawn being nearly two inches and a half in length
and very stoutly built, though longer in proportion to its width
than our own species. It is a native of India.

The colouring of this insect is rather curious, and cannot be
properly seen without the aid of a tolerably powerful magnify-
ing glass. The head and thorax are very dark blackish brown,
and the elytra are red-brov/n, each having a small oblong white
spot near the tip. These two white spots are very conspicuous,
and have gained for the insect the specific name of himaculata,
or "two-spotted." AVhen the magnifier is brought to bear on
these spots, they are seen to consist of a number of long, leaf-
shaped, white scales, projecting boldly over each other, and
looking very much like a bunch of white leaves pressed nearly
flat. The generic name Leucopholis is formed from two Greek
words signifying " white-scaled," and is given to the insect in
conseijuence of tliis formation.

On looking at the cly'tra with some care, the observer notices
that tlioy arc s[>;uiiigly V">^\'^l''i'*i^l \\\{\\ tiny whitish marks.

TLATr i:

^

A SPLENDID BE1:TLE.

125

These marks are so niiuute that they really look like accidental
particles of dust. AVheii examined with the lens, each of these
marks is seen to be a little white scale, shaped like a curved
claw or horn, and projecting from the bottom of a shallow
circular pit. These pits are set closely together and in exact
order, so that their outer edges just touch each other. The
whole of the under surface is provided with large yellow scales,
so large that their shape can be seen without the aid of a glass.

Fir,. .08. — LfUcoiihoUs biniii'uhita
(Keduish - brovyii ; two wliite s]>ots.)

The larva of this insect must be a very large one, and, if it be
voracious in proportion to its size, must destroy a vast amount ot
vegetation in the course of its long larval existence.

The magnificent Beetle Eucheirus MacUayi, which is shown
on Plate IT. Fig. 1, has caused some trouble to systematic ento-
mologists on account of the difficulty which they find in ascer-
taining its exact place among insects. The latest and best
authorities have decided that it belongs to the Melolonthidie,
and I therefore accept that arrangement.

In both sexes of this insect the first pair of legs are greatly
developed, but in the male they are of enormous size. They are
long, powerful, and curved, and the tibias have two long spikes
on their inner edge, the second of which is remarkable for a sort
of secondary spike or movable claw at its tip. The generic name

126

INSECTS ABROAD

of Euchcirus signifies " beautiful hand/' and refers to the peculiar
development of these limbs.

The sides of the thorax are strongly toothed ; there is a deep
furrow or indentation along the middle, and the whole of the
surface is deeply pnnctured. The colonr of this insect is shining
green on the head, thorax, and legs, with a slight gloss of copper.
The elytra are green, of so deep a hue as to be nearly black, and
they are glossed with golden bronze. Upon each of them arc
disposed a number of dull yellow spots of various sizes, dis-
posed in irregular longitudinal rows. Beneath, it is bronze black,
thickly clothed with yellowish brown hairs.

It is a remarkable fact in this Beetle that the female is
smaller than the male, her length not quite reaching two inches,
while that of the male is two inches and a half. This splendid
insect inhabits India. Another species, EiicJieirus Dupontianufi,
inhabits the Philippine Islands. In tliis species the tibia? of
the fore-legs do not possess the movable claw.

The Anomalides form another group of the Lamellicorns, and

are here represented by one insect, called Fopilia dorsigcra. It

inhabits Western Africa.

This curious insect requin^s a careful description. The large

and rounded thorax (from which it derives its specific name of
dorsigcra, or " back-bearer") is deep,
shining green, and covered witli a
number of bold and deep punctures,
looking very much like the little

''^^s^^^'"^^' P^^^ ^^^ ^ lady's thimble. The elytra

^'''-■''' "'^*^- '^^ are chestnut, or reddish brown, and

from under their tips projects a
double fringe of long, fiat, white
scales, graduated in length like the
pipes of an organ. If the insect
be turned over so as to bring the
under surface into view, eight bands

of somewhat similar scales are seen, each band reaching nearly

but not quite to tlie central line of the body. The legs are of

the same colour as the body.

There are many species of Popilia, comprising a great variety

of colour and form. Some are green, and look very much like

Fig. S9.— Poiiilia florsip;era.

(Oroeii tliorax and clieshiut elytra,

with white fringe.)

THE PELIDNOTID.K. 127

our well-kiiowu Rose l^eetles, while others have the elytra
covered with bold parallel ridges. The name Pupilia has, un-
fortunately, no signification at all, being merely a classical
proper name. The group of Anomalides is familiar to all ento-
mologists on account of the pretty little June Bug {Phyllopertha
horticola), which often occurs in such swarms as to do great
damage in fields and gardens. Anglers use the insect as a bait,
chiefly employing it in "dibbing" for chub and other fish.

The very extraordinary Beetle which is shown in the accom-
panying illustration belongs to another group, the Pelidnotidte,
of which we have no British examples. It was first discovered
in Peru by Humboldt, and is now known to be tolerably

Fio. 60. — Chi-y.sopViora chrysuc'lildra.
(Golden green, glossed with crimson)

common in some parts of the year. As is often the case among
insects, and especially among Beetles, the chief peculiarities of
structure only exist in the male sex. Indeed, in this, as well
as in many other Beetles, the males and females liave b.ecn
described by different names as two distinct species.

The colour of this splendid insect is indicated by its scientific
name, both being formed from the Greek. The generic title,
Chrysophora, signifies "gold-bearer," and the specific name,
chrysocMora, signifies "golden green." The leading hue of this

1

128 INSECTS ABROAD.

Beetle is, as its name denotes, golden green, but there is also a
gloss of fiery copper-red, sometimes becoming rich carmine, which
changes and flits from spot to spot as the light is altered. • It is
curious to see how a spot which has been emerald green, flecked
with burnished gold, will, if the insect be moved but a hair's
breadth, change to glowing carmine. The legs, especially the
thighs of the hind-legs, seem to be more susceptible to this
change. The reader will probably have noticed that the green
and crimson are complementary colours.

The head is smooth, satiny green, profusely studded with
minute punctures, and the thorax is like the head, except that it
is granulated as well as punctured. The elytra are closely and
finely granulated. The chief interest of this insect, however,
lies in the enormous hind-legs, which are so large that in a well •
developed male, whose head, thorax, and abdomen together
measure an inch and a half, one hind-leg measures exactly two
inches. If the Beetle be viewed from below, the enormous
development of the thigh is seen, this portion of the leg being
rounded, stout, and of a glossy satin-like green. On the tibia
co])pery red prevails, and the tarsus is deep purple. The tibia
is slightly curved, and at its extremity is armed with an enor-
mously long and sharp spine or spur, slightly curved.

The Chrysophora has a near relative, popularly and appro-
priately called the Kangaroo Beetle, because its hind-legs are
proportionately as large as those of the kangaroo. Indeed, the
Beetle seems to be all hind-leg, the body and the other four legs
looking quite insignificant when compared with the gigantic
hinder limbs. This is also a green Beetle.

J

CHAPTER X.

LAMELLICORXS {continued).

We now come to the family of tlie Dyuastidye, a family which,
taken as a whole, comprises some of the largest and handsomest
of all the Beetle rac& The name Dynastes is taken from the
Greek, and signifies " powerful," and is very appropriate to these
large-bodied and stout-limbed insects. Most of them inhabit
tropical regions, and we have none of them in England, though
one species, 0ryc4es nasicornis, which is tolerably common on the
Continent, was at one time reckoned among British Beetles.

The larvae of the Dynastidse reside in decaying vegetable
matter, especially within rotten tree-trunks or branches, just as
is the case with the common Eose Beetles of England. As the
Beetles are exceedingly large, the larvae are necessarily of
gigantic proportions, and I fancy that the sight of a full-grown
Dynastes larva would frighten almost anyone but practical
entomologists. Even the larva of the common Stag Beetle is a
terror to most persons unaccustomed to insects, and the larva ot
the Dynastes is to that of the Stag Beetle what a lobster is to
a prawn.

I have already mentioned (on page 4) the incalculable service
which the wood-eating insects render to the forest lands. Some
strong-jawed insects are able to attack the tree as soon as it is
fallen or has died, and, having riddled the timber with their
galleries, their task is over. In the wet seasons the rain pene-
trates into these tunnels, lodges there, and decay sets in. In
course of time the tree would gradually be formed into a vege-
table mould, but so much time would be occupied by the process
that the spot on which it lay would be absolutely barren, and so
the forest would by slow degrees vanish from the face of the
earth, did not these large Beetles accelerate the process of
decay.

K

130 INSECTS ABROAD.

Ill temperate climates, such as our own, trees are compara-
tively few and their size comparatively small, and, in conse-
quence, the Rose Beetles and their kin are quite large enough
for the task which they have to perform. But in those lands
where vegetation absolutely runs riot, where not only are the
trees of gigantic dimensions, but the forest tracts are measured
by thousands of square, miles, the Beetles have a proportionately
great task to perform, and are therefore not only multitudinous
in number, but huge in size. Nothmg but these gigantic larvae
could consume the enormous annual supply of decaying wood,
and it is therefore in the heavily-timbered districts where they
are most found.

We shall do well to treasure up those Dynastidre, which have
already become rare. I am sure that in course of time the
Dynastidai will suffer the same fate as has befallen the wild
beasts of many countries, and that they will be driven further
and further away from the habitations of men, until those
species which are now common have become scarce, and the
rarer species have perished altogether.

All the Dynastidae are remarkable for the enormous develop-
ment of the thorax and head with horny projections. If the
reader will refer to Plate II. Fig. 2, he will see an admirable
example of the Dynastidse, called, from its great strength,
Di/nastes Hercules. " In this insect the upper part of the thorax
is prolonged into a single horn, so that the thorax is twice as
long as. the abdomen. This horn is curved downwards. The
head is prolonged into a similar horn which is curved upwards,
so that the head and thorax look like two enormous jaws,
instead of being, as they are, two distinct parts of the insect.
Indeed, on showing this Beetle to persons who were unac-
quainted with entomology, I have had great difficulty in per-
suading them that the thorax was not the upper and the head
the under jaw, and have generally had to point out the real
jaws of the insect before they could understand so strange a
formation.

The whole under surface of the thorax-horn is clothed with a
ridge of dense, stiff, short, golden yellow hairs, the object of
which I have never been able even to conjecture, and a quantity
of similar hair is on the under surface and edges of the abdomen.
The tliorax, head, and legs are shining black, and the elytra are

THE HEKCULES BEETLE. l?l

grey green, much wrinkled, and have a few black spots scat-
tered over them. It has very large and powerful wings, which
are needed in order to hear so bulky an insect through the air.

Some persons state that Dynastcs Hercules saws off the
branches of trees by grasping them between the head and the
thorax and flying round and round the branch, the opposed pro-
jections acting like the teeth of a saw. The same story is
narrated of other Beetles, but there is no direct evidence on the
subject. It is certain, however, that the insect lives on the
mucilaginous juices of certain plants, but whether it wounds
those plants in order to obtain the juice is very doubtful.

According to Lacordaire, the habits of the various Dynastidge
are very similar. During the daytime they are seldom seen,
having a habit of concealing themselves in dark hiding-places,
or at most crawling in the recesses of v/oods. By night they
come from their concealment and fly about the trees, in search,
as M. Lacordaire thinks, of food, but, as jNIr. Westwood more
justly observes, of their mates. It is rather remarkable that, just
as British liose Beetles are sometimes found in ants' nests, some
of their gigantic exotic relatives are found in similar places.

On the same plate. Fig. 3, may be 'seen an allied insect named
Golofa hasfatus. The Beetles belonging to this genus have been
separated i'rom the genus Dynastes on account of the formation
of the tarsi. In the males the tarsi of the fli'st pair of legs are
very long, and so formed that they must always be curved when
extended. The head and thorax are both armed with horns
more or less upright.

The present insect, which is a native of Mexico, has both
these horns very curiously developed. That on the thorax rises
([uite upright, and is slightly bent foi'ward at the tij-), which is
diamond-shaped, or like the head of a spear. It is for this
leason that the species has been given the name of liastatus.

The head horn, though curving slightly upwards, is directed
forwards, and is most curiously formed. The projecting portion
is deeply grooved along the middle, and its edges are cut into a
series of bold teeth, from among which project a number of stiff,
liristle-likc hairs. Its length is rather more than three-quarters
of an inch. Tlie colour of the thorax is dark chestnut, except
the horn, whicli is black and very shining, and tlic greater part
K 2

132 INSECTS ABEOAD.

of it is covered with very large and deep punctures scattered
rather sparingly over it. The elytra are rather light chestnut,
except a narrow dark band which completely surrounds them.
The length of the specimen from which the drawing is taken is
rather more than two inches.

There are many species of Golofa, varying much in size and
colour, but none are so handsome as that which has been chosen
for illustration.

The group of the Pimelopidse is represented by the fine
insect Dijjelicus Cantari, which is shown in the accompanying
illustration.

Fig. 61. — Dipelicus Caiitori.
(Black head and thorax, chestnut elytra.)

This is a most extraordinary looking Beetle. It is solid,
massive, and the thorax is most usually developed into two
horns in front, then a deep scoop, and then an anvil-shaped,
flat-topped, two-toothed projection. The head is armed with an
upright horn, sharp and pointed at the tip, and much rounded at
the base. The lower parts of both head and thorax are thickly
clothed with long downy hairs. The colour of the head and
thorax is black ; that of the elytra is shining chestnut, and upon
them are drawn a number of stride, not parallel with the central
line of the insect, as is mostly the case, but slightly diagonal,
being wider apart at the base of the elytra than at their tips.

A CURIOUS STRUCTURE. 133

The most conspicuous part of the insect, however, is the hind
leg. There is an old Oriental proverb concerning conceit : "The
king sent his horses to be shod, and the Beetle held out his
foot." Now, this Beetle looks exactly as if it were offering its
foot for some such purpose. The thigh is rounded, thick, and
highly polished. The tibia is of a most remai'kable shape,
almost conical in form, and looking as if it were made of two
hollow cones, one placed within the other. The Greek name
Dipelicus, or " double basin," is given to the insect in conse-
quence of this singular formation. Three flattened projections
are fixed to the second basin, if. we may so call it, and curve
over the small tarsus. The general appearance of this part
of the leg is wonderfully like the hoof of a cart-horse. The
middle pair of legs are formed after a similar fashion, but are
.smaller and not so conspicuous. The total length of the Beetle
is about two inches.

The species was first discovered by Dr. Cantor in the island
< if Chusan, and is now known to be spread over Java generally.

We will now take a few examjDles of the Oryctides, that group
to which belongs the Orydes nasicornis, which has already been
mentioned. The name is taken from the Greek word Onjx,
which signifies " a long-horned antelope," and is given to these
insects on account of the horny projections of the head and
thorax.

The illustration on the next page represents the insect called
Me^aceras rJioriiieus, which was brought by Mr. Bates from Para
in South America.

This is a very solidly-made insect, the thorax alone looking as
if it could furnish sufficient material for half-a-dozen Beetles.
This portion of the body is not merely developed with horn-like
appendages, but is raised with a thick and apparently solid
mass, covering over the head, and boldly scooped at the end so
as to present the appearance of a pair of stout, blunt horns
curving inwards.

The head is prolonged into a long curved horn, the end of
which rises above the points of the thorax. The length of the
head-horn is an inch and a half ; the tip of it is widened and
scooped, something like the- thorax, but on a much smaller scale.
At its base are the eyes, which are nearly but not quite divided

134 INSECTS ABKOAD.

by a curved, forked band of the same material as tliat of which
tlie head is composed.

The head and the upper part of the tliorax are very polished
and smooth, but on either side the latter is deeply wrinkled.
The elytra are also black, but not so shining, and on either side
of the suture there is a line of punctures. The oeneric name

I

Flo. 62. — Mcgaeeras clinriiiou.s.
(Black.)

of Mcgaccras sii^aiifies " large-horned," and is given to the insect
on account of tlie great size of the horns with which the head
and thorax fire armed.

In those .Dynastides and Oryctides which we have examined,
the projections of the thorax are the most conspicuous parts of
the insect. In the present example the thorax, though it rises
rather high, and is developed into a double point in front, is
quite thrown into the background by the enormous development
of the head. The Megaceras has the end of the head-horn ex-,
panded and formed into two bhmt ])rnjections, l)ut this Beetle

THE ELEPHANT BEETLE, 135

has the horn doubly branched, and each branch forked. Indeed,
the shape of it is exactly like that of the well-known sea-weed
so familiar under the popular name of Carrageen or Irish Moss,
and the scientific name of C/iondrus crispus.

The colour of the head and thorax is black, the former being
strongly wrinkled even to the tip of the horn, and the latter both
punctated and granulated, so as to give it a duller surface than
that of the head. The elytra are shining chestnut brown, some
specimens having more red in them than others. The fore-legs
are rather powerful, and the tibia is armed with three blunt
and strong projections. The generic name Xylotrupcs signifies

^i^

Fig. 63.— Xyiotnipes dichotoiiuis.
(Black head and thorax, chestnut elytra.)

" wood-borer," and is given to the insect on account of its sup-
posed povvcr.-5 of cutting branches so as to feed on the sap which
exudes from the wounded places ; and the specific name dicho-
to77iiis is also from the Greek, and signifies something that is
divided into two parts. This name of course refers to the pecu-
liar form of the head-horn. The insect is a native of China.

The last of the Oryctidaj which we can mention is the
splendid Beetle which has been appropriately named the
Elephajstt Beetle {Mcgaloso^na elcplias).

In this enormous and formidable-looking insect the head is
very much lengthened and developed into two distinct horns,
one projecting in front just like the horn of the white rhino-

136

INSECTS ABROAD.

ceros, and the other curved forward somewhat in the shape of
the letter C. The end of the first horn is boldly forked, and its
length is exactly two inches in a fair specimen.

The colouring of the Elephant Beetle is very remarkable.
The ground colour of the whole insect is black, but, with the
exception of the first horn, the entire surface is so thickly
covered with dense, soft, upright fur, that in a perfect specimen

Fig. 64. — Megalosopia elephas.
(Black, covered with chestnut and yellow fur )

die real colour of the Beetle cannot be seen. Such an insect,
however, is very seldom found, and, as the fur comes off easily,
almost every specimen has several bare patches from which the
fur has been rubbed, and which show the black hue of the surface.
There is another species of the same genus, Mcgalosoma
Actceon, in which the surface is entirely black and wrinkled.
Upon the second horn the fur is dark chestnut brown, and a

THE GOLIATH BEETLES. 137

similar but rather lighter hue upon the thorax, while the fur of
the elytra is bright yellow, so that the insect presents a most
remarkable aspect. Its total length is five inches, and the width
of the body two inches, so that it well deserves the name of
Megalosoma, i.e. "big-bodied." It is a native of Nicaragua.

There is a very remarkable group of Cetoniidse., known by tho
name of Goliath Beetles. As their name imports, they are of
very large size, some of them being the most gigantic of the
insect race, though some are but of moderate dimensions. They
are all distinguished by the peculiar construction of the head,
which is prolonged in front and developed into two horn-like
projections. This peculiarity belongs only to the males.

On Plate III. Fig. 1 is shown one of the handsomest and
largest of these Beetles, called Goliathus Druryii, the latter name
being given to it in honour of Mr. Drury, who figured it and
first brought it into notice. Although the colours of this splendid
Beetle are simple, they are very effective. The head, with its
curious projections, is greyish w^hite, except the front horns,
which are black and ver}^ deeply punctated. The thorax is black,
and upon it are drawn a number of stripes of creamy white,
shaped as shown in the illustration. The elytra are warm
chocolate, with a velvet-like surface, surrounded with a belt ol
the same creamy white as that upon the thorax. Below it is
black, with a mixture of green.

The tibise of the first pair of legs are much flattened, and very
deeply granulated and punctated. They are of a reddish hue.
Those of the hind pair are furnished on the inner edge with a
dense clothing, or rather ridge, of long golden hairs with a
silken gloss. The tarsi are black, and if the insect be turned
over, the thighs of the hind pair of legs are seen to be very
strong and powerful, and at the base of each is a circular white
spot one-tenth of an inch in diameter. The effect of this spot
on the dark surface is very remarkable.

The length of the specimen is four inches and a quarter, and
its breadth exactly two inches. It is therefore a very bulky
insect, and even in its dried condition is exceedingly heavy.

For many years this was the rarest of insects. Only one
specimen was known, that which was described by Drury, and
was preserved in the Hunterian Museum of Glasgow. It had

1^8 INSECTS ABROAD.

been found dead, floating in the Gaboon Eiver, opposite
Prince's Island. Nothing was known of its habits unLil lately,
when travellers have succeeded in capturing a tolerable number
of specimens, one of which, now in the British Museum, is
singularly valuable. That the Cetonia larvae enclose themselves
when full fed in earthen or wooden cocoons is well known, and
naturalists were therefore anxious to know what kind of a
cocoon could be constructed by the enormous Goliath Beetle.
The question has been set at rest by the discovery of a cocoon
of the present species, which is now in the nest-room of the
British Museum.

It is oval, about as large as a swan's egg, and has wonderfully
thin walls. The most remarkable point about it is the thick
belt with which it is encircled, probably for the purpose of

Fir;. 65. — Conions of Scarabtpus and Golintli.

strengthening it. How this belt was made is to me a mystery.
A larva which inhabits a cocoon must of necessity make that
cocoon from the inside, and how it is possible for a creature
which builds its cocoon around itself to form an external
strengthening belt is a riddle that has not yet been explained.
The fact is patent — the means are unknown ; and when those
means are discovered, we shall have solved a very interesting
problem in Natural History.

The above illustration of this invaluable specimen is taken
from my " Homes without Hands," published by Messrs.
LonCTman and Co. As, on account of the size of the cocoon, it

COCOON OF THE GOLIATH BEETLE. 139

was impossible to give it of the full size, it has been reduced,
and a common house-fly has been drawn upon it, so as to give
some idea of its real dimensions. One end of the cocoon is
broken so as to show the tips of the elytra and part of a tarsus.
The best mode of realizing the real dimensions of the cocoon is
to turn to Plate III. Fig. 1, on which the insect is shown of its
iull size, and then to compare it with the size of the Beetle as
it appears within its cocoon.

The smaller cocoon, or earth-ball, is the work of a Scarabteus.

On Plate 111. Fig. 2 is shown another example of the
Ooliath Beetles, remarkable for the extreme development of the
head-horns. Its scientific name is Dicranocejohalus Bowrincfii, the
former of the two titles referring to the structure which has just
been mentioned. It is formed from three Greek words, the first
signifying "double." the second "a skull," and the third "a head."

This singularly pretty Beetle is a native of China. The head-
horns are so curiously lengthened and curved that they much
resemble those of the stag, and, as is often the case with Beetles
in which there is a horn-like development of the head or
thorax, the female is destitute of these appendages, while in the
male they are exceedingly variable both in size and shape.

The whole surface of the thorax and elytra is covered with a
very short, but very thick, yellowish green down, the ground
colour being black. This is shown in one or two places, such as
a belt round the edge of the elytra, a short elevated streak on
the shoulder and at the tip, and a couple of rather long stripes
on the thorax. As the yellow down is easily removed by
friction, these bared portions look very much as if they had
been rubbed ; but on examination of a series of specimens we
find that the bare marks are always in the same places and
much of the same shape. Three species of the Dicrauocephalus
are known.

Our last example of the true Goliath Beetles is the Bham-
2?horhina Petersiana, which is shown on Plate III. Fig. 3.

The generic name Rhavvphorhina is formed from two Greek
words, which may signify either "beak-nosed" or "crooked-
nosed." There are many species of this genus, differing very
greatly in size, some being almost dwarfs, while others are com-

140 INSECTS ABIJOAD.

paratively gia.nts. Still, though the Ehamphorhinas do belong
to the Goliaths, none of them are very large ; their brilliancy ot
colour, however, compensating for their lack of dimensions.

At first sight this Beetle gives the observer the idea that it is
made of the most brilliant green porcelain, and, indeed, it almost
looks as if it were artificial rather than a real insect. The oddly-
formed head is flattened and rather scooped, and in the male is
deeply toothed in front, and furnished with a sharp curving horn
on either side, shaped very much like the well-known horn of
the chamois. The head is white, and the horns are black. The
head of the female is much smaller, entirely without horns, and
almost entirely without the teeth on the front edge.

The thorax is rounded, very highly polished, and of the most
vivid emerald green, with a sort of translucent effect about it, so
that it looks very much as if it were made of the finest porcelain
or enamel. The elytra are of a similar green, except that upon
them is drawn a large white mark, the shape of which can be
seen by reference to the figure. The legs are long in proportion
to the size of the body, and the first pair are very much
developed, and bear on the under side of the tarsus a bunch of
long, golden yellow hair.

If the insect be turned over, the under surface is seen to be
quite as beautiful as the upper, though in a different way. The
under side of the head, instead of being white, is rich chestnut
red, and the general colour of the body is bronze, with a porce-
lain-like surface, much like that of the thorax and elytra, though
not so brilliant. One very curious point about this Beetle is the
longitudinal projection between the middle and last pair of legs.
This projection is pear-shaped, lies on the central line of the
body, and is of an opaline green. It seems to have an analogy
with the sharply-pointed projection in the Dyticus and other
Water Beetles, though no one appears to have discovered its
object.

The length of the specimen from which this description was
taken is one inch and three -eighths. The female, besides being
unarmed, is much duller in colour, and does not possess the
peculiar porcelain or enamel-like surface which distinguishes
the other sex. The length of a fine specimen is nearly an inch
and a half.

The habits of the Goliath Beetles are very much like those of

HABITS OF THE GOLIATH BEETLES. 141

our own Eose Beetles. They are mostly taken on the wing,
and, as is the case with the Eose Beetles, the males are much
more numerous than the females. In flight the elytra are not
raised, and, indeed, are scarcely opened at all, the wings pro-
jecting at the sides of the nearly closed wing-cases.

They feed upon the liquid juices of various plants, mostly of
trees. In some parts of Africa there is a sort of vine whicli
climbs to the tops of trees, and is so full of sap that it affords
plenty of drink for a thirsty traveller. This vine is frequented
by several species of Goliath Beetles, which wound the vines
with their horny jaws, and so drink the juices. Some species
inhabit certain trees when they renew their buds and blossoms,
the juices being then easy of extraction.

Thus, as is remarked by Dr. Harris, of Harvard University,
" the food of the Goliath Beetle is fluid, like that of the Trichii
and Cetonke, insects belonging to the same natural family ; but
the latter live chiefly on the nectar of flowers, and the former on
the sap of plants. The long liooks on their maxillae and the
diverging rows of hair that line their lower lips are admirably
fitted for absorbing liquid food, while their horny teeth afford
these Beetles additional means of obtaining it from the leaves
and juicy stems of plants when the blossoms have disappeared.
Thus every new discovery in Natural History, even when least
expected, serves to increase the evidence of skilful contrivance
and perfect adaptation of structure in all organized beings."

Some species of Goliath Beetles are eaten by the natives of
the country in which they live. They are gathered together,
boiled over a fire, and are said to be very sweet and good. I
suspect that if entomologists could only see some of the insects
which are thus ignorantly eaten instead of being preserved for
the benefit of science, they would feel Hke that well-known
naturalist who, on finding that a savage had just eaten an
animal until then unknown to science, could hardly refrain
from cutting the man open on the spot.

We now pass to the true Cetoniides, the typical insects of this
splendid family. The rare insect which is figured on tlie next page
belongs to the sub-family, and is a native of Northern India. It
is briefly described in Westwood's " Oriental Entomology" under
the title of Jumnos Rv.cke.rii. The generic name of this and

142 INSECTS ABROAD.

allied insects is clue to the form of the snoiit, which is shaped
something like the mathematical figure called a rhomb. The
length of the male is nearly two inches.

It is a very handsome and striking insect, the contrast of
colours being exceedingly bold. The thorax, which is covered
with very fine punctures, is shining green with a gold gloss, and
the elytra are of a similar colour, but having a changeable sheen
so as to appear blue in some lights. The four spots on them
are orange yellow. The legs are bright green, and the tarsi of

Fk;. 6G. — Rhoniborliiiua Ruckerii.
(Green, orange spots.)

the middle and hind pair of legs are fringed witli golden hair.
Those of the first pair of legs are strongly t(jothed, especially at
the junction of the tarsus. Underneath it is entirely green,
glossed witji coppery red.

There are many species of this genus, varying much in size
and colour, the generality being of moderate size and brightly
coloured, while others are of small dimensions and dull brown
in hue. The species which is figured is at once the largest and
most beautifully coloured of all the genus. These insects are
mostly captured on the wing, but many specimens have been

THE INCAS BEETLE.

143

taken in the hollows of trees, those being evidently the spots in
which they have passed their larval existence.

Next comes the remarkahle insect called Gi/mnctls hicro-
fjlyphica, a native of Brazil. The insects of this genus may be
easily distinguished by the peculiar formation of the thorax.
The scutellum is wanting, but in its stead the thorax is pro-
longed in the middle into a sharp point, which takes the place
of the scutellum so completely that at a hasty glance that por-
tion of the insect is not missed.

This is a very large genus, and, as a rule, all its members
are very boldly marked. The present
species is bright " king's yellow," with
a slight mixture of red. It does not
shine, but has exactly that appearance
which is produced in water-colours by
laying on a thi(|f coating of body-
colour. The marks are deep black, so
as to give the insect a sort of zebra-
like appearance. These marks are
exceedingly variable, so that after
examining a long series of individuals
it is scarcely possible to find two
specimens exactly alike. Underneath
it is wholly black.

The insects of this genus, though
they are true Cetonias, partake some-
M'hat of the nature of the Goliath

frequent the young leaves of trees rather than flowers. There
are very many species, differing little in size, though considerably
m colour. All, however, M'hatever may be their ground colour,
yellow, chestnut, brown, or grey, are covered with black marks.
One of the most striking of them, Gi/mnetis holosericea, has the
middle of the body and elytra black, with boldly curved edges.
iVIost species are black on the under surface.

n — GMnin
(\ellow b

til hif>ir5hphica.
VI k maika )

Beetles, in that they

We can only find space for one more example of the Cetonias,
namely, the splendid insect called Inca Sommerii, the former of
the names being given to it as being the Inca, as it were, or
king, of the South American Cetoi ias, and the latter in honour

144 INSECTS ABROAD.

of M. C. Sommer, Esq., of Altoua, who forwarded the insect to
Mr. Westwood for description iu his beautiful work, " Arcana
Entomologica."

Tlie genus Inca may fairly be considered as representing in
tropical America the Goliaths of Africa and India, which so
closely resemble it in the horn-like projections of the head that
It might readily be taken for one of those insects. These horns
only belong to the male, the head of the female being perfectly
plain. In colour they are black, and they are furnished with a
dense coat of orange fur, as shown in the illustration. The
tliorax is rich green with a velvety lustre, and has several

g^-*-^

Fig 68. — Inca Sominerii.
(Velvet green, yellow stripes and spots.)

yellow stripes upon it. The elytra are also green, and covered
with a number of small yeUow spots. The legs are dull green,
and it is of the same colour below, the thighs being sprinkled
with reddish fur like that on the head.

This is an exceedingly variable insect. In the British
Museum there is one specimen which is entirely without yellow
spots, and another yellowish with green spots. Those which
were sent by Mr. Sommer, and are described in the " Arcana
Entomologica," had blue-black head and thorax with whitish
stripes, the scuteUum green, and the elytra purple green. It
is as variable in size as in colour, but a fine male specimen
measures about two inches in length, the female appearing
smaller on account of the absence of head- horns.

The Tncas, of which there are a tolerable number of species,

HABITS OF THE INCA BEETLE. 145

are, as a general rule, inhabitants of Mexico, though, as we shall
presently see, the rule is not without its exception. They feed
upon the young leaves of trees, and in the daytime may be
seen flying round the trees at some height from the ground.
During the early morning they sit among the foliage, resting, as
do so many insects, on the under surface of the leaves, so as to
be protected as much as possible from sight. The larvce are
found in rotten wood, much like those of our own Rose Beetles.
One species, Inca lincola, was brought from Africa, having been
captured at Sierra Leone by the Rev. D. Morgan. It is quite a
small insect, not larger than our common Rose Beetle, but longer
and more slender. It is curiously mottled with black, yellow,
and grey, and has on each of the elytra a short black line, from
whicli the specific name of lineola, or "little line," has been
derived.

CHAPTEE XI.

STERNOXr, OR SKIPJACK BEETLES.

T. USE the word which is placed at the head of this chapter
because it is a more appropriate name than that which is some-
times given to this tribe of Beetles ; namely, Serricornes, or
" saw-horned." Many Beetles might be termed Serricornes, but
the name of Sternoxi, or "sharp-breasted," is exj)ressive of a
characteristic peculiar to this tribe. The Sternoxi have the
sternum, or under part of the thorax, prolonged into a sharp,
spike-like appendage, which fits into a corresponding hollow
between the bases of the middle pair of legs. This structure
can be easily seen by taking any of our common Skipjack or
Click Beetles and examining it with a lens.

While so doing the observer will probably find that the insect
will bend back the thorax, and then, with a smart jerk and a
clicking sound, fling it forward. If at the time the Beetle be
lying on its back, it will spring high into the air, and in most
cases fall on its feet, this being evidently the object for which
the structure of the thorax was intended, the legs being in many
species so short, that if the insect falls on its back on a smooth
surface it can scarcely ever regain its feet.

Perhaps the reader may ask why the Beetle should be so
mucli in the habit of falling on its back that a special provision
should be made to enable it to get upon its feet ? The reason is,
that whenever the insect is alarmed it always loosens its hold of
any object to which it may be clinging, and falls to the ground,
where it lies motionless as a stone, until the danger, real or
imaginary, has passed away. Now, if it should happen to fall
on a smooth instead of a rough surface, it would lie there until
it died, the legs being so short that they could not touch the
ground. The power of springing into the air, liowever, com-

DANCING APKONS. 147

pensates the Beetle for this defect, as it almost always turns
over before it reaches the ground, and comes down with its feet
well under it.

Such a process requires also a peculiar structure of the thorax.
If the three parts of which it is composed are fixed tightly
together the insect cannot leap, but if they are loosely jointed
it can bend itself about in the way that has been described.
Although many, not to say most, of the Sternoxi have this
power, such is not the case with some of them, aiuoug which
are the family of the Buprestidee, to which our first few examples
belong. All these Beetles have their heads sunk deeply into
the thorax, and the antennse short, boldly toothed, and inserted
in cavities.

We have but few species of Buprestidie in England, and they
are but small and iusigniticaut. Abroad, however, the Buprestidaj
attain considerable dimensions, and many of them are so magni-
ficently coloured as to take rank among tlie most splendid of the
insect race. If anyone wishes to know what colour can do for
an insect, he should visit the splendid collection of Buprestidcs
made by the late Eev. F. W. Hope, and now in the Oxford
Museum. As a rule their surfaces are highly polished, and they
glow with every imaginable hue, the colours hitting from spot to
s]3ot as the light changes. Green and crimson are the two pre-
vailing hues, but they are relie\ ed b)' gold, fiery copper, azure,
and purple.

This being the case, it is a matter of rule that the insects
should be largely used as ornaments. Sometimes they are
employed entire, but generally the wing-cases alone are used.
In India, for example, the green wing-cases of a Buprestis aie
sewn in patterns upon dresses, sometimes formed into leaf-like
groups, and often running in a pattern along the edge. The
same wing-cases are also used as ornaments for baskets, fans,
and other similar objects.

Among the savage tribes of Guiana the elytra of certain
Buprestidse are in great favour. They are strung loosely on the
lovely feather aprons which the natives wear while executing
their dances ; and as the dancers move, the hard, pendant elytra
clatter together in time to the steps. Children's rattles are also
made of the same materials, the elytra being hung round a little
wooden hoop, and sometimes three or four such hoops being
L 2

148

INSECTS ABROAD.

fastened above each other, and a little gourd suspended from
the middle of them, A few small stones are in the gourd, and,
to judge from analogies, such a toy must be very pleasing to a
Guianan child, especially as it can easily be pulled to pieces.

The first sub-family of the Buprestidae is the Julodides, a
beautiful example of which is the insect shown in the accom-
panying illustration. Before proceeding to the description of the
various Buprestidae, we will ascertain the meaning of the name.

Fig. G9.— Stemocera steniicornis.
(Shining green, white spots.)

It is formed from two Greek words signifying "ox-burner," from
an idea that it scorched or injured oxen whenever they happened
to eat it as it lay concealed in the herbage on which they fed.
That some poisonous insect was signified by the Buprestis is evi-
dent, because the references to it are so numerous and so specific.
For example, a special law was made against its use in the
Pandects of Budaeus : " Qui Buprestem . . . aut mortiferi quid
veneni ad necem accelerandam dederit, judicio capitali et poena
legis Cornelise afficiator." (Whosoever shall administer a Buprestis
or any other poison for the purpose of destroying life, shall be
held guilty of a capital offence by the Cornelian law.)

A LONG IMPRISONMENT. 149

The insect was said to have a very powerful odour, to be of a
greenish gold colour, to be long in the body, and to have long
antennae. Putting all these descriptions together, there is little
doubt that the Buprestis of the ancients was nothing more or
less than the Cantharis, or Spanish Fly, and that the insects
which we scientifically call Buprestidse have nothing in common
with the Buprestis except its name, which they have wrong-
fully usurped.

As to its manners and customs, it was a very curious Beetle
indeed. According to De Mouffet, "It feedeth on Hies, cankers,
worms, and other the like insects, provided she kill them in
fight, for those that dye of themselves, or are killed by others,
she will not touch : when she hath filled herself with the car-
kasses of the slain, what she leaves she drawes into her hole, and
when she is hungry again feeds on them. A great foe to the
Beetle and the Lizard, aiming at their bellies (as being the softer
and more penetrable part), which presently she gnaws through ;
and when she fears to be overcome or caught, presently she
retreats and hides herself.

" Other savage qualities of this little creature let Peter Turner
and William Brewer (physicians for learning and integrity of
conversation second to none) relate, who, together with Pennius
at Heidelberg, did observe its life and manners."

The larvffi of the Buprestidoe are wood-eaters, the eggs being
laid in the chinks of tree-bark. In order to aid her in placing
her eggs properly, the last segments of the abdomen are in the
female formed into an ovipositor, with which she can push the egg
into very narrow crevices. In consequence of this arrangement,
when the insect is viewed on the under surface it seems to have
only five segments to the abdomen, all the others being internal.

One of these Beetles passed a most singularly lengthened life.
A fir-plank was brought from the Baltic, made into a desk, and
then placed in a London office. For twenty years the desk
stood like any other desk, but at the expiration of that time a
living Buprestis sjjiendens was discovered in the act of extri-
cating itself from the desk. In order to discover the position
which the insect had occupied, the upper part of the plank was
planed away, and then the track of the larva was laid open.
Whether the twenty years had been passed as egg, larva, pupa,
or perfect insect, is unknown. Most probably it was in the

150 INSECTS ABEOAD.

larval stage, as the larva always does live for several years
before it becomes a pupa, and in this case development would
be hindered by the dryness of the wood. Several other foreign
insects have been imported in like manner, and are mostly
found about the Docks.

The full account of this curiously prolonged life is found in
one of the early volumes of the " Linnean Transactions," and in
the same " Transactions " is an account of a larva of an Indian
Buprestis, which had been sent over in a bale of goods, and had
eaten its way completely through fifteen pieces of muslin — the
holes which it made being of course multiplied by the folds of
the muslin, which I should imagine must have furnished rather
innutritions diet.

The present species is a native of the East Indies, and is a
very beautiful insect. The whole of the body is bright shining
green above, and more polished on the thorax than .on the
elytra. Both thorax and elytra are covered with bold punctures,
the former looking very much like the pits on a lady's thimble.
On the elytra the punctures are not only deep, but on a close
examination are seen to be white inside. This curious colouring
is most perceptible on two large circular pits on the shoulders.
Besides having these punctures, the whole of the surface of the
elytra is covered with very tiny granulations. The boldly-
toothed antennae are covered towards their extremity with fine
down.

On looking at the under surface a peculiar structure is shown,
which explains the generic name. The middle portion of the
thorax, technically named " meso-sternum," is prolonged into a
rather long, stout, and sharp spine, which projects completely
beyond the base of the first portion of the thorax, or "pro-
sternum." If the reader will examine the under-surface of a
common Eose Beetle he will see a similar development, except
that the spine of the Rose Beetle is not so stout nor so propor-
tionately large as that of the Buprestis. The generic name
Sternocera is formed from two Greek words signifying "breast-
horn," and is therefore a very appropriate one. The specific
name sternicomis is nothing more than a literal Latin rendering
of the same word. The whole of the under surface is green,
speckled with tiny yellow hairs.

THE GIANT CATOXAXTHA.

151

This is a very large genus, and Las representatives from many
parts of the world. They are of various sizes and various
colours, most of them, however, being of brilliant hues, and
the thorax the most polished j)art. Some are simply brown,
black, or grey, while others are olive green or bright green. The
most curious of them in point of colour is Buprestis feldspathica,
in which the colour is purple, but highly iridesaent. It comes
from Western Africa.

The group or sub-family of the Chalcophoridse is represented
by one or two examples, the first of which is the handsome
Beetle called Caioxaniha gigantca, a native of India.

Fig. 70.— Catoxanthagigautea.
(Green, yellow spots.)

This splendid insect measures three inches in length, and
seven-eighths of an inch in w^idtli. It is flatter in form than the
la.st-mentioned species, and not so boldly punctured. The head
and thorax are very dark green, and on either side of the latter
there is a rounded patch, chestnut brown in colour, and covered
with deep punctures. Just at the base of the thorax are two
triangular depressions, one on either side of the central line.
The colour of the elytra is bright, shining green, and on the

152 INSECTS ABROAD.

lower third of each is a large irregular patch of orange-yellow,
surrounded by an indistinct but very beautiful blue band.

The under side is nearly as beautiful as the upper. In the
first place, the under surface of the elytra is of the same lovely
blue as that which surrounds the yellow patch. This is a most
remarkable fact, because, as a rule, the under surface of elytra is
dull, no matter what the upper surface may be. Take, for ex-
ample, the elytra which have already been mentioned as attached
to the dancing apron of the Guianan Indians. Above they
are very brilliant, being of a metallic copper, glossed with
green bronze ; but below they are dull olive, inclining to brown,
and scarcely showing a trace of the splendid colouring of the
upper surface.

The body itself is bright yellow, to which is owing the generic
name Catoxantha. This term is Greek, signifying "yellow
beneath," and is given in consequence of the colour of the
abdomen. From the end of the body project the tips of the
wings as they lie folded under the elytra. If carefuUy removed
and spread, these wings are found to be very ample, serving to
convey even so heavy an insect through the air. Like our own
Skipjack Beetles, the Buprestidse are much on the wing, espe-
cially during the hours of sunshine. They fly with drooping
bodies, and if an unsuccessful attempt be made to capture them,
they close their wings, fall to the ground, fold their legs and
antennae under the body, and there lay motionless.

Many species of Catoxantha are known ; and though their
colour is mostly green, some of them are blue, the colour of the
blue band thus extending over the whole body.

The illustration on the next page represents a very beautiful
Buprestis from Java.

It is rather deceptive in point of colour, and, large as it is,
must be examined closely before its beauties can be known. At
first sight it appears to be only a yellow and black Beetle, but
on a careful inspection, aided by a strong light, it is seen to be
one blaze of splendour. The centre of the thorax is rich violet,
and on either side is a large patch of fiery, burnished copper,
very deeply and profusely punctured. The elytra are sniooth
and of a " king's yellow" colour, while in their middle is a large
circular patch of the most splendid purple, and the last third of

A BEAUTIFUL GENUS. 153

the wing-cases is of the same colour. A very strong light is
needed to develop the full beauties of this splendid colour. It
is so deep that in a poor light it looks black, but when properly
illuminated the purple is so intense as almost to dazzle the eye ;
and as it is contrasted with its complementary colour, yellow,
it necessarily appears peculiarly vivid.

If possible, the under surface is even more beautiful than the
upper. The head and thorax are of the same coppery carmine
as that which adorns the sides of the thorax ; and the abdomen is
shining violet, not quite so dark as the purple of the elytra.
The legs are violet. The generic name of Chriisochroa, or " golden

Fig. 71. — Chrj'sochroa Buquetii.
(Yellow and deep violet.)

surface," has been given to these insects in consequence of the
prevalence of golden yellow in their colouring. This is a large
genus, and is represented in the East Indies, China, &c. One of
the most startling in point of colour is Chrysochroa vittata of China.
The elytra of this insect are burnished green glossed with gold,
while down their centre runs a band (in Latin, vitta) of brilliant
carmine. Another species, Chrysoeliroa limbata, though small, not
an inch in length, and not shining, is yet a very beautiful insect.
It is deep olive green ; the elytra are boldly ridged, and round
their edges runs a broad belt of golden yellow. The specific
name limibata is formed from the Latin word limhus, wihch signi-
fies a hem, border, or frill, and refers to this yellow belt.

154 INSECTS ABROAD.

The group of Buprestides is represented by one insect, wliich,
however, looks as if it could do duty for many. Like most
foreign insects, it has no English popular name, but its scientific
title— and, as we shall presently see, a very appropriate one
—is Stigmodera variahilis. The generic name is formed from
two Greek words, the former signifying " a mark " or " a blotch,"
and the latter " a back," in allusion to the bold markings of
the elytra.

The specific name, variahilis, or "variable," is singularly
appropriate ; for whereas there are many specimens which are
perfectly plain, and have no marks at all on the elytra, tliere

Fig. 72. — Stigiiiodera variabilis.
1 and chestnut, with purple marl

are scarcely any two specimens which are precisely alike in
every respect. I have looked through a long series of this extra-
ordinary Beetle, and have not yet discovered two specimens which
are exactly alike. As to the various divergences from the
original type, whatever that may be, they are so numerous as to
preclude all description. Suffice it to say that examples of this
Beetle can be found which bear no more resemblance to each
other than does a Newfoundland dog to an Italian greyhound ;
and yet, just as we acknowledge the dog to belong to the same
species, so do we with regard to the Beetle. I should very much
like to give figures of some of the principal varieties of this
curious Beetle, but our space is far too limited.

We will begin with the specimen which is figured in the
illustration, and which seems to be a fair example of the best
type of this insect. The head and middle of the thorax are deep,,
rich, shining green, profusely and finely punctated, while the
sides of the thorax are yellow. The ground colour of the elytra

A VARIABLE INSECT. 155

is rich, warm chestnut, rather deeply furrowed, and each furrow
being marked with a row of bold punctures. Across the elytra
run four bands of the deepest purple, shaped as shown in the
illustration. Below, it is bright, shining green, punctured like
the thorax.

Now for some of our varieties, of which I shall only describe
three or four. One has the elytra chestnut, and in the middle,
nearer their base, there is a square violet spot. Exactly in the
middle of the elytra is another violet spot shaped like the ace ot
diamonds, having a small square spot of the same colour on
either side. Then comes a bar which extends nearly but not
quite across the elytra, and a patch of the same hue occupies
the extreme tip. Next, perhaps, we find a specimen which has
markingsalmost exactly the same in point of shape and number,
but deep green instead of purjDle or violet. Next comes a spe-
cimen where a diamond-shaped spot occupies the place of the
square mark, and a chevron-shaped mark takes the place of the
diamond in the middle. Some of these Beetles, indeed, would
do very well to illustrate the elements of heraldry, and it would
be very convenient if we could use the heraldic terms, such as
" chief," " fesse," " party per pale," &c. &c., in describing colours
or marks.

Some specimens are wholly brown, or very dark green ;
some are deep red, with one, two, three, or four bands of violet,
lilue, purple, black, or green. More than four bands I never
saw. Some are so small as to be scarcely one-tenth the size of
the specimen which has been figured, and without any marks
on the elytra, which are uniform pale brown, the thorax being
a few shades darker.

Being so exceedingly variable a species, it is naturally a very
troublesome one to entomologists, who find that colour, size, and
marks absolutely go for nothing at all, and have been obliged to
discard them from their calculations. In consequence, there are
f3w insects which have been furnished with so many names as
this, zoologists having not only considered the varieties as dif-
ferent species, but even placed them in different genera.

We now come to the group of Elaterides, which are possessed
of the power of leaping when laid on their backs. If one of the
large species be taken, such as those which we are about to

156 INSECTS ABROAD.

examine, and held on their backs, the mode of jumping is at
once seen. A very strong spine extends from the " pro-sternum,"
or first portion of the thorax, and projects so far backwards that
its end passes into a deeply-grooved cavity formed by a projection
between the middle pairs of legs. A side view of this spine
shows that it is shaped just like the "pall" and ratchet in
machinery; indeed, so exact is the resemblance, that in looking
at the leaping spine of a large Elater, it seems as if the pall and
ratchet must have been copied from it.

Now for its use. When the Beetle falls on its back, it first
feels about with its legs, trying to find a foothold, and, after
failing, makes up its mind to leap. It gathers up its legs closely
to its body, and, in some instances, lays its antennoe in two
grooves which run along the under surface of the thorax. It
then bends its thorax very far back, so as to arch itself com-
pletely from the surface on which it is lying. This movement
lifts the end of the spine just out of the notch in which it has
lain, and which is so made that whereas the spine can be slipped
out easily enough, it cannot be restored to its place without some
force and a sharp jerk.

The insect then begins to straighten its body, but is prevented
by the end of the spine. Were the spine perfectly stiff, the
insect would probably never straighten itself again; but being
highly elastic, it bends, and then springs into its place with a
sharp clicking sound, thereby jerking the shoulders — if we may
so call them — against the ground, and flinging the insect high
into the air. Some writers have said that the end of the abdomen
and the head are struck against the ground, but I am certain
that the method which I have described is that which is em-
ployed by the Skipjack Beetles.

The name Elaten*, signifying "striking" or "bounding," refers
to this remarkable power of leaping.

Our example of the Elaterides is the curious Beetle called
Alaus mcerens, a native of India. The whole upper surface of
this insect is cream colour clouded with grey, and covered with
a number of black spots, streaks, and patches, too numerous to
describe, and varying in different specimens. There is, however,,
always a large patch on the outer edge of each elytron, nearly in
the middle. On a closer inspection it is evident that the real

PKOTECTIVE RESEMBLANCES. 157

colour of the elytra is black, and that the white surface, which
looks just like paint, is only superficial. It is, however, stronger
and attached more firmly than is generally the case, and will
resist a moderate scratch of a needle.

When the antennae and legs are tucked close to the body, this
Beetle scarcely looks like an insect, but resembles a piece of bark
covered with white lichen. I feel quite certain that if one of
these Beetles were to cling to the bark of an old lichen-covered
tree, the keenest eye would not detect it except by accident. Those
who are practically acquainted with our own Skipjack Beetles
know that there is one species, Lacon muriyius, which is in colour
so exactly like a piece of old bark, that if it flies to an elm or
oak trunk and settles there, it will hardly ever be discovered,
even though it were actually seen to settle.

Fig. 73. — Alaus moerens.
(Black and white.)

There are many species belonging to the genus, all of which
are dressed in the same sober hues, and some are marked in. a
manner which is almost grotesque. One of these is Alaus
oculatus, of Florida. The thorax in this insect is dark creamy
grey, and on either side is a large oval spot of jetty black,
surrounded by a narrow belt of pure white, so as to have an
eye-like appearance reminding the English entomologist of the
similar spots on the caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth.
Then there is another species, Alaus lymphahis, with the
whole of the upper surface snowy white, relieved by a few
small black spots.

The generic name Alaus is Greek, and signifies "dull" or
"obscure," and the specific name m(Brens is Latin, signifying

158

INSECTS ABEOAD.

" mourning ; " both names being given to the insect in conse-
quence of the sober black and white of its colouring.

'The splendid insect which is shown in the accompanying
illustration belongs to another group of Elaters. If the reader
will look at the figure of the Alans and at that of our present
species, he will see that the ends of the elytra are, in the former
insect, blunt and rounded, and in the latter, drawn out into long
sharp points. The name Oxynoptcridcs, which is given to this
group, signifies " sharp-winged," and refers to this formation.

_^^^ ,^-

74. — Oxynopterus Cumiiigii,
(Reddish browu.)

The most striking point in the appearance of this insect is the
beautifully feathered structure of the antennai in the male. To
each of the joints is attached a long, narrow, flat projection, or
" fiabellum," not unlike those of the Lamellicorn Beetles, which
gives to the whole organ the appearance of a fan. The female
does not possess these beautiful appendages, her antennse being
only toothed, the point of each tooth showing where the flabellum
would l)e in the other sex. So important is the antenna in tlie
general appearance of the insect, that although the female is
larger than the male, she absolutely seems to be smaller, so much

THE FIREFLY. 159

does the absence of the feathered anteimte detract from her
appearance.

The colour of this fine Beetle is reddish brown, but there is a
difference between the thorax and elytra. The former looks
rather paler than it really is, because it is sprinkled with tiny,
very short, yellow hairs. These hairs are not thick enough to
constitute a downy coat, but are sufficiently plentiful to modify
the colour of the surface. The elytra are mahogany-red, and
each of them has three slight ridges extending throughout its
entire length. The insect was brought from the Philippines by
Mr. Cuming, wdiose exertions in the cause of science are of
world-wide reputation.

Owing to the great size of this Beetle, the structure of the
leaping apparatus is beautifully sliown ; and I should think that
as the elastic spike is cjuite as large as a crow-quill, and about
three-quarters of an inch in length, the leap which the insect
makes must be an enormous one, and the clicking sound pro-
portionately loud.

The Elaterides are represented by an insect of universal
celebrity, the Fieefly of the Tropics {Pyropliorus noctilucas).

This wonderful insect has the j)ower of emitting a powerful
greenish light from two oval spots, one on either side of the
thorax, together with a differently coloured light from the under
siu'face. The two luminous spots of the tiiorax are pale shining
yellow, and look \'ery much as if a second pair of compound
eyes had been placed there. This light has been so admirably
described by Mr. Gosse in his " Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica,"
tliat I cannot do better than quote his account : —

" 1 will now speak of one other luminous insect, the Glow-liy
{Py roijhorus nodilucus). From February to the middle of sum-
mer this Beetle is common in the lowlands, and at moderate
elevations. Lacordaire's account of the luminosity of this
Elater (known to "me, however-, only by the citation in Kirby and
Spence's Introd. to Ent. ii. 333, 6th edit.) differs so greatly from
the phenomena presented by our Jamaica specimens, that 1
cannot help concluding that he has described an allied but very
distinct species, and I feel justified, therefore, in recording wliat
I have myself observed.

" The liglit from the two oval tubercles on the dorsal surface

160

INSECTS ABROAD.

\'^:

of the thorax is very visible, even in broad daylight. When the
insect is undisturbed, these spots are generally quite opaque, of
a dull white hue ; but on being handled they ignite, not sud-
denly, but gradually, the centre of each tubercle first showing a
point of light which in a moment spreads to the circumference
and increases in intensity till it blazes with a lustre almost
dazzling. The colour of the thoracic light is a rich yellow green-
In a dark room, pitch dark, this insect gives so much illumination
as to cast a definite shadow of any object on the opposite wall,
and when held two inches from a book the whole line may be
read without moving it.

" The under part of the thorax has a singular appearance
when the tubercles are fully lighted up ; for the horny coat of
skin, being somewhat pellucid, dis-
plays the light within redly and
dimly, as if the whole thorax were
red hot, particularly at the edges,
immediately beneath the tubercles.
When left alone, the insect soon
relapses into stillness, and the tu-
bercles presently fade into darkness,
either total or redeemed only by a
spark scarcely perceptible,

" I had been familiar with this
Glow-fly for some weeks, and had
made the above observations on
it without being aware that it pos-
sessed any other source of light
than the thoracic tubercles. 1 had,
indeed, remarked that when flying
at liberty the light which it diffused
was of a rich ruddy glow, and yet
these individual insects, if captured and held in the hand,
showed only green light. I much wondered at this, but knew
not how to account for it until a friend explained it, illustrating
his remarks by experiment.

" On the ventral surface, when the abdomen is extended, there
is seen, between its first segment and the metathorax. an oval
transverse space, covered with thin membrane, which glows
with orange-coloured light, totally concealed, however, when the

n. 75. — Uucujo, or Firelly
Pyrophorus noctilucus.
(Pale yellow-brown )

DOUBLE LIGHT OF THE FIREFLY. 161

abdomen is relaxed, by the overlapping of the metathorax.
When the insect is placed on its back, it throws itself into the air
like other Elaters ; but if it be made to repeat this many times,
it appears to become weary, and endeavours to raise itself by
bending the head and the abdomen back, so as to rest on the
extremities, in hope to roll over. It is when thus recurved that
the abdominal light suddenly appears, the oval space being un-
covered. When held in the hand, the same effect is produced by
forcibly bending back the abdomen with the iingers ; but this is
not very easy of accomplishment, on account of the resistance of
the closed elytra ; but if these be held open with one hand and
the abdomen recurved with the other, it is readily shown.

" As the open space, then, can be exposed only when the
elytra are expanded, the reason is manifest why the red light is
never displayed by the insect when walking or resting: the
green thoracic light, on the other hand, may be displayed at any
time ; it is, however, very rarely shown during flight. On one
occasion two or three glow-flies, having entered the sitting-
room in the evening, gave out the red light most brilliantly as
they flew round near the ceiling, the spectators being beneath
them. One of these, being alarmed by my efforts to capture it,
gave out the thoracic light also very brightly ; and the mingling
of the red and green light in the evolutions of flight produced
an effect indescribably beautiful.

" That the thoracic light is subject to the will of the insect is
indubitable ; but whether the same can be predicated of the
abdominal light I. am not assured. During flight it is every
second intermitted, as far as the observer can detect ; but its
appearance or disappearance may depend upon whether the dorsal
or ventral surface is presented to the eye. This is when, soon
after dark, the insect is sweeping in rapid, headlong, irregular
curves over the fields or along the edges of the forest ; when the
appearance resembles that of a stick witli the end on fire (but
not in flame), carried or whirled along hy one running swiftly ;
quenched suddenly, after a course of a dozen yards, to appear
again at a similar distance. When slowly flying over the grass,
the progress of one may often be traced by the red glare on the
ground beneath ; a space of about a yard square being brilliantly
illuminated, when no light at all reaches the spectator's eye from
the body of the insect.

M

162 INSECTS ABllOAU.

" Whether any light would appear pervading the alxlomfni if
the segments were stretched, I cannot positively say, for I have
not in my journal any note on this point. I think not, however,
for in my repeated handlings of these insects and experiments
on their abdomens, I could scarcely have avoided extending the
segments, even unintentionally ; but I am quite certain I never
saw, any light except in the one ventral and the two thoracic
spots. If one be trodden on, a mass of mixed light remains for
some minutes among the fragments."

" The story told by Peter Martyr of these Elaters having been
hunted for, to eat the mosquitos, is sufficiently amusing ; of
course it is not right to contradict a statement because one has
never verified it, but I may be permitted to observe that I
utterly disbelieve it. That they might afford a substitute for
candles in performing household operations that required no
great exactness is certainly true, provided they were constantly
carried in the fingers; but if put under a glass, or allowed
liberty in a room, as I have abundantly proved, they very
quickly conceal their light. I have found, too, that one kept
beneath a glass would display very little light the next evening,
even rmder the excitement of being handled, and on the follow-
ing night would be irrecoverably dark ; this may have resulted
from the lack of food, or of exercise ; not, I think, from the lack
of air or of moisture.

" Peter Martyr asserts that the natives of His2:)aniola, at the
time of the discovery, were in the habit of tying one of these
glow-flies to each of their great toes when they journeyed by
night through the woods ; a thing not at all improbable. The
two insects would throw a considerable light around the tra-
veller's steps, and, if they should withhold their luminosity,
might easily be replaced by others freshly caught. On this
custom Southey, in the beautiful poem already quoted, has
founded a pretty incident. When Coatel was guiding Madoc
through the cavern —

' She beckoned, and descended, and drew out
From underneath her vest, a cage, or net
It rather might be called, so fine the twigs
Which knit it, where, confined, two fire-flies gave
Their lustre.'

Madoc, 11, xvii."

THE FlltEFLY ATTRACTED TO LIGHT. 163

•' Of the earlier stages of any of these light-bearing insects I
have been able to procnre little information. About the middle
of May a larva of an Elateridous Beetle was brought to me
which was luminous ; in the dark the whole insect was pellucid,
but the divisions of the segments showed distinct light, blue and
pale, not very vivid. It was impatient of being handled, and
l)it fiercely at the hand, but ineffectually. I suspect that it was
the larva of the Glow-fly. The specimen is now in the Biitish
Museum. And at Content, in the latter part of July, I found
in fresh-turned earth a larva of a Lampyris, small and lengthened :
the abdomen, like that of the European glow-worm, was fur-
nished with a retractile brush of divergent filaments, ordinarily
concealed; but having no lens with me, I coidd not examine it
particularly."

I may here mention that the light of the Cucujo has been tested
by the spectroscope, but with very little result, the spectrum
being merely a " continuous " one, i.e. without any bars across it,
either dark or luminous. I have tried the common glow-worm
by the same test, and found the same result. It is as well
with the latter insect to have several specimens together, as the
light is not nearly so powerful as that of the Cucujo.

It is said that the Cucujo will fly to a lamp or torch, but this
statement has been denied by some travellers. That they have
not succeeded in attracting the insect to a light may be true
enough, but that the insect can be so attracted is perfectly true,
as is shown by the following letter which I received lately from
one of my brothers, who has lived for some years in Brazil, and
has always taken great interest in entomology : —

"There was a very strange case of the attraction of light for
some species of insects. On Tuesday last, a Brazilian gentleman
was with me looking out of the door after dark, and we saw a
very bright light some five hundred yards off. It was moving
about the trees on the side of a high hill that rises from the side
of the river.

" After watching it for some time, my friend said that it was a
' vagalumc' and that if I put a light out at the door it would
come to it. So, though rather unbelieving, I brought out a lamp,
and, sure enough, the light, instead of continuing among the
trees on the other side of the river, came straight to the lamp,
and not two minutes from the time that I brought out the lamp
M 2

164 INSECTS ABROAD.

the creature was in tlie net. It turned out to be what in your
Natural History is called the 'Cucujo.'

" I have it still alive in a chip pill-box, through which the light
is perfectly visible in a dark place. I want to try some expe-
riments with the luminous spots, and, if possible, detect their
nature and origin."

That this habit of coming to the light was known to the earlier
naturalists is evident from the same Peter Martyr, or Pietro
Martire, to whom Mr, Gosse has alluded. In his " Decades of
the New World " he remarks concerning the insect : " Whoso
wanteth cucuij, goeth out of the house in the first twilight of the
night, carrying a burning firebrande in his hande, and ascendeth
the next hillock, that the cucuij may see it, and hee swingeth
the firebrande about, calling cucuius aloud, and beateth the ayre
with often calling and crying out, cucuie, cucuie.

"■ Many simple people suppose that the cucuij, delighted with
that noise, come flying and flocking together to the bellowing
sound of him that calleth them, for they come with a speedy
and headlong course ; but I rather think that the cucuij make
haste to the brightnesse of the firebrande because swarmes of
gnattes fly into every light, which the cucuij eat in the very
ayre, as the martlets and swallows do. Some cucuius sometimes
folio weth the firebrande, and lighteth on the ground e ; then is he
easily taken, as travellers may take a beetle, if they have need
thereof, walking with his wings shut.

" In sport is merriment, with the intent to terrify sucli as are
afraid of every shadow, they say that many wanton wild fellowes
sometimes rubbed their faces by night with the fleshe of a
cucuius, being kiUed, with purpose to meet their neighbours with
a flaming covmtenance ; as with us wanton young men, putting
a gaping vizard over their faces, endeavour to terrify children or
women who are easily frighted."

Some of these insects have been brought alive to England,
the bags in which they were kept being every day dipped in
water. They fed upon sugar-cane, which they easily broke with
their mandibles, and when the cane was exhausted they fed
freely on brown sugar. Mr. Lees, who first succeeded in this
attempt, remarks that when the insects were roused and in
perfect vigour, the whole body seemed to be saturated with
himinosity, even the back shining when the elytra and wings

LAEVA OF THE FIIIEFLY. lGl3

were expanded. His account is given at lengtli in the " Zoological
Journal," vol. iii.

The larva as well as the perfect Beetle feeds upon sugar-cane,
and, considering the ^'ast numbers of the insect, it probably does
much harm to the sugar crops. INIr. Hill suggests that as the
sugar-cane, in order to prosper, requires a great amount of phos-
phates in the soil, the phosphorescent light may be primarily
referred to the soil.

Beautiful as is this insect by night, it is by day but an ordinary
brown Beetle, without a single element of beauty except a certain
elegance of form. The thorax is dark l:)rown, and the elytra
apparently of a lighter colour. They are in reality black, but
are covered with a pale dun-coloured down, which is but lightly
attached and easily rubbed off. Below, it is black, I'ather deeply
punctured, and thickly sprinkled with small yellowish hairs.
There are several species of Noctilucus, but that which has been
described is the best known and the most brilliant. This is by
no means the only insect that is called by the name of Firefly ;
some are closely allied to the Cucujo, and others more neaily
related to the well-known glow-worm.

CHAPTER XII

MALACODERMI, OR SOFT-SKINNED BEETLES.

The insects which are classed nnder the title of Malacodermi, or
Soft-skinned Beetles, agree in some points with the Elaters, while
in others they depart widely from them. Tlie bodies of these
insects, including the elytra, instead of being hard and firm, are
soft, flexible, and generally covered with down. Indeed, the
elytra are so delicate in some of these insects, that the circnla-
tion of the blood may be observed through their textures. It
is easy enough to see the circulation in the wing itself, as any-
one who has a microscope may prove ; but that the tiny, trans-
parent, colourless globules should be seen through the wing-case
itself, is rather startling. The antennte are long, slender, and
often deeply- toothed, and the jaws are quite feeble. Our common
" Soldiers " and " Sailors," and the glow-worm, are familiar ex-
amples of the Malacodermi.

In this country none of the Malacoderms attain very great
size, neither is there much to notice in their forms. Abroad,
however, they are much larger than in England, and assume
some very singular forms, one or two of which will be presented
to the reader.

The Lycidffi are in many of their habits like our Soldier Beetles.
They are found in flowers, especially the umbelliferous flowers
that grow on the borders of woods. Everyone who has w^atched
the habits of insects knows that the Soldiers thoroughly deserve
their popular name, they being, in spite of their soft exterior and
harmless appearance, the most combative of insects, even the
two sexes fighting w^ith each other, and the victor generally
eating the vanquished. The Lycidre are equally ferocious, and,
from this proper.sity to kill and oat their fellow insects, have

WO],F BEETLES.

167

derived tlieir scientific name, which signifies " wolf beetles." Like
our Soldiers, they are accu.stomed to let themselves fall to the
ground when alarmed, and simulate deatli until they think that
the danger has passed away.

The remarkable insect which is sliown in the illustration
affords a good example of the exotic Lycid.T. Its elytra are very
broad and very iiat, somewhat lilce those of the JNIormolyce, or
Fiddler, which is described on page 39. If the insect be viewed
on the under surface, the elytra are seen to be exceedingly thin
and almost transparent, with a sort of network texture wrinkled
longitudinally, and having the edges slightly rolled over so as to
form a narrow, strengthening rim. The head is lengthened,
pointed, and turned downwards, so as to enable the insects to
reach the flowers wliich are
their legitimate food. The
colour of this species, and
indeed of nearly all the
Lycidae, is orange with black
marks. This Beetle is a na-
tive of Africa, which is the
lionie of the Wolf Beetles.
The elytra are not quite
rounded behind, Init each is
slightly scooped at the top,
very much as if a piece had
been bitten out of them. It is to this circumstance tliat the
species owes its name of jn^ccjnor.ms, or "bitten."

There are very many species of Lycu.s, one of which, Zycus
scutdlaris, has the elytra scarcely thicker than silver paper, and
instead of being scooped at the end, the tips are drawn out into
black, flattened projections, very much like the wings of the
Swallow-tailed Butterfly. Most of the species show scarcely any
difference of shape in the two sexes, but some of them, such as
Lycics Bremii, a native of Southern Africa, are extremely different,
the male having the elytra wide and flat, while those of the
female are not only narrow, but even scooped at the sides.

Nearly all the Lycidse are foreign insects, but we have two
British species, both belonging to the genus Dictyopterus. The
l)est known of them is Dictyopterus Aurora, which is found in
Rannoch Wood, Perthshire. It is almost alwavs taken under

Frr,. 76.— Lyons ]iia
(Oraiisp and bla

168 INSECTS ABROAD.

felled timber, and, being very slow in its movements, is easily
captured. The colour of its elytra is red, and the length of the
Beethi is barely half an inch. The generifc name, Dictyo2')terus, is
formed from two Greek words signifying " net-winged," and is
given to the insect on account of the network-like texture of the
elytra, which has already been mentioned in connexion with
Lycus p'oemorsus.

The very remarkable insect which is shown in the illustration
belongs to a group which are appropriately named Ehipidoceridai,
fi'om the structure of their antennae. The name is Greek, signify-
ing " fan-horned," and is given to the Beetles because the antennae
of the males are furnished with a number of flattened or linear
appendages, which in some species
radiate like the sticks of a lady's
open fan. These insects are re-
markable for another peculiarity.
As a rule, the antennse of Beetles
have eleven joints, but those of
the Ehipidoceridae have from six-
teen to forty joints, according to
species. The present insect has,
altogether, thirty - one ioints ;

Fin 77 — Rliiindciceia imstidna. ° ' _ "^ ^ '' '

(Black, sptcued with white.) namely, three simple joints next

the head, then four toothed joints,

and then twenty-four joints each furnished with a flabellum of

greater or less length. In the female the number of joints is

less, and they are merely toothed.

The Beetle which is called Rhipidocera mydadna is a native
of New Holland, and has been selected as forming an excellent
type of the family. The thorax is black and hairy, and the
elytra are also black, longitudinally ridged, deeply granulated,
and decorated with a number of snowy white spots arranged in
longitudinal rows. The legs are black, except the thighs, which
are deep red.

The antenme of this insect are singularly beautiful. Each of
the numerous flabella with which it is adorned is formed very
much like a spear, supposing the shaft to be beaten flat and
more or less bent. In consequence of this formation, and the
extreme regularity with which they are set on the antenna?, dark

BEAUTIFLT. ANTENNA. 169

patches seem to play among them as the light shifts, exactly as
we have all seen when walking in a diagonal direction to a row
of iron palings. The specific name mystacina is Greek, and
signifies " moustached " — the latter word, indeed, being only
a Gallicized form of the Greek, and from the French naturalized
in English.

Like the preceding insect, the Ehipidocera is slow and
sluggish in its movements, and neither on foot nor on the wing
does it move swiftly enough to make its capture difficult. It
never rises to any height in the air, but, like our own Soldiers
and Sailors, is found on the low plants at the edges of the
forests. It does not, however, feed upon the flowers, but prefers
the leaves and the young tender shoots. ]\I. Lacordaire believes
that in its larval state it feeds upon decaying wood, as he once
saw a newly-disclosed specimen sitting in a burrow near the
entrance, as if about to emerge into the outer world.

Some allied insects are gathered together under the generic
title of CallirMpis, i.e. " beautiful fan." The males of these
insects have only eleven joints in their antennse, but each of
them is furnished with a very long, thread-like flabellum, in one
species {Callirhipis CMMreni of Brazil) almost three-quarters as
long as the entire body. Indeed, so long and so delicate are
they, that the observer naturally wonders how the insect can
keep them in order, a task which seems impossible without the
use of a comb. Another species {Callirhipis Dejeani) has the
flabelloe of the antennae much flatter, and pressed closely
together, like the sticks of a lady's fan when closed.

In all these insects the males are much more common than
the females, not so much on account of their greater number,
as by reason of their habits. The male flies abroad, and can
easily be seen, while in many of the species the female never
moves out of the burrow in which she passed through her trans-
formations, the male having to search for a mate under these
very adverse circumstances, and not even having the satisfac-
tion of seeing her when he has found her.

We now come to the family of the Cleridse, a group of insects
which is mostly brightly coloured and banded, and generally
has the body covered with hairs. In their larval state many of

170 INSECTS ABUOAD.

1,liem feed upon the larva? of other insects, especially upon those
of the solitary bees. A very pretty species of this family, Clcrm
formicarius, is well known to English entomologists. It is a
very pretty little Beetle, red, yellow, and black in colour. Even
the larva is dark pink, spotted with black. Its larva is found
under bark, where it feeds on the larvae of other wood-boring
Beetles.

The present insect, which is found spread over a considerable
portion of Asia and part of Europe, especially round the shores
of the Mediterranean, is in every way an admirable representa-
tive of the Cleridfe. In the larval or grub state it inhabits the
nests of wild bees, the larvse of which it devours. It is beauti-
fully coloured. The head and thorax arc of the richest blue, the
colour of which is, however, rather
obscured by the thick downy hairs
with which it is covered. The elytra
are warm dun, deeply punctated, and
across them are drawn two broad
'^-^"^■•''^^'^c-. bands of deep purple, a patch of the

same hue occupying the tips of the

Fig. 78. — Tricliodes crabroniforjiii.s. » i i

(Yellow and purple.) elytra. Altogether, except that it

is so nmch larger, it is wonderfully
like the British Clorus which has already been mentioned.
The legs are purple, just like the bands on the elytra.
There is a downy clothing on the elytra, but the hairs are
neither so thick nor so long as on the thorax and head. The
wings are large, and, as is the case with our own insecls, a
portion of them can mostly be seen towards the end of the body,
as the ends of the elytra slightly diverge.

The generic name Trichodcs is Greek, and signifies " fine
hair;" and the specific name crabroniformis is Latin, signifying
" hornet-like," in allusion to the dark stripes on the yellow body,
which at a little distance really do give to the Beetle a very
liornet-like air.

There are many species of tliese beautiful insects, nearly all
of which have a strong family likeness. Some are very small,
and some are very splendid in colour, the most striking of which
is a North African species, rather larger than our common Tiger
Beetle. It is very hairy, has a black thorax, and yellow elytra
banded and edged witli the deepest green.

A CUPJOUS DISCOVERY. 171

The curious family of the Bostrichidic is represented by a fine
and remarkable insect, AjMte terehrans, a native of Western
Africa. All the Bostvichidje are cylindrical in form, and show at
once by their shape that they are wood-borers. As their bodies
and elytra are quite hard, it seems strange that they should be
ranked among the soft-bodied Malacoderms. They are, how-
ever, so evidently allied to Beetles -which are acknowledged
Malacoderms, that although the Malacoderms are, as a rule, soft-
bodied and the Bostrichidee are hard-bodied, we cannot deny
them their relationship. Only four British species of the Bos-
trichidae are known. Others have been found in England, one
of which, Dinoderus ocellaris, was discovered by Mr. Westwood
floating in a cup of coffee. It was evidently an imported
specimen.

All the Bostrichida? may be distinguished by the shape of the
thorax, which projects like a hood over the head. One of the
British species has this peculiarity so well marked that it has
gained the specific name of ca]puci7ih:i. The head cannot be
retracted into the thorax, but the
latter organ is so large that the
head is quite hidden under it.

The species which is shown
in the illustration is the largest
of its genus. Although it is
not very large, only about an
inch in length, it is wonderfully *^o- -"o.— Apate terebrans,

stout and solid, and the holes

which it makes must be of corresponding diameter. It has
nothing remarkable about its colour, which is simply black,
but its form is so curious as to require a somewhat detailed
description.

Beginning at the head, we find that this portion of the body
appears quite of secondary importance. It is bent downwards,
and so completely concealed by the large, solid, hood-like thorax
that when the insect is viewed from above the head cannot be
seen at all. The jaws are small, but are yet strong and sharp,
and capable of cutting their way entirely through wood.

Next comes the thorax. This is also black, and the fore
portion of it is covered with a number of little tubercles tliat
gradually increase in size until near tlie junction of the head

172 INSFX'TS ABROAD.

with the thorax. One of them on each side is developed into a
veritable curved horn, having at its base another but shorter
horn, so that the two look much like a pair of callipers with one
leg rather shorter than the other. The back of the thorax is
quite smooth, though profusely and finely punctated.

The elytra are very curiously formed. They are deeply ridged
longitudinally, and nearly at the end each ridge projects in a
sharp point. After this the elytra bend downwards over the end
of the body in a manner w^hich reminds the zoologist of the
Pichiciago of South America.

The whole surface of the elytra is deeply granulated in rather
a peculiar manner. Those of my readers who have been at
Oxford must be familiar with a mode of ornamenting stone
which was absolutely a passion some thirty or forty years ago.
In order to break the lights, the stone-cutters were accustomed
to carve the whole surface of the stone into a series of winding
channels, to wliich they did their best to impart an air of uu-
studiedness, though it was only too evident that each line was
carefully arranged before it was carved. But here, in the elytra
of this Beetle, and produced by natural means, is the very effect
for which these masons toiled in vain, the lights being well
broken up, and yet no evidence of arrangement being visible.

Beneath, the Beetle is rather dull black, and is clothed with
a thick coating of yellow fur.

There are many other species of Apate scattered over the
world, some being inhabitants of Africa, while some are found
in China, and others in India. The generic name is Greek, and
signifies " deceit " or *' craft." The specific name terebrans is
Latin, and signifies " a borer."

CHAPTEE XIII.

HETEROMERJ, OR PARTY-LEGGED BEETLES.

Now comes a group of Beetles whicli are but poorly represented
iu England, though in the warmer parts of the world they are
very numerous. These are the Heteromera, a word for which it
is not easy to find an English synonym, except that which I
have ventured to propose. It signifies " unequal jointed," and is
given to them because tlie tarsus of the hind legs contains only
four joints, while that of the first and middle pair contains five
joints. In point of fact, however, the missing joint really does
exist, though it is so small as to be hardly perceptible, being
merged in the first or basal joint, which is longer than the
otliers.

Tliere is one foreign species which has even a less number of
joints, the tarsus of the first and middle pair of legs having four
joints, and that of the hinder pair only two. In fact, however,
there are the same number as in the ordinary Heteromera, the
apparent difference being caused by the fact that in all the legs
two joints are fused together so as to appear like one. In this
country the chief representatives of this group are the common
Cellar or Churchyard Beetle, the Oil Beetle, the Meal Beetle,
and the Cardinal Beetle, The eyes are almost invariably of a
kidney-like shape.

The habits of these Beetles are exceedingly diverse, and it is
generally easy to tell from the shape and colour of the insect
what its habits are. Some frequent dark and damp places, just
as do our common Cellar Beetles, and these insects are generally
dull and sombre in colour, usually, if not always, being deep
dull black. Some, which are dusky brown, inhabit sandy and
dry places in hot countries ; and others, again, of which our

174 liSSECTS ABROAD.

beautiful Cardinal Beetle is a i'amiliar example, frequent
flowers.

The larvffi are as various iu their habits as are the perfect
insects. Some, such as the Oil Beetles {Melue) and the Ehipi-
phorus, are parasitic in the nests of other insects, mostly those
of the bee tribe, but not always.

For example, there is a curious little Beetle {Sijmhius Ucd-
taruvi) which, as its specific name imports, is parasitic on the
bodies of cockroaches on board ship. I wish that some practical
entomologist could establish the Symbius in our houses. Oddly
enough, just as is the case with the insects in which it makes
its larval residence, the male only is winged, the female pos-
sessing neither wings nor elytra. Tlie larva of this Beetle is
almost exactly like the perfect female, and might be mistaken
for it save by the greater development of the autennte in the
perfect insect.

Some live under the bark of trees, some in fungi ; some, such
as the too familiar mealworm (the larva of Tenehrio molitor), in
flour, bran, meal, biscuit-casks, and similar localities. Some are
found within the stems and roots of living plants, and some on
leaves. It is a pity that, as the liabits of the larvie are so
diverse, so little should be known about them, especially as the
foreign Heteromera are very numerous when compared with our
own. Any entomologist whose vocation leads him to some hot
portion of the earth, no matter in what country it may be, will
find his labours amply repaid, and will confer an inestimable
benefit to entomology if he will set himself the task of investi-
gating the transformations of the Heteromera, many species of
which he is sure to find if he looks for them.

Perhaps some persons may ask, what can be the use of study-
ing the habits of insects and the mode of their transformations ?
I have already shown that, even with our limited knowledge on
the subject, we know that the transformations of many insects
are a great power in the development of the world. It is there-
fore but reasonable to infer that if our acquaintance with the
subject were more complete, we should learn that even the
smallest insects have their parts to play in the world, and that
in proportion as man knows their capabilities, so is he carrying
out one of the objects for which he, as well as they, were placed
in the world.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE TARSUS. 175

Ouii first example of the Hetevomera belongs to the family of
the Anisosiiclae, and is called Anisosis caudatus.

This little Beetle is very simple in colour, being dull blaclc,
with a finely punctated surface. Its chief peculiarity lies in the
tarsus of the hind legs. The reader will remember that in the
Beetles of this division the tarsus of the hind legs only contains
four perfectly developed joints. We should naturally therefore
expect this member to be shorter than those of the first and
middle pairs of legs. It is therefore very remarkable to find
that in spite of this small number of joints this tarsus should be
of any great length. Yet, in looking at this insect, we are at
once struck with the extraordinary
development of the tarsus of the
hind legs. They are necessarily
very slender, and almost look like
little black hairs rather than joints.
The magnifying glass, however,
reveals that the four joints of the
tarsus are each drawn out to a very
great length, the basal or first joint p^^ so— Am

being, as usual, the longest : indeed, (Bia.k.)

the tarsus alone is nearly as long-
as the entire body. At the end of the tibia there is a very long
and very slender spine, projecting inwards, so that the appear-
ance of the limb is really remarkable.

The generic name Anisosis is Greek, signifying " unequal,"
and is given on account of the inequality in length of the legs.
The Latin specific name caudatus signifies " tailed," and alludes
to the shape of the body, which is narrowed at tlie end into a
sort of tail. This species comes from Cape Negro.

The family of the Adesmiidas is represented by an insect
called Adesmia variolaris, which may be taken as the typical
form of the family.

Although in its hues this insect is notliing remarkable, its
colour being only soft brown, it is really a handsome Beetle, on
account of the l)old sculpturing witli which the elytra are
adorned. The whole body is very convex, and comes to a
tolerably sharp point at the end. The elytra are very wide,
folding over the sides of the abdomen so as to cover a full half

176

INSECTS ABR04D.

As in the last-mentioned

of it. Their upper surface is covered with hirge knobs running
in longitudinal lines and very regularly arranged. These knobs
are, in fact, nothing more than partly developed ridges, and the
same can be said of any Beetle whose elytra are covered with
symmetrically arranged knobs.

insect, the hind legs are long,
but in the Adesmia it is the
tibia and not the tarsus which is
lengthened. There are many
species of Adesmia, nearly all of
M'hich are black, so that the
present insect, which is a native
of Old Calabar, looks quite hand-
some among its duller relatives.
The specific name variolaris
signifies " pitted with small-pox,"
and is given to the insect in allu-
sion to the knobs or pustules with wdiich the elytra are covered.

Fici. SI. — Adesmia variolaris.

The family of the Zopherida? is represented by a member of
the typical genus Zophcrus Bremii. Before proceeding further.

Fin. S2.— Zoplienis Bremii
(YeHowi.sli grey, witli Mad; l<iiobs.)

I may remark that some authors spell tlie generic name Zopliurus,
but wrongly. The word is Greek, signifying "gloomy," or

HABITS OF THE ZOrHERUS. 177

" dusky," and is given to the insects partly on account of their
dull colouring, and partly because they hate the light and are
always found in dark and gloomy places.

The present species is a very fine one. The head and thorax
are black, but the elytra are covered with a coating of yellowish
grey, which is very firmly adhesive to the surface, but can be
scraped off so as to show that the natural colour of the elytra is
black. The upper surface is covered with a number of bold,
rounded knobs, arranged in regular longitudinal lines, and being
much larger near the suture than on the edges. If the insect be
viewed sideways, these knobs, the colour of which is black, are
seen to project to a considerable height from the surface of
the elytra.

Beneath, the colour is also dull black, but upon it are a
number of round whitish spots, which on examination with a
lens are seen to be formed exactly in the same manner as the
white of the upper surface, and equally capable of being scraped
off. The legs are black, but upon them are scattered a number
of tiny white scales of the same character, only so small as to be
mere specks, just as if a little of the finest flour had been dusted
on them.

The habits of this insect are tolerably indicated l>y its shape
and colour. It is a very slow walker, crawding along as if half
stupefied, and even when dislodged from its hiding-place it never
seems capable of hurrying its deliberate pace. It is to be found
in woods, chiefly hiding itself in the bark or under the trunks of
felled trees, or in the heaps of chips which the woodcutters have
struck off while cutting down the trees. Consequently, an ento-
mologist has a better chance of capturing this fine Beetle if he
searches a spot where the woodmen have been at work, than if
he goes into the yet untouched forest.

There are many species of Zopherus, all with similar habits,
and all of sombre colours, the present species being perhaps the
least dull of the whole genus. One of them is rather curiously
coloured. The projections on the elytra are nearly hexagonal,
and are set very closely together. As in Zophcnis ^reniii,
the knobs are black and the flat surface white, so that the
surface of the elytra looks something like a white net with an
ebony ball in every mesh. The present species is a native of
California.

N

178 INSECTS ABROAD.

Most of the Beetles which we are now examining are slow,
sluggish, and dull hlack, or at all events sombre in hue, and so
constant a character is this duluess that some systematic ento-
mologists have gathered them into a general group under the
name of Melasoma, or " black-bodied." These insects are indeed
the typical representatives of the Heteromera ; and as some of
them are of considerable size, the structure of the foot can be
arrived at without difficulty.

The family of the Blapsidje is familiar to all Englisli entomo-
logists on account of our familiar insect the Cellar Beetle, or
Churchyard Beetle {Bla2'>s mucronata), which, as its popular
name imports, is to be found in dark and damp places.

Pig. 83.— Blaps polyehrestos.
(Dull black, washed with purple.)

All the Blapsidte are so much alike in their habits that the
description of one species will equally serve for others, no matter
what may be their country. Of their own will they are never
seen in the daylight, and even in their own familiar darkness
they have no liveliness, but crawl sluggishly about with great
deliberation, slowly lifting one leg after another, and reminding
the observer of the gait of a tortoise. . With such liabits it is
evident that they cannot need wings, and accordingly they are
entirely without organs of flight, their elytra being so firmly
soldered together that they cannot be separated without injury.

These Beetles emit an odour which is singularly unpleasant,
and so peculiar as almost to baffle description. It is not like
that of the larger Eove Beetles, of the Burying Beetles, or the
Ground Beetles, but is a sort of mixture of them all, together

ODOUR OF THE BLAPS. 179

with a little asafletida and any other odour which the reader may
happen to dislike ; and as it clings very tightly, and is not
easily abolished, even by several washings, the Blaps is an insect
to be let alone, especially as it does no harm.

The present species is found in the country through which the
White Nile flows. Its colour is dull black, but when it is illu-
minated by a side light a slight wash of purple is perceptible.
The whole surface is very flnely punctured. In appearance it
differs little from our own species, except that the elytra — instead
of being brought to a single sharp point, from which the Beetle
has derived its specific name of mucronata, or " dagger-shaped,"
— diverge from each other at the ends, which are prolonged
into two rather long points.

In Mouffet's "Theatre of Insects" there is a quaint account of
the Blaps, in which the author takes for granted that the insects
are quite as disagreealjle to each other as to mankind, and are
perfectly aware of the fact : —

" It is of a pure black glistening colour, very slow-paced, as no
creature the like, the body so framed and ordered that you would
swear it were winged and had sheath-wings ; nevertheless none
of them have any wings, no, not the male itself amongst this
sort of them (whatever Pliny dreameth to the contrary).

" It hath thin slender long shanks ; remains in deep cellars ;
it creepeth very slowly, but at the least glimpse of light and
whisper of talk, she hides herself; a shamefac't creature, cer-
tainly, and most impatient of light, not so much- for its ill-
favouredness, but the guiltiness of its conscience in regard ot
the stinke it leaves behind it, and of its ill behaviour, for it
frequents base places, and digs through other men's wals, and
doth not only annoy those that stand near it, but oli'euds all the
place thereabouts with its filthy savour. The mouth of it is
forked, the back covered (as it were) with a sheath- wing ; so soli-
tary a creature that you shall scarce find two of them together."

It is rather remarkable that Mouffet, though he persistently
calls the insect which he is describing a "'Blat," and is good enough
to place it among the Moths, gives a really fair figure of the
Blaps and a very good description of the insect. Alluding to
tlie then popular notion that the nnperial purple dye (which was
kept a ]>rofound secret by the few dyers who knew how to
N 2

180 INSECTS ABKOAD.

prepare it) was made from the Blaps, lie proceeds as follows : —
" These little creatures, though they are baleful to nature itself,
to men and bees, yet (xod hath endued them with sundry
virtues, in which they excel the Blattse Bizantine, For take off
his shell or mail, which is thin between its head (called papaver)
and its neck, what doth the belly contain but the ornament to
dye withall, and to delight the eyes with their colour ? And be
it so that princes and great men will buy it though never so
dear, and by the greatness of the price make it only fit for kings
to wear; yet notwithstanding when you have heard the virtues
of these Blattse, otherwise so contemptible, you will say they are
far more esteemed than purple."

The same writer then proceeds to affirm that the Blaps is a
certain cure for ear-ache if beaten up with old wine, honey,
pomegranate-rind, unguentum Syriacmn, apple-juice, tar, and
onion. This delightful mixture is to be boiled in a pipkin, and
when cold to be poured into the ear.

The reader will remember that many of the dark-bodied
Heteromera are very dull and slow in their movements. In
allusion to this disposition the name oi Moluridcc, or "sluggish,"

is given to the vast family of Beetles. The particular species
which has been chosen as the representative is Moluris
Rowleyiana. Moluris is one of the many genera that have
been made out of Pimelia, which may almost be called a genus
of all work, or a refuge for destitute Heteromera, so large did it

THE MOLURIS. 181

become by the additions which were perpetually being made
to it.

The present insect is one of the largest of its kind, the speci-
men from which it was drawn being an inch and three-quarters
in length. The colour of this species is black. The head and
thorax are finely granulated, and if examined with a magnifier
the whole surface is seen to have a peculiar gloss, caused by the
edges of the granulations being highly polished, while the in-
terior of the cells is dull and rough.

The elytra have several curved ridges upon their surface, not
running parallel to the suture, as is generally the case with such
ridges, but taking a slight and graceful double curve. Tliese
ridges do not extend throughout the entire length of the elytra,
but start near the base and reach nearly but not quite to the tip.
They are very narrow at their commencement, swell out gradu-
ally in the middle, and then become attenuated again towards
the end, where they join each other. Beneath, the insect is
wholly dull black, and the legs are of the same hue. There is a
little golden down on the under surface of the shoulders.

The present species has rather a wide range of country, speci-
mens in the British Museum having been taken both in East
and West Africa. There are many species of Moluris, and it is
worthy of remark that there are two distinct types of form,
some of the insects being shaped like that which has just been
described, while others are much thicker, more rounded, and
have the thorax nearly globular. Among them may be men-
tioned Moluris Rouletii, which looks almost like a black spider,
the abdomen being shaped almost exactly like that of our com-
mon garden spider, and the little head so. overshadowed by the
round globular thorax, that it scarcely seems to be a distinct
part of the insect, and the two seem to be fused together, as is
ihe case w^ith the spiders. This species is quite smooth and
shining, but others have a few waved marks on their elytra, very
much like those of Moluris Eowleyiana.

Then there is Moluris Perreti, a very odddooking spider-like
Beetle, with curiously ornamented elytra. The upper half is
tolerably smooth, but over the remainder of the surface are
scattered a number of projecting knobs, while towards the tips
the elytra are lengthened and fiattened. Moluris alhifrons of
Southern Africa has a very curiously shaped body. The elytra

182 INSECTS ABROAD.

are flattened at the top, and dull black. They are tlien suddenly
folded over so as nearly to cover the sides, and are then
polislied, shining black, of a steely character. The legs are
entirely covered with pale yellow down, and contrast boldly
with the shining black of the body. In some species the body
is large, round, and thick, and upon it are scattered a number
of long yellow hairs, which give the insect a sort of bee-like
aspect.

It is said that in one of the allied species the female has
a round, hard, granulated spot on the middle of the second
segment of the abdomen, and that by striking this upon any
hard substance she produces a sound which seems to attract the
male. I very much doubt, however, whether this hard spot be
used for such a purpose. In the first place, it would be no easy
matter to strike hard enough to produce a sound which the male
is likely to hear ; and, in the second, such sounds appear to be
always produced by the male insect, such, for example, as the
grasshoppers, crickets, cicadae, and the like.

The family of the Amarygmidai is represented by the remark-
able insect which is shown in the illustration on the next page,
and which has been hitherto undescribed. It is found in Southern
Africa. At first sight it looks wonderfully like a cockroach, its
long and comparatively .slender legs stretching far from the body
just as do those of a cockroach, and the long, slender antenna? of
the male having a very blatta-like aspect. So great is the deve-
lopment of the limbs, that, whereas the entire length of the
insect is only an inch and a quarter, the hind legs measure
very nearly two inches in length. The generic name, Eiqjczus,
signifying " well-footed," refers to the great length of limb.

The legs are black, and profusely punctured. The reader will
notice that the length of the leg is chiefly owing to the develop-
ment of the tibiae, which are slender and slightly curved. Those
of the first and second pairs of legs are clothed with dense golden
pile, while those of the hind pair of legs are entirely plain. The
object of this down is quite a problem to entomologists. It can
liardly be meant for mere ornament, inasmuch as it often appears
on the under side of the insect. It certainly must serve some
definite purpose, though at present that purpose is unknown.

If it appeared always in one part of the body, S(jme conjecture

THE GOLDEN DOWN AND ITS OBJECT. 1.83

as to its use might be offered; but it is exceedingly Ccapricious,
appearing now on one part of the body, now on another, and
seeming to obey no particuhir rule. For example, in Eupczus
nigerrimus, the down exists on two pairs of legs and not on
the third. In the JNIoluris it occupies the shoulder and dis-
appears from the limbs. In the Hercules Beetle a ridge of
such hair runs along the under surface of the beak-like thorax,
and in a weevil, which we shall presently see, tlie elongated
head is surrounded with radiating golden down, so that it looks
like a small bottle-brush.

Now, it is evident that wliatever may be the function which
this yellow down exercises, it must be one which belongs equally

Fig. 85. — Eupezus ni£;eirii]ius Is w species
(Black )

to aU the parts of the body on which it appears, and that there-
fore it cannot be for the purpose of giving the insect a firmer
hold, as has been suggested by those who have judged from its
presence on the legs ; or for the purpose of absorbing the juices
of plants, as has been said by those Avho judged from its pre-
sence on the head ; or for the purpose of affording warmth, as
has been conjectured by those who judged from its presence on
the body. There can be no doubt that it does exercise some
function which it can discharge in all these positions, though
what that function may be is at present a mystery.

To return to our present insect. The head and thorax are
shiny black, and so are tire elytra, whicli are striated and punc-

184 INSECTS ABROAD.

tured. In the male the antennse are long and slender, as shown
in the illustration, but in the female they are comparatively
short, being only about one-half as long as the body. There are
but a few species of Eupezus, all of which are black, though
none are so jetty black, so shining, so large, or so long-legged
as Eupemis nigerrimus.

Of the family of the Nycteliidse we take as our example Gyrio-
soma Lcuzotii. With regard to this genus, Lacordaire has the
following statement : — " These are large and remarkable insects,
mostly black, shining, and silky, having
on each of the elytra a variable number
of oblique channels which are tilled
with short, \vliite furry down, lying
nearly flat along the furrows." The
present species is a native of Chili.
Its colours are pitch black and greyish
white, arranged as shown in the illus-
tration. The head is black, and so is
the thorax, the front angles of which
Fig. 86.-Gyiiosonia Leuzotii. are rouudcd, and the hinder angles

(Black and white.) ^ ■ . A n^\ . c 1.1

long and pointed, ihe centre oi the
u]3per surface or disc, as it is scientifically termed, is thickly
wrinkled.

The elytra are not punctated, but are covered with irregular
striae. Running from the scutellum towards the tips of the elytra
are several white patches. These patches are irregular, not only
in shape and size, but even in number, some specimens having
only five, while others have six or seven. Beneath, the insect is
pitchy black.

Like most of the Heteromera, this insect is of a shy and
retiring disposition, hiding itself under stones and in similar

The family of the Lagriidne is very familiar to English entomo-
logists on account of the only British representative of the family,
Lagria hirta, so plentiful in the summer in hedges and upon
flowers. The name Lagriidse is formed from a Greek word signify-
ing " a hare," and is given to these Beetles on account of the
dense and long down with which many of the species are covered.

FOKEIGN AND BRITISH LAGRIAS. 185

Lagria basalts, which has been chosen as the rejiresentative ot
the family, is a native of Northern India, and is a singularly
beautiful insect. Its body is very convex, so as to be nearly
cylindrical. The head and thorax are apparently black, but
when viewed by a strong light are seen to be the very deepest
pxu'ple, just as a so-called black coat is mostly blue, and not
black. The elytra are curiously granulated, the granulations
running in curves so as to produce a sort of uncertain spiral
pattern, thus giving a peculiar soft richness to the surface. The
colours of the elytra are so equally divided that it is not easy to
say which is the ground hue. The basal half of each elytron is
deep, glowing purple, to which fact the insect owes its specific
name of hasalis. The remainder of the elytron is yellow, the
punctures or granulations being shown much more distinctly on
the yeUow than on the purple half. The under surface of the
body is dull black.

There are many species of this genus, the present being by far
the largest in point of size and the handsomest in point of
colour. Little seems to be known
of the larvae of the various species
and their habits. The larva of our
own species is, like the perfect insect,
clothed abundantly with long hairs,
and its shape is rather cylindrical,
but flattened beneath. The pupa is
also hairy. Mr. Westwood mentions
that he has often beaten the larva out
of whitethorn hedges in the spring
and autumn ; and Lyonnet states that ^'''- 87- -Lagria basaiis.

•^ (Purple and yellow.)

he took the larva at the foot of oak-
trees, under a quantity of fallen leaves, on which they were feeding.
Their larva is, however, generally thought to be carnivorous.
When disturbed they roll themselves up, and Lyonnet states
that they assumed the pupal form at the beginning of July,
emerging in the perfect state in the wane of the same summer.

The Beetle which is represented in the illustration on the next
page has never before been described. It belongs to the family
Evanioceridse, and I have given to it the name of Trigonodcra
angulata. The former of these names is Greek, and signifies

186 IXSKCTS ABROAD.

" triangular-skinned." It is given to all tlie Beetles of the genus
because, when viewed from above, the thorax appears more or
less triangular.

In the male insect the antenna3 are beautifully feathered, and
the eyes are greatly developed, meeting together on the top of
the head. Indeed, the head seems to be all eyes, much like
the head of a blue-bottle, and it is so bent downwards under the
thorax that it cannot be seen when the insect is viewed from
above. In the female the antennae
are comparatively simple, and the
eyes are much smaller.

In all the species of Trigonodera
the hinder curves of the thorax are
pointed, but in this species, espe-
cially when viewed in profile, the
curves are elongated into such
sharp, angulated points, that I have
Fig. ss.— Trigonodera auguiata. nl-w given it the spccific name of angu-
(Reridish brown.) Ma. Whether vicwed from abovc

or from the side, there is a curious high-shouldered appearance
about the Trigonodera tliat is especially conspicuous in this
species, it being the largest of the genus.

All the Trigonoderae are soberly clad, and this insect is no
exception to the rule, its colour being pale reddish brown
above and below, and its surface covered with a soft, silky
down. This hairy covering is easily rubbed off, and then shows
the real colour of the deeper elytra beneath.

Australia has been celebrated as the home of some of the
most singular mammals in the world, such as the Echidna,
popularly called the Porcupine Ant-eater, the various species of
Kangaroo, the Tasnianian wolf (which is not a wolf at all, but a
marsujjial), and the Duckbill. She likewise produces plants and
trees which are quite as distinct from those of the old world as
are her marsupials from ordinary mammals. And, as we shall
presently see, she keeps up her reputation for strange forms by
producing some very odd-looking, not to say grotesque, insects.

Among these are the Beetles belonging to the genus Helaeus.
So remarkable are the insects which constitute the f\rmily of
the HeliidiP, and so bizarre arc their forms, that I sincerelv

A FLAT bki-:tle. 187

regret the necessity for selecting- only one species as an example
of them.

The members of the genus Helseus are found throughout
Australia, and, while agreeing in general form, have some remark-
able varieties of detail. Among the details in which they agree
is the iiattening of the sides of the thorax and elytra, the abdo-
men and radial thorax being rounded, as is shown in the illus-
tration. As to the head, it is quite invisible when the insect is
viewed from above, being completely hidden under the flattened
perthorax. There are no wings.

The colour of the present species is rather dark reddish brown,
very much like that of the " jumbles," to which reference has
been made in the description of the jMormolyce, or Fiddler Beetle,

Fio. S9.— Helsus perforatus.
(Reddish browu. )

on page 40. As is the case with that Beetle, the colour is darker
in the middle of the thorax and abdomen. The sides of the
elytra are very much flattened and slightly turned upwards, so
as to give to the insect the form of a shallow dish. We have
no British insect which is exactly like it in this respect, but the
flattened body of the common Water Scorpion {Ncpa cinerea)
will convey a tolerable idea of the Helajus. In spite of the
large size of the elytra, there is not more material in them than
would be the case were they not flattened, but they are so
squeezed out that they are scarcely thicker than the paper on
which this account is printed.

At the first glance at the insect it is evident that the middle
of the, elytra is covered with a dense coating of long hairs that
stand boldly upwards, but have a very slight curvature at the

188 INSECTS ABKOAD.

tips through their own weight. These hairs appear, wlien the
insect is viewed from above, to be merely planted thickly on the
elytra without any particular arrangement ; but when the Beetle
is viewed from either end, a really beautiful arrangement is at
once visible. The hairs are set in rows running longitudinally
upon the elytra and lying parallel to each other, being set, in
point of fact, upon those ridges with which the elytra of so many
Beetles are decorated. The extreme edges of the elytra are
slightly thickened and rounded, evidently to give strength to a
material so thin that the light shines plainly througli it, even
when the insect is in a cabinet.

Proceeding from the elytra to the thorax a similar structure is
visible, except that there are no hairs. There is, however, a very
curious element in this part of the body. Towards the front of
the thorax, and in the centre, there is an oval perforation, which
seems to have been made for the purpose of permitting the head
to move up and down, and the eyes to perceive objects above
them, which would otherwise be hidden by the overhanging
thorax. On examining the insect closely, this apparent perfo-
ration is seen not to be a perforation at all.

The thorax is flat and moulded in front into two flattened horns,
which are curved so as to cross each other at the tips and thus
to leave an oval aperture. The left horn is uppermost, and they
as well as the sides of the thorax are slightly thickened at their
edges. The thorax and abdomen are so formed as to present
an almost unbroken outline, scarcely any line of demarcation
being visible except when carefully searched for. The true
shape of the Beetle can only be seen by turning it over and
looking at the under surface, when the distinction between the
body and the flattened sides is shown very clearly.

There are many species of Helseus, all of which have some
peculiarity which is worthy of notice. I can, however, only
mention one of them, Hekcus echidna, which was brought from
King George's Sound by Captain (h-ey.

The thorax of this insect is black, highly polished in the
raised and rounded middle and duller on the flattened sides.
The elytra are also black, and they, as well as the thorax, are so
boldly turned up on their flattened sides, that whereas Helams
IKrforatus resembles a dish, this species is more like a boat. On
the raised centre of the elytra there are no hairs, but instead of

THE PIMELIAS. 189

them are six rows of large, sharply-pointed spikes, those next
the suture being the longest. It is in consequence of this struc-
ture that the insect has received the specific name of echidna,
the spikes having some analogy with those of the well-known
Echidna or Porcupine Ant-eater of the same country. Below,
the insect is dull black.

The generic name Helmus (which ought properly to have been
written Helaios) signifies " an olive." I know not why it should
have been given to these Beetles. The olive does not grow in
Australia, and so the name could not have been given because
the olive supplies food for the insect in any of its stages. And
neither in form nor colour do the Helsei bear the least resem-
blance to olives. The specific name inrforatus refers of course
to the aperture in the thorax, but it would have been equally
applicable to all the species, as in all the true Helsei the
flattened horns of the thorax are curved over each other in a
very similar fashion.

The reader may remember that a reference was lately made
to the great and unwieldy genus Pimelia, which has since been
broken up, not only into genera, but even into families. Tlie
typical family is the Pimelidae, of which the Beetle which is
called Prionothcca coronata is a characteristic example. ISTone
of the Pimelidae possess wings, and the elytra are soldered
together, as is often the case with wingless Beetles. Eespecting
this family, Mr. Westwood has the following observations : —
" But few of this extensive family of Beetles are found in this
country; they are most abundant in Southern and Eastern
Europe, and in the deserts of Africa. But little is knowm of
their habits ; they shun the light, and reside in salt or sandy
situations, many frequenting the shores of the sea, particularly
the Mediterranean.

" Their colours are black and obscure ; they are uncommonly
sluggish, and on being alarmed they emit a disagreeably fetid
fluid, which in some species produces a coating of a whitish
colour upon their bodies when dried. . . . The Pimelia hijniiic-
tata, observed by Latreille, inhabits the sandy shores of the
Mediterranean, concealing itself in holes which it excavates
with its legs. . . . Some few of the genera have only ten dis-
tinct joints in the antenna?."

190 INSECTS ABEOAD.

The present species inhabits many parts of Africa, specimens
in the British Museum having been brought from Egypt, Abys-
sinia, &c. The colour of the insect is black, but the thorax is so
thickly covered with yellow hair that at first sight it seems to
be yellow instead of black. The rather globular elytra are
covered with little rounded knobs, running in parallel rows ; and
just at the edge, if we may so call it, where the elytra turn over
the abdomen, there is a row of spikes radiating from a common
centre like the rays of a coronet. The disc or middle of the
elytra is plain black, but the rest is clothed with long yellow
hairs, scattered rather sparingly over the surface, and without
any aj)parent attempt at arrangement.

Fin. 90.— Prionotheca coronaw.
(Black, reddish down on feet.'

Like the body, the legs are black, and are profusely though
finely granulated. There is one peculiarity about them which
is at once conspicuous ; namely, the presence of a quantity of
orange silken down upon the tarsi of all the legs. Beneath, the
insect is dvill black, and over the surface a small quantity ot
similar down is sparingly scattered.

In the British Museum there is an insect belonging to this
genus which is considered to be a new species. It has a black
head and thorax, and reddish brown elytra surrounded with a
row of very small spikes. It was taken out of a Sinaitic
mummy by Dr. Birch, of the British Museum. Whether or not
it really be a distinct species I can hardly say, because the
difference of colour could easily be caused by its long sojourn
in the mummy.

DIGGING LEGS. 191

Our last example of this group of Beetles is Anomalqyus
Hneatus, which belongs to the family of the Opatriche. We have
two species of this family in England, the best known of which
is Opatrum sabulosuvi, a Beetle which is fonnd on the sandy
shores of the southern coast. By some writers the word is
spelled Hopatrum, but this is incorrect, as the Greek word,
which signifies " sprung from the same father," does not contain
tlie aspirate.

The name of Anomalip)iis, i.e. " anomalous foot," is given to
the genus on account of the structure of the fore-legs. As the
reader may see by reference to the illustration, the tibia? of this
insect are very large, flattened, and armed with spikes. They
very much resemble the same members in the Scarabidse, and
are evidently used for the same purpose, i.e. digging. As if to
show that such is really the object of these powerful limbs, the

Fig. 91.— Anomalipus lineatus.
(Black. )

specimens of the Anomalipus which are brought to this country
are generally so covered with the earth in which they have been
excavating, that they must be washed before the markings on the
body can be distinguished.

The general colour of the species is black, and its form is
rather flattened. The thorax is widened, and on either side
of the centre there is a large depression or pit, shap)ed some-
thing like a pear, the large end of which is uppermost. The
elytra are really black, though at first sight they appear to be
lighter than the thorax. This is caused by a quantity of
1 »ro\vnish liairs, which are set in parallel rows between the boldly

192 INSECTS ABROAD.

projecting ridges which traverse the elytra. The contrast be-
tween these soft brown hairs and the shining black ridges is
very strongly marked, and it is in consequence of this structure
tliat the specific name of lineahcs has been given to the insect.

The legs are also black, but the tibi^ have a decided wash of
purple, and are very deeply granulated. The under surface of
the thighs is thickly covered with golden red silken down, and
a similar coating of down is seen upon the curved tibijB of the
hind-legs. The insect inhabits Southern Africa. There is in
the British Museum a Beetle yet undescribed, which evidently
belongs to this genus. It was brought from South Africa by the
late Captain Speke. It is shaped much like the ^jreceding insect,
but is covered with spikes and projecting angles. The elytra
are surrounded with spikes much like those of the Prionotheca :
there are two bold horn- like spikes on the upper part of the
thorax, the hinder angles of which are long and sharp. Alto-
gether it must be a very unpleasant insect to grasp in the ]iand
when alive, as its legs, though not so powerful as those of
Anomalipus lineatus, Sire quite strong enough to force the spikes
well into the hand. The colour of this species is dark brown.

CHAPTER XIV.

RHYXCHOPHOJ^A. OR WEEVILS.

The hidden virtues of the Weevils have yet to l)e discovered.
That such virtues exist there can be no doubt, but at pre-
sent they are so very deeply hidden tliat they are quite
unknown.

We are perfectly aware that even in this country the Weevils
do an enormous amount of direct injury to man. The Corn
Weevil, for example, tiny though it may be individually, is
collectively a formidable enemy, attacking grain in such vast
swarms that the proprietors of corn-stores are obliged to sift
their grain before they deliver it, and tind that the Weevils
which they have separated from the corn may be measured by
the ton. Then the Eice Weevil is just as destructive in the
grain from which it takes its name, and the Apple Weevil and
the Nut Weevil do great damage in the orchards. Some Weevils
attack trees, others garden plants, and others the growing crops
of peas, beans, and other vegetables. Abroad, the Weevils are
infinitely more destructive, because they are so much larger.
There is, for example, the Palm Weevil, which will presently be
described, which attacks the palm-trees and does much damage
to them ; and the Sugar AVeevil, which causes like destruction
among the growing sugar-canes.

None of our Weevils are large, and the most destructive of
them are fortunately the smallest. Abroad, however, and espe-
cially in tropical climates, the Weevils attain very great dimen-
sions, and their larvse are correspondingly destructive. Yet,
though some of these insects are so large, others are exceedingly
small, some being so minute that without the aid of a magnify-
ing glass it is not easy even to distinguish the order to which

0

194 INSECTS ABKOAD.

they belong. Their variety in form and colour is quite as re-
markable as is that of size.

Many of them are among the soberest of Beetles, clad in dull
browns, blacks, and greys, while others are gorgeous beyond all
powers of description, and look as though they had been clothed
in mail formed of diamonds^ rubies, emeralds, and opals, set in
a network of gold. People in general do not know it, but we
have in this country many Weevils which to the careless eye
appear to be nothing more than little dull green Beetles, but
which, when placed under a microscope and viewed in a strong
light, blaze out with so intense a radiance of many-coloured
refulgence that the eye can scarcely endure its splendour.

As to form, they exhibit the most extraordinary shapes, many
of them being absolutely grotesque. Some of these Beetles are
round, short, and squat, while others have their bodies, heads, or
elytra elongated to the most extraordinary extent. Generally
the antennae of the Weevils are short, but there are some groups,
examples of which we shall presently describe, that have the
antenna drawn out to as great a length as can be seen in any of
the Longicorn Beetles. Some are smooth, while others are covered
with spikes, knobs, and sharp edges. As to their number, I
can best convey an idea of it by mentioning that in the British
Museum there are one hundred and eighty drawers full of
Weevils, so that to make a moderately comprehensive selection
from such an array is no easy task. I have endeavoured, how-
ever, to choose from them those species which fairly represent
the principal groups into which the Weevils are divided.

The word RJiyncliopliora is Greek, signifying " beak-bearing,"
and has been given to the Weevils because in most of the species
the head is elongated into a beak-like form of greater or less
length. Some of them have the beak but slightly indicated,
while in others the head is drawn out to a length that really
seems incredible.

The family of the Bruchidte are well known in England, better
perhaps known than liked, except by professed entomologists.
One of them, the Pea Weevil (Bruchus pisi), whose little white
larvse are so plentiful in peas, is a member of this genus, but
is supposed to be one of the many Weevils which have been
imported from other countries in cargoes of grain. The Bed-

FRUIT-EATING WEEVILS. 195^

lefrged Weevil [Bruchus rujiiiianus), the larva of wliicli resides
within beans and other similar seeds, is a genuine Briton, as are
the remaining six members of the genus.

All our Bruchidas are little insects, but those of foreign coun-
tries often attain a considerable size. Such is the case with our
present example of the family, Carpophagus Banksii, which is
represented of its natural size. It is a native of Australia. The
generic name of this insect, signifying "fruit-eating," denotes its
habits, which are like those of the English Bruchidoe.

In this insect the thorax is black and finely granulated, and the
elytra are dark chestnut, marked with a few slightly defined
longitudinal lines. They are ^^
rather curiously formed, not
reaching to the end of tlie ab-
domen, but being cut away
diagonally on either side from
the suture to the outer edge.
The head is rather elongated
and slightly curved downwards,

T . 1 . 11 Fig. 92. — Caipoi)hagus Bauksii.

and the antennoe are placed (giack ti.orax, chestnut elytra.)

near its tip. The legs are

strong, especially the thighs, which are pear-shaped, tlie smaller

end being jointed to tlie body, and the larger bearing the curved

tibipe.

The name of Bruchidse ought not to have been used for a
Beetle of any kind. It rightly signifies a larval locust, and is
derived from a Greek word which signifies " biting " or " grazing."

The Anthribidce are represented in this work by two examples,
one of them showing the ordinary shape and appearance of the
insect, and the other the extravagance, if we may so call it, of
variation which is sometimes found in foreign Weevils. AVe
have eight British examples of Anthribidse, the best known of
which is the little Choragus Sluppardii, which has a habit of
skipping and hopping about when disturbed. This power of
jumping is the more remarkable because the thighs of the hind
legs are not thickened, as is generally the case with jumping
insects.

The Anthribidffi are not so injurious as the Bruchidse, some
living in fungi, some in decaving wood, and others being found
' 0^2

196

INSECTS ABROAD,

in flowers. Indeed, many of them are actually useful to man,
inasmuch as they are parasitic on the Coccus, or Scale Insect,
which is so injurious to many plants.

Our first example of these Beetles is called Tophoderes frenatus,
and is a native of Madagascar. It is entirely black and white,
and must be almost invisible if clinging to a lichen-covered tree-
trunk. The surface is covered with variously sized and shaped
tubercles, all of which are black. Along either side of the head and
thorax runs a narrow yellowish white
stripe, which is continued over the
shoulders of the elytra. These stripes
really look very much like the reins
of a horse, and on their account
the specific name of frenatus, or
" bridled," has been given to the
insect. Below, the surface is rather
dull black, profusely and finely
punctated. The legs, like the body,
are parti-coloured, the thighs and
tarsus being black, and the tibia
white.

The generic name of Tophocleres
refers to the peculiar black and white
colouring of the upper surface. It is
composed of two Greek words, the
latter of which means "a skin" or
external surface, and the other
signifies a kind of mottled stone, which is known to mineralo-
gists by the name of " tufa," or " tuff-stone," this being a corrup-
tion of the Greek tophos. The Latin word tophus is only
another form of the same word.

Fig. 93.— Tophoderes frenatus.
(Black and white.)

On looking at the figure of the last-mentioned insect, the
reader will probably notice that the antennae are much
lengthened. This elongation extends through many of the allied
species, some of which are so exactly like the Longicorn Beetles
that it is scarcely possible to imagine them to be Weevils. The
most remarkable species at present known of these long-horned
Weevils is that which is represented in the illustration on the
next page, and known by the name of Xevoccrus lineatus.

LONG-HOltNED WEEVILS.

197

The former of the two names seems to liave been composed
much as Dickens' author composed his woi'k on Chinese meta-
physics, by taking a cyclopsedia and reading the article " China"
under the letter C, " Metaphysics " under the letter M, and com-
bining his information. The author has evidently got hold of an
English-Greek lexicon, and, wanting an equivalent for " strange-
liorned," looked for the word " strange," or " stranger," under the
letter >S', and found Xewos. Then he looked for "horn" under
the letter H, and found Keras. Then, by combining his in-
formation, he formed the word JLenocerus, not in the least
seeing that Xenos signifies " a stranger," i.e. a guest, or a
stranger in the lioiise, and lias nothing to do with the word
" strange " in the sense of exceptional or wonderful, that
being evidently the meaning which the writer meant to convey.

The insect wliich is now ];)efore us comes from the Aru
Islands, and is one of the many beautiful species which have
been brought to England by Mr. Wallace. The antennas of the
male are of extraordinary length, and are extraordinarily slender
except for the first two or three joints. The colour of the
antennae is black, except the first or basal half of the fifth joint,
which is white. They are arranged much in the same manner
in every specimen. The first joint is short, stout, and rounded.
The next is long, and has a slight and somewhat variable double
curvature. The third is very short ; and the fourth is the longest
of all the joints. Then comes the fifth joint, which is slender,
short, and has the basal half -white ; and the rest of the joints
are nearly equal in length and very delicate^ no tliicker, indeed,
than an ordinary liorse-liair. "

198 INSECTS ABROAD.

As is the case with iiiaiiy insects, the antennae of the female
are very much shorter than those of the male, being, indeed,
only about half as long as the body, and inconspicuous in every
respect. In many cases the pattern of the body differs in the
two sexes, so that the male and female might easily be mis-
taken for different species. The eyes are extremely large in
the male, and their black globular surfaces seem to occupy
the whole head.

The general colour of the body is chocolate brown, and upon
it are drawn a number of pale whitish grey stripes, very sym-
metrically arranged. One runs along the middle of the head,
and two others diverge from it on either side, the three looking
very much like the well-known royal mark, the " broad arrow."
Three similar stripes run down the thorax, but parallel to each
other. The abdomen is adorned in like manner, one curved
stripe being on each shoulder, one running along the centre, and
then two more diverging from the middle stripe, so as to form a
second "broad arrow." The legs are white, except the ends of
the tibia3 and joints of the tarsus, which are black. Beneath,
the insect is white, powdered with brown scale-like marks.

There are many species of this remarkable genus, some
coming from tlie Philippine Islands and some from Ceram,
Sarawak, Celebes, &c., so that it has rather a large geographical
range. Their colours are not brilliant, being simple grey- brown
or black, but there is always a pattern of white, so that the dark
and light portions are boldly contrasted.

Considering the length and slenderness of the antennae of
these insects, it is evidently no easy task to preserve them in
their integrity. Everyone who has collected insects knows h »w
difficult it is to avoid snapping off the antenna of insects, ev\in
when they are merely removed from one drawer to another.
When therefore insects have to be packed for travelling, then
to _ undergo journeys by land and water, and then, which is
perhaps the worst trial of all, to be unpacked, pinned, and set
the difficulty of saving these long and delicate antennfe may be
imagined. The mode employed by 'Mv. WalUrce is the best that
I know.

He takes with him a number of hollow paper cylinders, just
like squib-cases, varying considerably in diameter, so as to
accommodate diffei'ent-sized insects. When he has taken and

PACKING BEETLES. 199

killed one of these long-horned Beetles, he pushes it head fore-
most into a suitable cylinder, talcing care to let the antennai lie
along the sides of the body. The ends are then stopped, and
there is the Beetle, perfectly safe. WJien packed for travelling,
the cylinders, each with a Beetle inside it, are arranged in boxes,
just like cigars, and by means of a little cotton-wool, tow, or
similar substance, are kept from shaking about. When the cases
are unpacked, the stoppers are taken out of the cylinders, and
the Beetles gently drawn out with fine forceps. They are then
placed in the "relaxing" pans, and in a day or two they are as
easily set as if they had only just been killed.

Next come the Attelabida^, a family in which the antennae
are not elbowed, as is the case with most Weevils. We have
only two examples of this family in England. One of them,
Attdahus currAilionoidcs, is well known for the peculiar mode in
which the female attacks the young leaves of oaks, i.e. by rolling
them up in packets shaped like thimbles, and placing her eggs
in the packets. It is a common insect, and most persons who
use their eyes must have seen these thimble-like masses on
the oak-trees.

The very remarkable insect Trachelophorus giraffci is a native
of Madagascar, and is exceedingly rare, the specimen from which
the drawing was taken being believed
to be the only one known.

In this insect the antennte are only
of moderate length, but the head and
thorax, especially the former, are in-
ordinately elongated. The colour of
the elytra is very dark red, and they
are covered with punctures arranged
in parallel rows. The body is stout „ . ^ , , ,

^ •> Ftg. !iy. -Traclieloplioi-ns giralla.

and thick, and suddenly turned down- (steei-wue iiead and thorax, aark
wards at about two-thirds of its length

from the base. The head and antennae are very dark, steely blue.
The head is very movable in au up-and-down direction, and
when it is bent downwards nearly at a right angle the Beetle
has a most singular, not to say grotesque appearance, the attitude
bearing much resemblance to that of a giraffe Avhen trying to eat
something on the ground. It is to this resemblance that the

200 INSECTS ABROAD.

specific name o^ giraffa is due. The generic name is Greek, and
signifies " neck-bearer," in allusion to the elongated thorax.

Although only one specimen of this particular species is
known, there are plenty of species belonging to the genus,
scattered over many hot parts of the globe. For example, there
are specimens in the British Museum from Java, India, Ceylon,
the Philippines, Burmah, and China. None of them are so large
as that wliich has been described, and many of them are quite
small. As a rule, dusky red is the principal colour, but thei^e is
one little species from the Philippines, TrachelojjJiorus contractus,
which is quite black.

Of the typical genus there are not many species, and their
colour is, with one or two exceptions, rather dull. One of the
exceptions is Attelabus sumjjtiwsus, which is really a splendid
little insect, blazing out in beaut}^
far beyond any of its fellows. It
is, as are so many of the bril-
liantly coloured Beetles, a native
of Mexico.

At first sight this insect re-
minds the observer of the com-
mon but splendid Fire-tail bees
of our own country. The whole
hi< io- vnt-hiiussuii itu.sus upper surface is covered with

punctures, and shining as it made
of burnished steel or enamel. The head and thorax are crimson,
and along the middle of the elytra runs a broad band of ultra-
marine blue. The sides of the elytra are shining crimson, and
round their edges runs a narrow band of golden green. The legs
are of the same gold-green as that of the elytra, and the whole
of the under-surface is either blue or green according to the
angle at which the light happens to fall on it, so that this insect
very well deserves its sj)ecific name of sumptuosus.

The wings of all the species are large and ample. The only
other species which even approaches this beautiful insect in
colour is one that was brought from China and has not yet been
described. It is very small, and of a dark blue colour, much
like that of some of our well-known little Chrysomelas.

AVhy the name of Attelabus has been given to these insects I

THE ATTELABUS OF HHKODOTUS. 201

cannot imagine, inasmuch as the word evidently signifies " a
locust." Herodotus, by whom the name is mentioned, evidently
takes it in this sense, as may be seen from a passage occurring
in his Fourth Book, chapter 172: — "The Nasamones, a very
numerous people, adjoin the Auschiste westward. In the summer
they leave their cattle on the coast, and go up to the region of
Augila, in order to gather the fruit of the palm-trees, which grow
in great numbers and of a large size, and are all productive.
When they have caught locusts {attelahoi) they dry them in the
sun, reduce them to powder, and, sprinkling them in milk, drink
them." INIoreover, another author describes certain insects as
being "locust-eyed" {attelab-ophthalmus). It is a pity that such
a mistake should have been made, as the word Attelahus would
have answered very well as a name for a genus of locusts, and a
suitable name for these Beetles could easily have been found.

Aristotle also describes the habits of the Attelabus, which are
precisely those of the locust ; and Mouffet remarks that " a little
locust is said to be the mean between Locust and Bmchus ; it
hath such little wings that it is reputed to have none, and seems
rather to creep than fly ; for this cause, wheresoever it is bred, it
briugeth all as it were to meal or rust, by grinding and con-
suming. It seems to some to be of the kind of Bruchus, till the
wings grow forth, and then it grow^es into the number of the
locusts." From this last sentence it is tolerably clear that the
Attelabus was a locust in its larval or pupal state, when it has
the form of the perfect insect, but without wings in the former
state, and with undeveloped wings in the latter. The derivation
of the word is so uncertain that I fancy Herodotus must have
taken a local name and Grecized it, as he often was forced to do.
Some writers, however, give it a very far-fetched derivation from
a word which signifies " absence of wings."

In the family of the Brenthidffi we have another example of a
misapplied name, the Greek word Brcntlios signifying some un-
known water-bird of a stately carriage. How^ever, the name has
so long been applied to these Weevils that the evil of retaining
it is infinitely less than that of exchanging it for one that is
more appropriate.

In England there are no Brenthida?, and it is believed that
only one species exists in Europe, namely Arrhenodcs coronatus.

202 INSECTS ABROAD.

which was taken by Mr. Spence in Italy. It has also been found
in ants' nests. As far as is known, the habits of the Breuthidfe
are very similar in the different species. In the larval state
they live under the bark of felled timber, and sometimes within
the wood itself, but do not appear to injure living trees. Some
of the North American species inhabit felled oak-trees, and have
been found under the bark of " sleepers" on a railroad.

The extraordinary insect which is figured below is a native
of Java. The head of the male is much elongated, and,
slender as it is, would be still more slender but for the thick
coating of brown scales with which it is clothed, and which
gives it a roughness of surface which, when the insect is viewed
through an ordinary magnifier, looks very much like the familiar
maple-bark with its deep corrugations. In this insect, the head

of tlie female is very much shorter than that of her mate. The
long antennae are similarly clothed, except that the seventh
and eighth joints are white, and that the scales are lengthened
into hairs.

It is worthy of notice that, tlie ant ennse are very movable, and
retain their mobility after the insect is dead and quite dry. If
one of these insects be taken and turned m various directions,
the antennaa swing about as if they had been set on hinges ;
and, if a drawer full of the Diurus and its allies be moved, the
effect of all the antennae swinging about is most singular, not to
say striking, all the insects looking as if they had come to life
again, and waving their antennte as if to show that they had
done so.

The thorax is small and of a davk-brown colour, and has

THE DOUBLE-TAIL BEETLES. 203

nothing remarkable about it. The elytra, however, are well
worthy of a careful examination. In the first place, they are
elongated to a most extraordinary extent, and the outer edge of
each is drawn out into a long, sharp, slender appendage as long
as the abdomen and thorax together. Indeed, the entire length
of the insect may be divided into three tolerably equal parts, the
head being one, the body and thorax another, and the appen-
dages to the elytra the third. Tliese appendages are, like the
head, covered with dark-brown scales, which give them a
roughened outline.

By the unaided eye the upper part of each elytron is seen to
be adorned with a tiny white sj)ot, but a tolerably powerful
magnifier is needed before the nature of the spots is made clear.
The whole of the surface is deeply pitted in regular parallel
rows, so as to look very much like a honeycomb. Many of the
cells, especially those near the suture, are filled with some white
material which produces the appearance which has already been
mentioned. Even near the suture itself the white material has
been lost out of several cells, which then show their full depth
and assume the honeycomb-like aspect which has just been
mentioned. Beneath, the insect is blackish brown, over which
a number of white scales are sparingly scattered.

The generic name Diurus, or " double -tail," is given to these
insects on account of the elongated elytra; while the specific
name ftircillahis, or " forked," refers to the mode in which tlie
antennfe project from the end of the head like the prongs of a
fork. Four species of Diurus are known, Sarawak and India
being their homes. There are besides many allied genera, which
in most respects resemble the Diurus.

Another example of this most singular family is called Tera-
mocerus harhicornis, and comes from New Zealand. The generic
name is formed from two Greek words signifying "delicate-
horned," the antennse of this genus being more slender than that
of the last-mentioned insects, though they also are covered with
down-like scales. In this insect, and that which wiU be pre-
sently described, the elongation of the head seems to have
reached the greatest possible extent. In one specimen which I
have just measured, the entire length, including the elongated
elytra, is three inches and a half, of which the head alone

204

INSECTS ABROAD.

occupies an inch and three-quarters. If the Beetle be examined
in profile, the head is seen to form a slight but graceful curve
downwards, and, in order to enable it to make this curve with-
out bringing the extremity of the head against the ground, the
thorax takes a curve npM^ards.

Along the whole of the under-surface of the head runs a
band of long yellow hairs, which towards the extremity
becomes longer and thicker, and takes a dark-red hue. It is
on account of tliis hair that the species has received the name

Fig. 9S.— Tcrauiocorus hai
(Black and chestnut, )

of harbicornis, i.e. "bearded horn." The ridge of liair which has
just been mentioned is so narrow that it can only lie seen when
tlie insect is viewed in profile, being quite invisible when it is
seen from above.

The colour of the head is black, and so is tliat of the thorax,
the latter having a deep central groove, and profusely wrinkled,
so that it looks something like a black kid-glove that has been
crumpled together when wet.

The elytra are much lenglhencMl at the tijis, but not so much
as tliose of the preceding insect, and diverge so that their shape
somewhat resembles the pincers of a female earwig. The ground

THE LONG-HEADED WEEVILS.

205

colour of the elytra is black, and upon eacli of them there are
four large chestnut-coloured marks shaped as seen in the illus-
tration, and producing a definite though not conspicuous pattern
of chestnut on black. The legs, especially the first pair, are very
long and rather powerful, and in all probability the length of
the front legs is needful in order to enable the insect to keep its
elongated head off the ground.

As in the preceding insect, the head of tlie female is very much
shorter than that of the male, and in consequence, though a
curious-looking Beetle, she is not quite so strange and weird in
appearance as the male. The elytra are decorated with longi-
tudinal ridges, and in the furrows between each pair of ridges
is set a row of circular impressed pits something like those of
the Diurus, but not possessing the wliite substance which dis-
tinguishes that insect. This Beetle is quite as variable in point
of size as our Stag Beetle, some specimens being scarcely one-
third as large as that whicli I have described.

The extraordinary insect which is shown in the accompanying
illustration has a head longer in proportion to its width and the
size of the owner than is the case with any known insect in the
world. It is called Antliarliinus Zamice, and is a native of
Southern Africa. On ac-
count of the ex traordinarily
long head, with its peculiar
curve, the insect was at
first placed in or near the
genus Balaninus, of which
our common Nut Weevil
is so excellent an example.

The head is scarcely
thicker than a human hair,
and is quite three times as
long as the body. Tlie
antennae are placed near
the base of the head instead of near the end, as in the previous
examples of the Brenthidae, and the mouth is set at the extreme
tip. In many Beetles where the mouth is at the end of a long
"rostrum," as this peculiarly developed head is called, the tip of
the rostrum is widened so as to accommodate the jaws and other

Fig. 99.— Antliarliinus ZamiaB.
(Red.hhli brown.)

206 INSF.CTS ABROAD.

parts of the month. But in this Beetle there is no snch
enlargement, and consequently the mouth is so small, that
even with a fairly powerful pocket lens it is no easy task to
find it.

In its larval state this Beetle lives on a palm-tree, Ct/cus or
Zamia Caffra, one of the group which furnishes sago and arrow-
root, their trunks containing a large quantity of starch. Zamia
furfuracea, for example, a West Indian species, affords the finest
quality of arrow-root.

On the fruit-clusters of the palms the larva of this TVeevil
lives, eating not only the nuts themselves, but the red, fleshy
envelope which surrounds them. The larva is nearly all white
and covered with stiff, white, erect hairs. The head, together
with the first segment of the thorax and a patch on the last
segment but one, is brown, and there are some slight longi-
tudinal punctured black lines on the body. It has six true
legs, and some false legs like those of a caterpillar, set upon
the abdomen. The last pair are rather the largest.

The colour of this species is reddish brown. The elytra are
slightly hollowed at the sides, and are deeply ridged. The ridges
themselves are broken into little knobs, and the spaces between
them are finely punctured. There are five species of this
genus in the British Museum, one of which, Antliarhinus Drcgei,
is very small, and has its antennse nearly as long as the head.
It is brown, with a black patch in the middle of the elytra.
The name Antliarhiniis is formed from two Greek words, and
refers to the long and tube- like form of the head. The first
word signifies anything by which water is drawn, and the other
signifies " a snout."

We now come to the Entimidte, a family which contains some
of the most splendid Beetles in the world. They are remarkable
for their wonderful colouring, which is obtained by the iridescent
scales with which their bodies are clothed. The name Entimidce
is Greek, and signifies something that is honoured or prized. One
of these Beetles, Entimus splcndidtis, a native of Brazil, is shown
on Plate III. p. 1. Green, gold, and black are the prevailing
colours of this insect. The thorax has a bright green stripe
running along its centre, and the sides are green-gold, except the
black knobs which project plentifully from it. The elytra are

THE DIAMOND BEETLE. 207

black, but bave a number of oval marks on them. The^e marks
are green-gold, similar to tlie colour of the thorax, and between
several of them are two or three deep circular punctures.

The best known of these insects is the celebrated Diamond
Beetle {Entivms impcrialis), also a native of Brazil. This
Beetle, magnificent as it is when the microscope is brought to
bear upon it, is not to the unaided eye nearly so beautiful as
many insects whicli are not so splendidly adorned. The elytra
of this insect are black, and upon them are many parallel
circular spots, each about as large as a pin's prick. To the
unaided eye these spots are glittering green, but when the
microscope is brought to bear on them their true beauty is
disclosed.

Each of these is a sliallow, circular pit, set thickly with scales,
which are arranged something like the tiles of a house, one pro-
jecting over another. These scales are mostly green, but each
of them possesses many colours as the light happens to change.
One of these scales in the specimen now before me is entirely
shining gold, while its immediate neighbour is gold in the centre
warming into orange on its tips, and has at the base a patch of
crimson on one side and azure on the other. The next scale has
the basal half of a rich shining ruddy gold, and the other half
deep purple. The next scale is entirely emerald green, so that
the little shallow pits look as if studded with leaf-shaped gems,
no two being of precisely the same colour.

If even the direction of the light be changed, the colours
change with it, the green shifting gradually into gold, blue,
purple, orange, and crimson, just like the changing flashes of
a good brilliant. Generally, but not always, a small space at
the bottom of the pit is devoid of scales, its dead blackness
producing a remarkable contrast with the dazzling brilliancy
around it. These gem-like scales are but loosely attached to
the surface, so that they can be easily removed and examined
under a high power of the microscope, either as transparent or
opaque objects, the latter being the best plan for bringing out
their beauties, provided that a sufficiency of oblique light can be
thrown upon them. The whole of the body is adorned with
similar scales, though nowhere are they so large or so beautiful
as on the elytra.

208 INSECTS ABROAD.

Another example of these lovely Beetles is sliown in the
illustration below. Its name is Rhigus Sclmppdlii, and, like the
Diamond Beetle, it is a native of Brazil.

It is much more knobby — if I may use the term— than the
preceding insects. On the thorax there are two rows of knobs,
and there are eight much larger knobs on the elytra ; namely,
two rows of three knobs in each row, and one upon each
shoulder. The ground colour of the elytra is green, but the
knobs are beautiful golden yellow, both colours being produced

by scales somewhat similar to

-^^^^^^^^^^ tliose which have been described

"'^^^fc^-^^i^^*"^^''^™^ when treating of the Diamond

_.i5^;^^^^^^^^*w^ Beetle. There is a distinct gold

-y^^^^^'^^^Q:- % ^ ""- edging to the elytra, which are

^■- -^ r^^^^^T*"^ '% t punctated in parallel lines. The

-"^-^"-^-C--^ -^ - -^ggj^ ^^g green, and the thighs,

Fio. 100 -Rhigus Schuppellii. pJr>ppinllv thodP nf thp firsit fivp

(Green, with golden projections.) especially lUOSC 01 IHQ nrsi n\e,

are large and powerful.
This is an exceedingly variable insect in point of colour and
in the comparative size of the knobs. There is in the British
Museum a curious variety of this Beetle, in which the whole
of the colour is pale yellow, and the knobs scarcely project at
all from the surface. The reason for the generic name BMgus
I cannot see, inasmuch as the word is Greek, signifying "a
shivering from cold," a circumstance which is scarcely likely
to happen in tropical America, and which seems singularly
inappropriate to a Beetle. Perhaps the traveller who captured
and named the first specimen took an ague, and commemorated
it by the name which he gave to the Beetle.

The Beetle which is represented on the next page belongs to
the family of the Brachycerida?. This word signifies "short-
horned," and is given to the insects because their antennpe are
stout and extremely short in proportion to the size of the body.
There is plenty of material in them to make long and slender
antenn£e like those of the Xenocerus, but it is utilized in widtli
instead of length, the antennae being small at the base, and
gradually increasing in diameter to the tip, which is broad and
blunt. Tlie insects belonging to this family are mostly African,
though some are found on the shores of the Mediterranean.

SCALES OF A BEKTLE. 209

The present species inhabits Southern Africa, and is perhaps
tlie l)est example of the wliole family.

Tlie colour of the insect is rather dull black, with the excep-
tion of some spots on the elytra which will presently be described.
The rostrum, or fore part of the head, is thick, stout, and much
widened towards the end, and the upper surface is deeply
wrinkled. The thorax is rather curiously formed. In the centre
and in front there is a projecting portion, something like a horse-
shoe, or rather like the under-surface of a horse's foot, even the
"frog" being represented with wonderful fidelity. Then come
two small pear-shaped projections, side I'y side, and then a

Fig. liiL — liracbycenis impcriali.s.
(Black, red spots.)

number of little pustules. On either side, the thorax is covered
with small rounded projections, one of which is very large and
elongated, so as to resemble a sharp horn.

The elytra are rather glossy and covered with very minute
pustules, which become greatly larger towards the tips, which
are much turned downwards. On each of the elytra there are
eight rows of round, reddish spots, slightly depressed. If the
insect be placed under a microscope, the reddish colour is seen
to be produced by a number of little oval bodies, very much
like grains of red corii or rice, which are fixed to the elytra by
one end, and lie nearly flat upon each othei\ They are set
much in the same way as the scales of the Diamond Beetle, but
P

210 INSECTS ABROAD.

whereas tliose scales are placed with much regularity, all
radiating from a common centre, these seem to be scattered
without the least pretence to order. They cling tightly to the
surface of the elytra, but, although they are partially protected
by being sunk in their shallow pit, there is scarcely a spot in
which several of the scales are not missing, and others quite
loose and evidently ready to fall.

On the imder surface of the abdomen and on the sides of the
thorax, similar scales are scattered in patches, making the insect
look as if a brush had been dipped in vermilion and dashed
carelessly against it. The legs are very strong and thick, and
are profusely granulated, the tibise especially being so rough that
their surface, when rubbed with the finger, feels just like that of
a file. The hind thighs are curiously curved, so as to suit the
rotund body, and, when the Beetle moves its hind legs back-
wards and forwards, the leg passes over the rounded elytra, just
as if the thigh had been moulded on the elytron. The middle
legs are also curved, but not nearly so much, as they only have
to pass over the shoulder of tlie elytra.

As the legs of this species are thick and sturdy, they afford a
good opportunity for examining the rather peculiar construction
of the tarsus. To the naked eye, and even when viewed through
an ordinary magnifier, the tarsus consists of only four joints. In
reality, however, there is another joint ; namely, the true fourth.
This, however, is exceedingly minute, and is quite hidden in the
third joint, the front part of which is widened and swollen
into two lobes. I mention this fact because it will explain two
terms by which these insects have been mentioned. One is
Tetramera, i.e. " four-jointed," which was given to them because
the tarsus was thought by the earlier entomologists to have only
four joints. Mr. Westwood, however, when he discovered the
existence of the missing joint, very properly altered the name to
Pseudo-tetramera, i.e. "false four-jointed." The only way of
seeing this tiny fourth joint is by taking the tarsus to pieces.

The present species is in great favour with the Bechuana
tribe, who use it as an amulet. They pull off the head, legs, and
thorax, cut away the lower portion of the abdomen, and remove
the whole of the interior, so as to leave only an empty shell.
Several of these hollow bodies are then strung on strips of
leather, and hung round the necks of children. They are sup-

BEETLE AMULETS. 211

posed to be very efficacious during the time of teething, and to
mitigate the various ills to which juvenile humanity is liable.
Deceived by the shape of these amulets, some of the earlier
travellers described them as wliistles.

There are many species of Brachycerus, differing exceedingly
in shape, size, and colour. One of these, called appropriately
BracJiyccTus bbesus, or the "fat short-horn," is as round and
smooth as a black-heart cherry, and very much of the same
colour ; while another, Brachycerus ocellatus, though much
resembling it in form, has the whole surface of the elytra
adorned with parallel undulating lines of red on a black ground.

On some of the insects of this genus Mr, Westwood has the
following remarks : — "The species of the genus Brachycerus are
found upon the ground in hot sandy situations, early in the
spring. An anonymous writer informs us that Brachycerus
itndatus feeds on the leaves of Arum arisarum in October.
Brachycerus harlarus attacks the medicinal squill, several being
generally found at the heart of the leaves near the root. Bra-
chycerus Algerus feeds on the leaves of a large lily growing in
sea-sand. Latreille informs us, in the appendix to ' Caillaud's
Voyages,' tliat the women in Ethiopia string these insects
together, and wear them round their necks as an amulet."

From the last sentence it is evident that the superstitious
ideas concerning the preservative virtues of these Beetles have
a very wide scope, since we find that both in Southern Africa
and in Ethiopia the same insects are used in the same manner
and for the same purpose.

Next we come to tlie family of tlie Pachyrhyncidae. This
name is formed from two Greek words, signifying " thick-
mouthed," and is given to these Beetles because the rostrum is
very short, thick, and rounded ; so short, in fact, tliat when the
insect is viewed from above, no portion of the rostrum is to l)e
seen, and a profile view is required before the real shape of the
head can be made out.

The species which is represented in the first of the illustra-
tions on the next page is called Pachijrhynchus gemmatus, because
the large green spots with which its metallic body is covered
look very much like emeralds set in red gold. It is a native of
the Philippines.

p 2

2i:

INSECTS ABROAD.

The ground colour of this beautiful insect much resembles
burnished copper, with a distinct dash of carmine, and lias quite
a metallic look about it.

On the head, thorax, and abdomen are a number of spots,
arranged as shown in the figure. These spots are, like those of
the Brachycerus which has already been described, slightly
(Jepresserl, nnd their centres are filled with the most brilliant
f green scales, over which plays a

strong iridescence as the light
changes. It is rather remarkable, by
the way, that while the scale-clad
pits of the Diamond Beetle have the
centres blank, and the scales set in a
sort of broad ring, exactly the oppo-
site arrangement is found in this
Pachyrhynchus.

The elytra are very large, and are
turned lar over the sides, which, if
gorgeous than the back, the green
numerous. As the legs are bright
metallic red, and as they are seen very conspicuously when the
insect is viewed from the side, the profile view of the Beetle has
an added splendour.

possible, are even more
spots being exceedingly

Another of these insects is here given as an example of the
extraordinary varieties of colouring that prevail in this genus.

In this insect the ground colour is l)lack. Upon the thorax
is drawn a briglit green cross, and the elytra are covered with a
network of the same colour, the
meshes being largest and fewest on
the back, and smallest and most
numerous on the sides. The legs are
also thick, with a green patch on
each. Although the colouring is so
simple, being composed of only two
hues, it is wonderfully effective, the
pattern being as clear and sharp as
if traced by the finest crow-quill, and
the contrast between the shining jetty-blaclv

Mlnncliu^ retu uhtv
til green net\\ork )

and the glittering

frreen being almost startling. Even on the under-side, which is

A SPLENDID GENUS. 213

generally comparatively plain in Beetles, the same arrangement
of green spots on a coppery ground prevails. This, like the
preceding insect, is a native of the Philippines.

Of these Beetles there are very many species, the greater
number inhabiting the Philippines, but others being found in
Australia, New Guinea, and Polynesia. Many of them have
not yet received names or been entered in the catalogue of
acknowledged species. There is an infinite variety of colouring
among them. Black is the usual ground hue, and green the
prevailing colorn- of the pattern. Next in frequency to green
comes red, and then copper, all these colours being produced by
scales which are visible with an ordinary pocket magnifier.

The next family is named Gonatoceri, a term formed from
two Greek words signifying " angle-horned," and given to the
insect because the antennae are bent into definite elbows, whereas
those of the preceding insects are only curved.

The insect which is here figured is all black, rather shining
above and dull below. It is a native of New Holhind.

Tliere is scarcely any portion of the upper surface of this insect
which is quite smooth, those parts which are not knobbed being
grooved. The upper part of the head has a wide and rather
deep groove. The thorax is rounded and covered with knobs,
which are comparatively scanty on the disc, but become very
numerous and crowded on the sides. These projections are
without any apparent order, but those of the elytra are arranged
in three distinct rows. The elytra are very large, and are
turned over the sides rather abruptly. On tlie edge where they
are folded, is a row of nine knobs, so long and pointed that they

214 INSECTS ABROAD.

may well be called spikes. Next comes a row of seven knobs,
and next to the suture is a tliird row of four knobs, these last
being placed rather irregularly. The sides are nearly Hat, and
are quite smooth, so that when the insect is viewed in profile,
the smooth, shining side and the back, which is studded with its
eight-and-twenty projecting tubercles, are curiously contrasted.
The legs are long, black, and deej^ly wrinkled.

Two species of this genus are known, both of which aie
in the British Museum. One is the insect which has just been
described, and the other is Gagatophorus Boisduvalii. In general
appearance these two insects are very much alike, but the latter
is more slender in proportion to its size.

CHAPTER XV.

RHYNCHOPIIORA, OR WEEVILS {roi/tiinted).

On Plate III. p. 2 may be seen a very curious Beetle, called
Ci/ljlius Linnwi. This belongs to tlie family Cypliidie, which
contains more beautifully coloured species than any other
family of Beetles, not even excepting the Entimidte. The name
Cyphiis is Greek, signifying "hunchback," and is given to these
Beetles because their shoulders are very high and thick. They
are natives of South America, especially the districts within
the tropics.

The present species is very remarkable on account of the long
hair which covers the thorax, and which, together witli the
peculiar shape and spotted body, gives to the Beetle an air
resembling the well-known wingless ants called Mutilla?. This
hair is deep brown, and of a peculiarly soft, chinchilla-like
character. The ground colour of the elytra is black, with a
s^elvety sort of surface, and on it are placed a number of spots
arranged as shown in the illustration on the next page. The
large spot over the shoulder is bright red, and all the others are
yellow, so that the insect is an exceedingly handsome one.

The last-mentioned species is of rather an exceptional cha-
racter, so I have here taken one which is a good example of the
ordinary form and colouring of this most splendid genus. Its
name is Cyphus glorianclus. Viewed with the naked eye, it is a
very beautiful insect, the surface being golden yellow, diversified
with jetty-black marks. Its full beauty, however, cannot be
appreciated without the aid of the microscope, and I shall thei-e-
fore describe one of these insects as seen with the aid of the
half-inch object glass.

If the microscope be directed on the ui)por sutfnce of the

210 INSECTS ABIJOAO.

elytra, those organs are seen to Le thickly covered with a pro-
fusion of glittering scales, set closely together like those of a
golden carp. Their general effect is emerald green, with a little
dash of pink and gold; but the best plan is, to take one scale
and analyse its colours. Each scale will then be seen to consist
of a number of colours, such as yellow, pink, blue, and green,
the last hue being generally the most brilliant. Every one of
the scales has one portion which is more brightly illuminated
than the others, and the colour of this spot changes together
with the direction of the light, casting successively every hue of
the rainbow.

Should the observer merely look down upon the scales, he
will see the general effect of this varied colouring; but if he turns
the Beetle so as to get a side view of the scales, he will perceive
how that effect is produced. Each scale is covered with a
number of very fine parallel ridges, or striae, the effect of which

X"^*^

^--^

Fio. lOo— Cyplius gloriaudus.
(Gold-green, with black marks.)

IS to break up the light that produces those wonderful opalescent
effects which have been described. Indeed, the opal owes its
well-known changnig tints to a similar cause, the stone having
multitudes of the minutest imaginable fractures which produce
exactly the same effect as the striae of the scales. Glass which
has been buried for a very long time becomes opalescent from
the same cause, as everyone knows who has seen the glass
vessels that have been taken out of Egyptian tombs and other
sepulchres of ancient date.

The head, thorax, legs, and under surfaces are equally covered
with these scales, which in some places take a reddish hue
as their ground colour. On the thorax thev seem to be rather

i

COLOUKS OF THE CVriUD.E. 217

larger and to lie flatter than tliose of the elytra. If the elytra
be spread and vie\ved on the under side, a very remarkable
appearance is presented. Even on the npper surface it is evident
that the elytra are regularly striated, but on tlie under surface
the striee are very bold, and marked by rows of round black dots
on a shining chestnut ground. These striiB follow the outline of
the elytra, being waved in graceful curves and converging towards
the tip. Altogether, the under surface of this organ is so hand-
some that were it transferred to the upper surface the Beetle
would be considered a beautiful one.

There are many species of Cyphus, all of them beautiful, and
most of them splendid insects, especially when viewed by the
aid of the microscope. There is, for example, Cyplius Gcrmari,
a species which is exceedingly variable, luost of the specimens
being green, but others a pale purple or violet. Thus one
species, which is appropriately named Cf/jthus azurcd, is always
azure blue, upon which are a number of velvety black spots
whicli contrast Ijeautifully M'ith the brilliant azure of tlie sur-
rounding scales. There are, it is true, one or two species which
do not possess the startlingiy brilliant colours of their kin.
Such, for example, is the Cyphus modcstus, wliich is not only
dull brown, but is very small, and therefore inconspicuous. Yet
even these soberly clad creatures possess beauties which only
ree|uire the aid of the microscope and properly adjusted light to
show that they are really scarcely less beautiful than those
wliich are adorned with more brilliant colours. The wangs of
all these species of Cyphus are large and capable of bearing
their owners for long distances.

The family whicli now comes before us is the Cholidie, of
whicli the lihinastus pcrtusiis is a good exanijile. In these
Beetles the antenute are boldly elbowed, as in the last family,
and, especially when the insect is viewed from above, form a
characteristic feature in its appearance.

The present species, which is a native of Brazil, is rather a
curious insect. The head is developed into a long rostrum, boldly
curved downwards. It is black, but upon the surface are a
number of yellow scales, formed much like those which have
been described when treating of the Cyphus, but without the
parallel ridges which give to these scales their wnnderfid opal-

218 INSECTS ABROAD.

escence. On the imder surface, the rostrum is toothed and
furnished with hairs. The eyes are situated close to the base,
and the antenna are set about one-thu'd of its length froru
the tip.

The thorax is very narrow in front, and swells out rapidly to
the shoulders with a bold and graceful curve. It is yellow, but
with a shade of black, the reason being that the real colour of the
thorax is black, and that upon its surface are scattered a number
of yellow scales between which the original colour can be seen.
Whether from friction or not I cannot say, but all the specimens
which I have examined have the scales much more thinly
scattered towards the basal angles of the thorax, so that there
the colour is darker than on the disc. The whole thorax is
rather flat.

The form of the elytra is very curious. Together, they have
a sort of heart-like shape, the sides being rounded, and the
tips coming nearly to a point. For about one-third of an inch

Fig. lOe.-Uliiiuislus peiLusus.
(Yellow.)

from the tips the elytra look as if they had been pinched flat
while soft, and had then become hardened. The remarkable
points in their structure are, however, at their bases. Each of
them is so deeply scooped that the basal angles form bold
teeth, which project well over the thorax, and are then cut into
a doubly waved outline, just like a bracket { in printing.

The surface of the elytra is very flat, so flat, indeed, that the
tips do not seem to be very much depressed. Like the thorax,
they are covered with yellow scales, but much more thickly, so
that the colour is more determined, and looks something like
yellow cloth. As is the case with many Weevils, the elytra are
very ample, and are bent over the body at the sides so as to
cover about half the abdomen. With maiiv of tlic Weevils the

DISGULSE OF FORM. 219

line wliere tlie elytra are folded over is marked in some definite
manner; in some, such as the Gagatophorus, being decorated by
a row of spikes or knobs, and in others, such as the present
species, by an unbroken ridge, which in this instance is highest
in the middle, and decreases to a mere point towards the base
and tip.

The legs are rather long, and the joints of the tarsus are
spread into double lobes and covered with a profusion of hair.
Only three species are known. The generic name Rhinastus is
formed from a Greek w^ork signifying " a snout " (which may be
recognised in the familiar name of Ehinoceros), and is given to
the insects of this genus in consequence of the great develop-
ment of the rostiaim. The specific name of iJertusus is Latin,
and signifies something that is bored or perforated. It is given
to this insect because the peculiar structure of the base of the
elytra makes the insect look very much as if a hole had been
bored through each shoulder.

Three species of Rhinastus are known, all of which are in the
British IMuseum.

The name of Cryptorhynchida?, strikes upon tlie ear of tiie
English entomologist with a familiar sound, inasmucli as more
than eighty species of Beetles are known in England which
l)elong to this family. The name of CryiAorliynchidai is formed
from two Greek words signifying " hidden-beak," and is not very
intelligible unless the insects are seen in a living state.

If the observer merely examines specimens that are " set "
and placed in a cabinet, he scarcely sees how the term can be
applied to the insects, many of which have the rostrum parti-
cularly conspicuous. Should he, however, come across the living
insects, the meaning of the word at once becomes apparent.
However long the rostrum may be, there is always on tlie under
side of the thorax a cavity which exactly contains it. Now, in
common with many other insects, the Cryptorhynchidte are in
the habit of falling to the ground when alarmed, and remaining
perfectly motionless until the cause for alarm has passed away.

As most of them have not only long legs, but a long beak, they
would find some difficulty in disguising their forms were it not
for the groove which has just been mentioned. Legs can be
easily folded closely to the body, but a head with a long project-

220 INSECTS ABROAD,

ing beak is not so easily hidden. If, however, the head be
capable of being bent downwards, and there is a deep groove or
channel on the under surface of the thorax into which the beak
fits, it will be seen that the insect has only to gather its legs
closely to its body, and to bend the head well under the thorax,
to be transformed in one moment from a long-legged, long-nosed
Beetle, into the similitude of a round pebble or a casually fallen
seed. One of our best-known species, Orohitcs cyaneus, looks,
when thus packed up, so like the little black seed of the wild
hyacinth, that even a pi-actised entomologist cannot detect it
without a close examination.

We can only take one example of this family, namely, Cratoso-
mus Roddami, a native of Brazil. As is the case with several
of our own Cryptorhynchidte, the colours of this species are so
arranged that the insect must be very difficult of detection.

KiG. 107. — Cratosomus Koddaiiu.
(Yellow, with black spot.-i.)

The head is nearly black, and is furnished with a rather long
and curved rostrum, the eyes being at the base, and the anteniuu
set at about the middle. The front of the thorax has a coating
of warm down, and the rest is grey, diversified by round spots
of jetty black. The elytra are warm yellow and deeply striated.
On the striae are numbers of oval black spots, which, like those
of the thorax, look exactly as if they were drops of thick black
ink or paint that had been suffered to dry, and in consequence
project slightly from the surface of the insect. There is a
narrow white edge to the elytra.

The legs are black, and have a number of greenish scales
scattered over them. The third joint of the tarsus is spread

SCALES AND HAIRS. 221

into two very wide lobes, and is covered with a dense coating of
thick, brush-like hairs. Beneath, the Beetle is black, and npon
the surface are a number of long yellowish scales, lying nearly
Hat npon the surface. These scales are rather interesting on
one account; namely, that they form a kind of transitional link
between scales and hairs, showing tliat tlie latter are only
developments of the former.

I may here observe that the transition of scales to hairs may
be observed on the wings of many Lepidoptera, specially those of
the Plume Moths, our very common White Plume {Pteroiohorvs
2Kntadactylus) being an admirable example. In the same vv-ay,
some of the shark tribe, especially the well-known Saw-tlsh, ex-
hibit in a singularly beautiful manner the transition from scales
to teeth, the change being so gradual that it is quite impossible
to say where the scales end and the teeth begin.

Of this genus there are many species, all natives of Brazil.
None of them are brilliantly coloured, sober greys and browns
being the ground hues, which are either spotted or mottled with
dark-brown and black. One curious species is Cratosomvs vari-
cosiis, in which the thorax is very fiat, and the elytra have five
black knobs which are so prominent that they may almost be
called horns.

The last family of the Weevils is the Rhynchophorid£e. This
name is formed from two Greek words signifying "snout-bearing,"
and is given to the Beetles because their head is elongated into
a long rostrum, or snout. The first example of these insects is
Pihina harhicornis, which is shown in the illustration on the
next page.

The colour of this Beetle is black, but it is curiously adorned
with hairs, ridges, and punctures, so that it is a very striking
insect. The head is very long, slender, and at the end is widened,
rather flattened, and cut into a sort of fleur-de-lys shape. The
antennse are placed near the middle. For the greater part
of its length the head is completely surrounded with a quantity
of dense, long hair of a reddish brown colour. The hairs do
not lie flat, but radiate boldly from the head, which really
bears a strong resemblance to a fox's brush, the similitude being
increased by the colour. A quantity of similar hair, but of a
yellower hue, is placed beneath the tlinrnx. As is often the case

222

INSKCTrf ABROAD

with insects, this remarkable adornment is restricted to the male
sex, the rostrum of the female being quite smooth and hairless.

The thorax is rounded and thickly and deeply granulated.
The elytra are regularly and boldly striated, and adorned in a
very curious manner. If examined by the unaided eye, the
surface is seen to be striated and speckled with white ; but if a
tolerably powerful magnifier be brought to bear upon it, a very
elaborate system of decoration is seen. Along the surface of the
elytra run a number of bold rounded ridges, lying parallel to
each other, and having a rather broad channel or groove between

Fig. 108.— Rhina bnrliicornis.
(Black.)

them. The ridges tlieinselves are covered with deep punctures,
and in the channels between them are placed a number of cir-
cular pits, too large to be called punctures, and nearly as wide as
the diameter of the channels, so that there is a single row of
pits in each channel.

As we have noticed to be the case with several of the Weevils,
these pits are filled with some white substance, so as to produce
the effect of a series of white speckles. In most of them the
white deposit remains, but in some it is absent, and allows the
eye to penetrate to the bottom of the pit. What this white
deposit may be, how it gets into the pits, and what may be its
office, are mysteries as yet unknown.

KAVAGES OF THE WEEVILS.

223

The legs of this insect are very long and slender, especially
the first pair, which are armed in the tibiae with a number of
slight and sharp teeth. This is a very variable Beetle, some
specimens not being half as long as others. The Beetle is a
native of Brazil, and specimens have been brought to this
country by Mr. Bates. The Greek name FJiina signifies " a
snout," and the specific name harbicornis is Latin, and signifies
"bearded-horn," in allusion to the brush of hair which sur-
rounds the elongated head.

The enormous Weevil which is here shown is a native of Java,
and belongs to the same family as tlio last-uK-ntioned insect.

Fill. 1( 0. — Prolocenis colossus.
(Black thorax, yellowish elytra )

Its name is Protoccrns colossus. The former of these two names
is Greek and signifies "principal-horned," in allusion to the
manner in which the rostrum is prolonged into a horn-like form.
The latter name is given to the insect on account of its dimen-
sions, which are colossal when compared with those of other
Weevils. In this country we often complain, and with reason,
of the depredations committed by the Weevils, our largest being
to the Protocerus what a hare would Ijc to an elephant. Of
the habits of this species, nothing has, I believe, been published,
but if we may judge from the depredations committed by its

224 INSECTS ABROAD.

near relation, the Palm Weevil (which will be presently de-
scribed), it must be capable of doing great damage to those
trees on which it feeds.

The long, snout-like head of this Beetle is black, and moulded
above into a shallow groove. On either side are five bold knobs,
set opposite to each other, and apparently increasing the depth
of the groove. The antennae are set at the base of the head,
just by the eyes, and are rather curiously formed, their terminal
joint bearing a curious resemblance to a flat-iron. The thorax
is nearly black, and on its upper surface has a curious velvety
or plush-like aspect, very difficult to describe. Perhaps some
of my readers will understand its texture when I say that it
is very like the same organ in our common Mole Cricket. On
the sides the tliorax loses this velvety look, and is covered with
rather bold punctures.

The elytra do not quite reach to the end of the abdomen,
which is turned downwards very much like that of the cock-
chafer. Their surface is marked with punctures disposed in such
a manner as to give them an appearance as if they had been cut
out of deal, the peculiar concentric lines of punctures looking
strangely like the grainings of deal. In fact, they much more
resemble deal than an ordinary painter's graining resembles the
true grain of the oak or maple which he flatters himself that he
imitates by the aid of his brush, cloth, and graining comb. The
abdomen is shining black, and punctured.

The legs are very remarkable. The first pair are very long,
powerful, and rather flattened. The thighs are nearly straight,
whereas the tibiae are boldly curved and terminate in a shar]i
hook. They are black and shining, and under the tarsus is a
good deal of golden yellow hair. This is most conspicuous in
tiie hind legs, the last joint of which is very long and curved, so
that the yellow down of the preceding joint shows itself l:)oldly.
The wings are very large and ample.

Closely allied to this species, and very much resembling it in
size and general appearance, is the Palm Weevil (lihina
palmarum) of the West Indies. This insect resembles the pre-
ceding in almost every respect. It differs, however, in the
structure of the head, which, instead of being grooved and
knoblied above, is quite smooth.

THE ORU-GPJ'. 225

This gigantic ^Vee^•il is terribly destructive both to palm-trees
and sugar-canes. The larva of this species is popularly called
" Gru-gru," and is a huge, whitish, fat, soft-bodied grub, curved,
and without legs. It burrows into tlie palm-trees, where it is
eagerly sought, not only by negroes, but by the white colonists,
to be used as an article of food.

To us the grub of a Beetle appears to be the very last thing
that anyone would wish to eat, but those who have tried the
Gru-gru mostly go on with it, and ever afterwards look upon it
as one of the greatest delicacies which that fertile country can
produce. INIany persons are so fond of it that they are in the
habit of eating the grubs alive, just as we eat oysters, holding
them by the hard, horny heads, and so eating the grub as w(3
would eat a radish. As they are of very great size, a few of
them will make a sufficient meal for a man, and many persons
ha\e been saved from starvation because they knew where to
find the Gru-gru grub.

When full fed, this larva makes for itself a cocoon by tearing
off strips from the stem of the palm-tree and weaving them
together.

When this insect attacks the sugar-cane, it always prefers the
plants which have been just planted, being probably attracted by
the sweet juice which exudes from the cut ends of the cane.

Another species is equally damaging to the tamarind, and
another, called the Sugar Weevil [Calandra Saccliari), a smaller
liut quite as destructive an insect, works great damage among
the sugar-canes. It is rather remarkable that the insect does
but little damage to the plant itself, though it utterly ruins the
sugir which it secretes. The greater part of the juice is eaten
by the grub, and that w^hich is left is so injured that it can never
be made into sugar, persisting in remaining as molasses in spite
of all exertions on the part of the manufacturer. }tlr. King
.states that "no •temper' of any kind, whether lime or any
more powerful alkali, can produce sugar from it. It might
be possible to desiccate it by continued boiling, but the result
would be charcoal, and not sugar."

And the worst of this damaged juice is, that if it should be
mixed with sound jtiice the whole is tainted, and all that por-
tion of the crop is wasted. Mr. King thinks that much of the
Q

226 INSECTS ABROAD.

damage is caused by carelessness with regard to the manure
which is used for the ground. In the West Indies, the cattle are
littered with cane- tops and leaves ; and if these be taken to the
fields before they have been thoroughly decomposed, eggs or
larvte of the Sugar Weevil will most probably be taken with them,
and so placed in the very best position for damaging the crops.

Vigilant sugar-planters keep a watchful eye on the young
plants ; and when they see the whorl of terminal leaves begin-
ning to drop, they know at once that the Weevil-grub is there.
Such plants are at once pulled up and burned, and their places
supplied by healthy plants. Besides this precaution, another is
taken, viz. of " trashing " the whole of the plants, i.e. removing
the lower leaves, which act as a sort of cover for the Weevil.
This operation should be performed at least every two months,
and oftener if possible, so as to give the Weevil as little chance
as possible of penetrating the cane. Loose sugar-cane leaves are
known by the popular name of " trash," and hence the term
" trashing " is used to express simply the removal of such leaves.

We will now notice a portion of Mr. King's elaborate memoir
on the Sugar Weevil, as quoted in Mr. Gosse's " Naturalist's
Sojourn in Jamaica ; " —

"An egg the size of a small bead, in a considerable degree
transparent, is deposited within the succulent vessels of the
cane, wdiere the adhering footstalk of the leaf retains the de-
cayed foliage hanging to the germinating joint.

" The egg deposited is hatched at the time when the growing
bud, usually called the eye, exhibits the active influences of both
heat and moisture. As soon as the maggot is formed, it com-
mences its voracious injuries by worming its way from the verge
of the footstalk where it had been hatched, into the very body
of the succulent and vegetating shoot, where it grows with its
growth, and strengthens with its strength. It then occupies the
centre of the plant, making its way upward through the growing
cane, but remaining within the sweet and perfected joints, and
never ascending to the greener tops to devour the germ and
destroy vegetation. It entirely exhausts the saccharine fluid in
those joints in which it has lodged — filling the excavation it
makes with an excrementitious deposit, extremely injurious to
the cane liquor from the mill; deteriorating it rapidly if it
remain untempered while running into the pans.

TlIF, SUGAU WEEVIL. 227

" When the canes are cut, the grub-worm h.as already arrived
at its second transformation. It has enveloped itself within the
gallery it has bored, in a shroud of decayed trash wrought with
curious neatness ; the shreds being plaited and wound together,
and so closely fastened at the ends, that the air is excluded ; and
if exposed to the weather, no weather could injure it. I have
watched the grub in the act of making this cerement. It first
wraps itself all over with such of the rotting fibres of the cane
as are near it. It tears the strips asunder with its forceps, and
matting the pieces one within the other, it comj)letely conceals
itself within that kind of case usually called a cocoon, where
it remains dormant for a little interval of time.

" It has now assumed its third or beetle state, and emerges from
the excavated cane a Weevil, bearing a rostrum or snout charged
with fracticorn feelers, and wearing a splendid livery, strijDed
yellow^ and brown — an insect about the size of the nail of one's
finger. If the cocoon be opened before this last transformation,
the pupa found within is of a dingy brown colour, and its bulky
body is well supplied with the usual milky fluid, stored for that
final change in which it comes forth from its temporary sleep, to
become the parent of a succession of enemies to the planter."

The ol)ject of trashing the whole of the plants in the field
is here given, together with directions for cleaning damaged
juice : —

" The sheathing footstalk is not only a shelter for this Weevil,
but it hinders the outer covering of the cane from hardening,
and fixing that deposition of white powdery glass which resists
the puncture of its proboscis. If w-ith all this care the planter
finds himself overwhelmed by the numbers of his assailants, or
by the success with which they have established themselves in
his fields, nothing remains but destruction by fire.

" But great as is the damage which this insect does in the
field, it is a still greater calamity to have it in the mill-house.
To mingle the juice of the injured cane with the uninjured, is
to ruin a crop. The expedient of tempering the liquor, while
running into the jjans, may arrest the increase of the evil, but it
does not get rid of it.

"If, however, the most painstaking watchfulness has not secured
the manager from an occasional bundle of infected canes getting
into the mill, and if the pernicious consequences have begun to
Q 2

228 INSECTS ABROAD.

teU upon the proceeds of the boilino-house, I would recommend
correcting the cold li(|uor with an alkaline mixture of potash and
alum, in equal quantities. These, with the addition of as much
boiling water as will hold them in solution, may be added to the
temper lime commonly used in plain tempering.

"Such a measure of this mixture should be added to the
liquor in the pan as would be deemed sufficient to correct the
prevailing acidity. When the liquor has been boiled into what
is called first syrup, it should be racked through the cock. By
this timely remedy I have secured well-grained sugar which
has not deliquesced during the voyage to Europe, even when I
had had the misfortune to have ground tainted canes."

CHAPTER XVI.

LONGICORNES, OR LONG-HORNKD BEETLES.

The insects which now come ]:)efore us are mostly cliaracterise 1
by the structure from which tliey derive their name. '\\\q
antennjB are mostly long, and are never thickened at the ends.
In many of the Longicornes, the antennas have each joint
widened at the end, so as to produce a serrated appearance, the
widening being always on the inside. The first, or basal joint, is
always large, long, and stout, especially towards the end.

The jaws are always powerful, sharp, and shear-shaped, often
being so bent downwards that when the insect is viewed
from above, they are hidden beneath the head. The eyes are
almost invariably kidney-shaped ; but there are some instances
where they are absolutely divided by the basal joint of the
antennae, so that the insect appears to have four eyes instead of
two. Such is the case with the Beetle called Tetroj)s jrrccustns,
Avhich is common in the London district, and has its antennre
sei.' in the very middle of its eyes. The head is generally broad
and squared, and is never lengthened so as to form a rostrum,
as is the case with the Weevils.

The reader may remember that in the Weevils the elytra are
very large, in most instances folding over the sides, and conceal-
ing half of the abdomen. This structure is not found in any of
the Longicornes, the elytra being comparatively flat and not bent
at the sides, so that when the insect is viewed in profile, nearly
the whole of the abdomen is visible.

The legs are never short, and in some instances, as for example
the Harlequin Beetle, which is drawn on Plate IV., are of very
great length, so as to give a very quaint aspect to the insect.
The tarsus shows a similar structure to that of the Weevils, the
joints being widened into two lobes in front, and the fourth joint

230 INSECTS ABROAD.

being so small as to be practically absent. The first three joints
are always clothed with fur-like liair, which in many species is
of a bright golden colour, and exceedingly conspicuous.

In the larval state, the Longicornes are all wood-borers, and
to them is appointed the chief part of the task of destroying
dead timber. It has long become a mooted question whether
any of the Longicorn larvae attack sound and healthy trees. At
all events it is quite certain that, whether they do or not, they
infinitely prefer dead timber, and that when a practised entomo-
logist wants to find Longicorn Beetles in their larval or pupal
stages, he always goes to dead timber, and not to living trees.

Take, for example, one of our commonest and most beautiful
wood-borers, the Musk Beetle. It is very true that the insect
may be found in wiUow-trees which are in full leaf. But the
willow, as we all know, is one of those trees which is perfectly
content so long as its bark exists entire, and flourishes and in-
creases though the trunk be entirely hollow. And whenever
the larva of a Musk Beetle is discovered, it is invariably found
in the decaying, and not in the sound wood. So again with our
smaller Longicornes. The best specimens are always taken by
being dug out of decaying wood, — mostly rotten stumps in
which the supply of sap has not quite ceased, but no entomo-
logist would waste his time by looking for them in sound and
healthy trees.

The larv?e are white, flatfish, soft-bodied, hard-headed grubs,
always larger in front than behind, so that they may pass the
easier through the tunnels which they gnaw in the wood. The
jaws are exceedingly sharp and powerful, made almost exactly
like a surgeon's bone-nippers, and the head can be drawn back
so that it is almost hidden by the thorax. They possess legs,
but do not require to use them, thrusting themselves forwards by
means of the rings of the body, which are very deeply cut, and
furnished with a sort of hump on the upper surface.

In order to enable the female to deposit her eggs in favour-
able positions, she is furnished with a long, telescopic ovipositor,
which can be protruded to a considerable distance, and is almost
as mobile as the proboscis of the elephant or the tail of the
Spider Monkey. With this instrument she can push her eggs
under the bark, or into crevices, feeling about until she has satis-
fied herself that the egg is in a safe position.

SAWYER BEETLES. 231

The first family of the Longicornes is the Prionidie, in which
are comprised some of the giants of the insect race, one, indeed,
being the largest insect in existence, measuring nine inches in
length, and being very wide and thick of body. I should very
much have liked to have it engraved, but it is so large that
by no possibility could space be found for it, even if a whole
page were given up to it. The name Frionidce is taken from
the Greek, and is very appropriate, signifying " a sawyer," in
allusion to the manner in which the larva cuts its way through
timber.

Some of the species are said to saw branches in two, by
grasping them in their toothed jaws and then flying round and
round the tree. The late Mr. Waterton showed me a branch of
a tree which fell at his feet, and which had evidently been cut
through in some such way. But he did not actually see the
insect cut it ; and though he was assured by his companions that
the Sawyer Beetle really did cut branches in such a fashion, he
could not say that the branch in question had actually been
severed by the insect.

The particular species which is generally pointed out as the
Sawyer is Prionus cervicornis, a large flattish Beetle, mostly
black and yellow, having the yellow of the elytra formed into
an intricate net-like pattern. Its jaws are long, powerful, and
have one long tooth in the middle and about sixteen lesser
teeth on each side, so that the insect deserves its popular name
of Mouche scicur de long.

That the perfect insect does eat away the bark in a circular
direction is perfectly true, and, as may be expected, the branch
dies, so that in the first high wind it is likely to fall. But
that it cuts the branch completely across is scarcely credible,
nor indeed would there be any object in so doing, as the sap,
for which alone the tree is wounded, belongs to the bark, and
not to the solid wood. TJie female is said to use her jaws in'
biting holes in the bark, so as to make convenient receptacles
for her eggs.

The larva of this Beetle is very destructive, penetrating into
the branches of trees, and driving tunnels so complet(;ly through
the wood, that a mere s1k41 of the branch is left in a perfect
state, and so, like those that are "girdled " by the perfect insect,
the branch is nearly sun^ to Fall to the ground in tempestuous

232 INSECTS ABROAD.

weather. The mimosa trees are terribly infested with this de-
structive Beetle.

There is no difficulty iii distinguishing the Prionidte. Their
heads are squared and there is no neck, and the thorax is also
squared and drawn out into a sharp, tooth-like projection on
either side. The elytro are sharp and spine-like at the tips. In
England tliere is only one species of this family, — namely,
Prionus coriarius ; a large, flattish Beetle, with its surface
coloured, as is expressed Ly its specific name, like untanned
leather.

The old naturalists had some very wild notions about the
Prionus, as is shown in Mouffet's work, reference to which has
already been made. " It hath a little broad head, great oxe-eyes,
almost three fingers overthwart in length ; it hath a forked
mouth, gaping and terrible, with two very hard, crooked teeth :
with these, while he gnaws the wood (I speak by experience), it
doth perfectly grunt aloud like a young pig. Maybe this is
the reason why Hesychius hath related that they, bound to
a tree, will drive away fig-gnats.

" The shoulders of it are curiously wrought by nature : they
seem to be a hilt made of ebony and polished. It hath six feet,
distinguished with three little knees ; but they are very weak
and faint, and altogether unfit for such a burden. These receive
help by two horns that grow above their eyes, and are longer
than their whole bodies : they are flexible, with nine or ten
joynts ; not exactly round, but are rough like goat's horns, which,
although it can move them every way, yet when it flies it holds
them only forth directly ; and being wearied with flying, she
useth tliem for feet : for knowing that his legs are weak, he
twists his horns about the branch of a tree, and so he hangs at
ease, as our Bruerus saw in the country about Heidelberg ; in
that it resembles the Bird of Paradise, which, wanting feet,
clings about the boughs with those pendulous nerves, and so,
being tired with labour, takes its ease.

" They thrust upon us some German fables, as many so say
it flies only, and when it is weary it falls to the earth and pre-
sently dies. These that are stories and tales, render this reason
just, Terambus, a satirist, did not abstain from quipping of
the Muses, whereupon they transformed him into a Beetle calh'd
(Jerambjjx, and that dcscrveilly. to endure a double i>unishnicnt,

C(Jl,(iUK OF THE rUluMD-E. -'6'6

for lie liatli Irgs weak that he goes hiiiie, and like a thief he
hangs on a tree."

The Beetle which is represented in the accompanying illustra-
tion is a native of Java. It is a singularly fine insect, large,
boldly outlined, and standing very high on its long legs. In con-
sequence of its generally handsome appearance, it has received

1 1 — 1 11 n ( U 1-. J u k >i
(Black-liiown.)

the generic name of I'rionocalus, i.e. " beautiful Prionus." The
head is boldly scooped in front and on the sides, so as to be
shaped very much like the thorax, i.e. squared and pointed at
the sides. The thorax has three spikes or points on each side
and, like the rest of tlie body, it is nearly black. The elytra are

234 • INSECTS ABROAD.

granulated ; there is a flattish edge on the sides, and on either-
side of the suture is a long and prominent ridge. The long legs
are flattened, especially the thighs of the hind legs. Each elytron
has a curved and very sharp spike on the shoulder, so that the
Eeetle has a sufficiently formidable aspect.

The jaws are flat, powerful, strongly curved, and each is armed
near the tip with a double tootli. Their colour is black, and the
surface is finely granulated.

Most of the Prionidse are dull-coloured, but there are one or
two exceptions. Such, for example, is Psalidognaihus Friendii, a
native of Columbia. This insect is exceedingly variable. Some
are brown, others blue, and others deep purple, while many
specimens exhibit both colours. They also differ in size, some
being one-third less than others, while some of them have their
elytra shaped differently from those of their relatives.

When the Prionus larva is full fed, it encloses itself in a
cocoon made of little strips of the timber in which it has lived ;
and, after the manner of all tunnelling insects, it always under-
goes its transformation close to the bark of the tree, so that when
it assumes its perfect shape, it may find its way out of the tunnel
with as little difficulty as possible. For the perfect Beetle is
much wider than the larva, and not so flexible, so that, in spite
of the very powerful jaws with which it is armed, it would not
be able to force its way through the narrow channel which it
had formerly occupied.

The large species to which reference has been made is Prionus
giganteus, a Brazilian Beetle. Its eggs are remarkable for their
size, far exceeding in dimensions those of many humming-birds ;
and indeed, but for their shape, which is much elongated and
similar at both ends, they might well be taken for the eggs of a
bird, and not of an insect. In order to place their eggs securely,
the ovipositor of some of the species is provided with a curious
apparatus much resembling two short spears set side by side,
each spear-head being furnished with one or more knobs on
the outside, apparently for the purpose of fixing the apparatus
while the egg slides along it. The larva of one of the large
exotic Prionidse is used for food, and in all probability many
such larvae are edible, though they do not particularly suit
our own ideas of delicacies.

THE PYUODES.

235

The family of the Pyrodides is entirely American, and a very
Deaiitifnl family it is, many of the insects being large, and most of
them conspicuons in their colouring. They may be known by
the sharp horn-like projections on the shoulder of the elytra.
The present species, Pyrodes picUis, is a native of Brazil, and is
here represented of its natural size. The general colour of the
Beetle is dark, blackish chocolate, diversified with certain mark-
ings. The sides of the thorax are covered with long, almost hair
like scales, of a yellow colour, and two lines of similar scales
extend from the head over the thorax, meetin" on the scutellum.

Fio. 111. -Pyrodes pictus.
(Dark chocolate and yellow.)

The deep chocolate brown surface of the elytra is profusely
wrinkled and punctured, and is decorated with bold yellow
marks, varying greatly in shape, size, and number in different
individuals : generally there are three of those marks — a long,
pear-shaped one near the base of the elytra, with its narrow
end pointing towards the angular shoulder ; then a small oblong
mark, and lastly a long, sharply bent stripe near the tip. In
some specimens, however, the first and second of these marks

236 INSECTS ABKdAD.

are fused together iuto a single V-shaped stripe, while the third
mark is rounded instead of angular.

The spikes of the thorax, the first joint of the antenna?, and
the tliighs are black, while the rest of the antennie, and the
long, slender tibiae, are chestnut. Beneath, the thorax is blacky
with some stripes of yellow hair like that of the upper surface.
The teeth are black, very powerful, and so bent downwards as
to be invisible when the insect is viewed from above.

I have already mentioned that many of these Beetles are
exceedingly beautiful. The handsomest of them is Pyrodes
marginatus. The head and thorax are rich gold-green, deeply
wrinkled, and the latter being armed with sharp spikes. The
elytra are of a deep purple, glossed with warm copper, and each
elytron is completely surrounded by a very narrow stripe of
shining gold. It is not quite so large as the species which is
figured.

Then we have Pyrodes Smithianus, an exceedingly variable
insect, some being blue, glossed with crimson ; while others are
wholly olive green, some wholly copper, and others have the
centre of the elytra green, and their edges, together with the
thorax, metallic copper. Another species, Pyrodes jndcherrmius,
is rich shining blue, with a single broad golden band across the
elytra; and yet another, Pyrodes columhinus, deep shining blue.

The sub-family of the Torneutides form a group of lung-bodi ,'d,
narrow, flattish Beetles, none of them common, and most of the
species being very rare. They all belong to the hotter parts of
South America. The name Torneutides is Greek, and signifies
anything that has been turned on a lathe. It is given to this
group of insects because their bodies are so smooth and regular
that they look very much as if they might have been formed
on a lathe.

In the genus to whicli our example, l^Jueiiicocerus Dcjeanii,
belongs, the chief characteristic lies in the antenme of the
males, which are very much like those of the Oxynopterus, which
has been already described on page 158. The generic n ime
Phcenicocerus signifies " a conspicuous horn," and has been given
to these Beetles in recognition of the extraordinary antenna3.
As is often the case where tlie structure of the antennf© is in
any way reniarkablr', tlie male sex alone possesses it. tlie

THE ToKXEUTlDKS.

237

antennee of the female being quite plain and simple. In conse-
quence of this dissimilarity, the two sexes have such a different
aspect that tliey have been called by separate names, being
thought to belong to two distinct species. Even the appearance
of the surface differs in the two sexes, that of the female being
more boldly punctured than in the opposite sex.

The colour of our present species is black, but the whole
upper surface is covered with yellow hair-like scales sprinkled
rather sparingly on the thorax, but set so thickly upon the elytra
that their real colour is not to be seen except in ]ilaces where

Pig. lV2.--PhcEiiii''nrprus Dejeaiiii.
(Black, covered with yellow down)

they have been rubbed off" by ill-usage. The whole of the sur-
face is very deeply punctured, so deeply, indeed, that even
through the covering of scales the punctures are plainly visible.
The tips of the elytra are boldly scooped. If the antenntB be
carefully examined, it will be seen that each of the joints, except
that at the base, is furnished with a long, narrow, flattened
appendage, so that there are ten of these curious objects on each
of the antennae.

This insect, although perhaps, on the whole, the best example
of the Torneutides, is not the largest. This is Torncutcs palli-
diiornis, a native of Uruguay, the head and thorax of wliich are

238 INSECTS ABROAD.

without scales, so that they sliovv themselves in their original
shining blackness, while the elytra are so thickly covered with
the scales that not a particle of the black can be seen.

A STAETLINGLY Strange group of Beetles now comes before
us, namely, the Hesthecidge, all Australasian insects. When these
Beetles are first seen, it is almost impossible to believe that they
belong to the Longicorns, being to all appearance neither more
nor less than Brachelytra. Indeed, some of them are not only
unlike the Longicorns, but by non-entomologists would scarcely
be taken for Beetles at all, as they imitate with wondrous
fidelity the forms and colours of sundry hornets and other
members of the wasp tribe.

In all of them the head is sunk as far as the eyes into tlie
thorax, and the elytra are quite as short as those of any of the

Fig, 11.1 — Hesthesis ferrugineus.
(Yelluw, with, black baud.)

Eove Beetles ; but whereas in those insects the wings are cart-
fully packed up under the elytra, so as to be quite invisible when
they are folded, in the Hesthecides they are as exj)osed as those
of a wasp or bee, except just at the base, where they are par-
tially covered by the small elytra. It is worthy of notice that
the left wing is always crossed over the right.

Our first example of these Beetles is the largest, handsomest,
and most brightly coloured of the whole group, and is called
Hesthesis ferrugineus. The latter of these terms signifies " iron
fust," and is given to the Beetle in allusion to the reddish yellow
down with which nearly the entire upper surface is decorated.

WASP BEETLES. 2.S'.)

AMietlier with wings spread or closed, tliis Beetle Lears a most
singular resemblance to a v^ery large hornet.

The thorax is bright yellow, and when examined by the aid of
a magnifier, the colour is seen to be produced by a quantity of
hair-like scales which look very mueli as if they had been twisted
into loose ropes, coiled backwards and forwards on the insect, and
tlien pressed Hat. The centre of the thorax is always darker
than the sides, and in some specimens has well-defined edges like
the ace of diamonds turned black. The elytra are covered with
similar scales, of a dark chestnut colour, and the greater part of
the abdomen is of the same bright hue as the thorax.

There is, however, a broad jetty-black belt across the middle
of the abdomen, and several black spots on its sid^>o, which are
flattened and 'turned up, so as to form a sort of fla >pen box in
which tlie wings can lie. The part of the abdomen which lies
under the elytra is also black. The ample wings are shining
yellow, and much resemble, both in colour and outline, the wings
of a hoiiiet united and spread for fiight.

Like many Longicorn Beetles, this is an exceedingly variable
insect both in size and colour, some specimens being barely one-
fourth as large as that from which the description was taken ;
wliile some, instead of briglit yellow scales, are clothed in a suit
111' dull brown.

There are several species of this genus, the most remarkable
i)f \\hich is Hesthesis cmgulatns, which is almost startlingiy like
line of our common sand-wasps, being black, wdtli two yellow
liars across the abdomen, which is narrowed at the base, then
swells out boldly, and then tapers rapidly to a point exactly
like that of the sand- wasp. Indeed, anyone not practically
sicquainted with entomology might be excused for thinking that
it was armed with a sting.

AVith regard to tlie name of these insects, T accept it because
it is given by Lacordaire, whose arrangement is employed in the
British Museum. But I only accept it under protest. Had the
name of the group been given as Esthcsidcs, and that of the
geniis as JEsthcsis, it would have been perfectly correct. Esthesis
is a Greek word signifying " clothing," and referring to the dense
coat of hair-like scales with which the body is clothed. But there
is no aspirate, and the " c " in the middle of the word ought to be
" s," as any of my readers may see by reference to a Greek lexicon.

240 INSECTS AP-KOAD.

There is a family of Lougicoru Beetles in wliicli a portion of
the antennae is covered with prickles, and which are therefore
called Batoceridse, i.e. thorny -horned Beetles. On Plate TV. Fig.
2, is shown one of these insects, Batocera Cclebiana, which, as
its name implies, inhabits the Celebes. Being a large species,
it shows well the characteristic spikes "with which the very long
second joint of the antennae is armed. The usual spikes at the
sides of the thorax are well developed, and there is a short
sharp spike on each of the shoulders of the elytra.

The general colour of this Beetle is black, but parts of it are
covered with a secondary coating of white or red, arranged as
may be seen by reference to the plate. On the upper part of
the thorax are two large patches of a rust-red, looking indeed
very much like splashes of actual rust.

The surface of the elytra is covered with rounded tubercles of
various sizes, the tubercles themselves being shining black, and
the space between them filled with yellow down. On each of
the elytra are four white spots. One large irregularlys-haped
spot is on the middle of each elytron, sometimes being nearly
oval, and sometimes having a sort of curved tail like a comma.
.Above it is a small circular spot, below it a similar spot, and
near the tip of the elytra another, but much smaller mark. All
these marks look, when examined with a low magnifying power,
as if they were made of plaster of Paris spread thinly on the
surface, and are full of tiny cracks just like those of the plaster
when it has been exposed to moisture. When a tolerably high
power is brought to bear on these red and white spots, they are
seen to be formed by a number of oblong scales laid as regularly
as the tiles of a house, instead of being flung loosely over the
surface like the hair-like scales of the under parts of the body.

Beneath, the insect is black, thickly sprinkled with yellow
down, and on each side of the thorax, just below the elytra, is a
broad white stripe, very clearly defined and with jagged edges.

Among the many species of this genus we may mention
Batocera la;na of the Arii Islands. This is a very much larger
Beetle than the preceding, and much blacker. The antennoe are
remarkable for having the spikes on every joint except the
two last, which are very slender and delicate. Tlie whole of the
surface of the elytra is covered with tubercles.

One of the most variable species is Batocera TJtomsonii of

A VARIABLE BEETLE.

241

Java. Not only does it vary much in size, some specimens
being barely half as large as others, but it has an extraordinary
scope of variety in the markings of the elytra. The general
colour is brown. Some specimens have only two large white
spots, which are placed in the centre of the elytra; others have
twelve spots ; while in some, the spots, instead of bemg wliite
are rust-red, like those of the first-mentioned species. Batocera
lineolata is covered with grey down and white spots, also variable
in form, size, and number. But in all the species, however much
they may differ from each other, the broad, jagged white stripe
along the sides of the thorax is present and is equally conspicuous.

We now come to the group called Callichromides. This is a
very ajopropriate name, as it signifies beautiful colours, and most
of the insects which belong to the group are remarkable for the
splendour of their hues. It is a very large group, comprising

Fig. 114 — Pliyllocneiua phyllopus.
(Deep velvet-purple.)

some twenty-nine or thirty species, of whicli only one is known
to inhabit Europe. This is Aromia, to which our familiar Musk
Beetle belongs — the only British species of this splendid group,
but one which very efficiently represents it, not only in the
splendour of its colouring, but in its size and the fragrant odour
which it diffuses.

The insect which has been selectod as a representative of this
u

242 INSECTS ABROAD.

group is one which is well worthy of description. It is a native
of Brazil. When viewed by a dull light, or when merely seen
from above, it looks as if it were dull, dead black. It seems as if
it must have crawled down the chimney before it could have
attained such a depth of blackness, compared with which the
blackest velvet seems quite brilliant.

But let a gleam of sunsliine touch its surface, and the insect is
at once transformed. Instead of being the dull, sober Beetle
that it appeared only a moment ago, it is clothed in robes of
imperial purple, so rich, so deep, so piercing, that the eye can
scarcely endure its splendour. It is an insect that absolutely
fascinates the observer, and one is never tired of shifting it to
and fro in the sunbeams, in order to watch the wonderful play
of colour over its surface.

As if to add to its beauty, the elytra are furnished with several
broad ridges, elevated very slightly above the rest of the surface.
The effect of this structure is, that when the rest of the elytron is
deep, velvety purple, the ridges are of the most dazzling azure,
shiftiug in their turn to purple when the insect is moved so as
to tlrrow the light into the furrows between the ridges, and to
develop the azure splendour of their clothing. It looks, if we
may use such a simile, as if stripes of blue satin had been sewn
on purple velvet. Add to this, that the wings themselves are
deep, shining green, like those of our demoiselle dragon-flies, and
the reader may form some very faint idea of the beauties which
lie hidden in this insect until revealed by the light.

The form of this Beetle is as remarkable as its colour. The
head and thorax are small, the latter being boldly spiked at
either side. The legs are all rather slender, and moderately
long, but the hind pa-ir are much elongated, and the tibia are
developed into large flat blades, much resembling in form the
head of a racket, having one side much rounded and the other
comparatively straight. The similitude is increased by a thickened
edge which runs round the flattened portion, like the frame of a
racket. Like the elytra, the legs are purple, and have a satiny
surface, which is shown by the microscope to be due to a dense
clothing of very fine purple down.

The name of the insect is Phj/llocncma 2^hyllopus. Both words
have a similar meaning; the former signifying "leaf-legged," and
the latter "leaf-footed."

PLATE IV

THE HARLEQUIN BEETLE. 243

This is not the only insect of the genus which possesses the
flattened tibiae. One in particular, Phyllocnema mirifica, has
them so large that each of the flattened portions would nearly
cover the entire body of the insect. Indeed, they are so
enormous in proportion to the size of the insect, that it is im-
possible to avoid a feeling of wonder at their use, and of surprise
that the Beetle can walk at all with such apparently unwieldy
limbs.

One of the most striking examples of the Longicorn Beetles
is the Harlequin Beetle {Acrocmus longiinajius), which is given
on Plate IV., Fig. 1. It belongs to the group Acrocinides. Its
colours are black, red, and yeUow, disposed in a very singular
manner, so that they really do bear some resemblance to the
corresponding colours in the tightly-fitting dress of a stage
harlequin.

The ground colour is black, of a velvety texture, warmed by
the very short but very dense down with which its surface is
covered. Upon the whole of the upper surface, head, thorax,
and elytra included, is drawn a complicated pattern which is
not easily described, but which can be understood by reference
to the illustration. The long antennae are black, and so are the
legs, with the exception of a broad scarlet band round the end
of each of the thighs.

All the legs are long, but the first pair is enormously developed,
covered with very small teeth, and having ten long spines, one
at the base of the thighs and the others at the end of the tibias,
which are so boldly curved near tlieir extremities as to look
like hooks.

These very long legs are employed in traversing the
Ijranches of the trees among which the insect lives, and those
wlio have seen the Beetle in motion say that its movements,
though slow, can almost be called graceful as it swings itself
from bough to bough. Indeed, these long fore-limbs very
stirongly remind the observer of the fore-limbs of the Spider
Monkeys which inhabit the same spots as the Harlequin Beetle.
On the ground, the inordinate length of limb seems to be very
much in the Beetle's way, and accordingly it crawls in a sluggish
manner, and, like the sloth on level ground, drags itself along
rather than walks.

R 2

244 INSECTS ABROAD.

The Harlequin Beetle is extremely fond of the juice which
is secreted by the Bagasse tree {Bagassa Guianensis). This
juice is white, thick, and, when newly taken from the tree,
gives out a strong and penetrating odour, which the Beetles
perceive at a considerable distance. The collectors take advan-
tage of this predilection, ami, ^\■hen they go in search of the
Harlequin Beetle, they attract it by wounding a Bagasse tree
and allowing the sap to flow freely. Negroes, when employed in
collecting, are apt, with the usual improvidence of their race,
to cut down the trees so as to secure a greater number oi'
Beetles at the time. In consequence of the fondness of the
insect for this juice, it is popularly called Mouche Bagasse.

The Beetle can fly pretty well, and, like most of its kin, takes
to the air in the evening, remaining quiet during the day. The
long fore-legs appear to incommode the Harlequin Beetle when
Hying, for it seems to have but little power of directing its course,
and is apt to blunder against any object that may happen to be
in the way. When it does so, like our own Stag Beetle, it falls
to the ground at once. It has rather a noisy, rustling flight, and,
when walking, it makes a sort of creaking sound which betrays
it to anyone who knows its customs.

It is an extremely variable insect, both in size and colour.
The variation in the latter, however, is often due to the effect
of light, the bright scarlet aud yellow fading into dull red and
dusky ochre if the insect has been kept for any length of time
in a case which is exposed to liglit. Those specimens which are
obtained near the coast are said to be much more brilliant than
those which are found inland. These are not uncommon insects,
and as they are exceedingly handsome and imposing, and look
well in show-cases, the negroes who choose to hunt after them
can be sure of earning money by capturing them and selling
them to the professional collectors, who are always ready to buy
up any insects which are likely to have a sale in Europe.

The wood-boring habits of this splendid Beetle are well sho\\n
by a specimen in the British Museum. It was fortunately
secured before it had escaped from the piece of timber in which
it had undergone its change into the perfect state, and there lies,
with its long legs packed up in a most wonderful manner, so as
to take up a space which is very small in proportion to the
size of the insect and the length of its limbs.

BORER BEETLES. 245

There is a group of Longicorues whose exact place in the
system is very doubtfuL They form a well-marked group, and
can he at once distinguished by the peculiarity from which they
derive their name. The terra Phrissomides is formed from two
Greek w^ords signifying " spiked body," and is applied to these
insects because not only the thorax but the whole of the upper
surface is thickly covered with sharp spikes. The Phrissomides
are natives of Southern Africa,

The present species, Phrissoma horridiim, is the most con-
spicuous of the group. Beside the usual spikes on the sides
of the thorax, there are two others on the upper surface, so that
tlieir jjoints radiate much like those of a dog's spiked collar.
On each of the elytra there are three parallel rows of similar
but shorter spikes, their bases set closely together ; so that when

the insect is viewed sideways, the spikes look just like the teeth
of three saws. Between them the surface is studded with a vast
number of smaller spikes, or rather tubercles, their tips being
blunt instead of pointed. In fact, the insect appears to be all
spikes, and to be a very unpleasant one to handle. The colour
of these projections is shining black at tlie tip, becoming dull,
liowever, at the base.

All of my readers who have jiaid any attention to British
entomology must be familiar with tlie Wasp Beetle {Clytus
aridis), our best-known example of the Clytides, which is so
common in the hedgerows, its black body with its yellow base
giving it a very wasp-like air as it slips in and out of the foliage.
Neither tliis liet-tlc nor aiiv of its relatives dues much harm in

246 INSECTS ABROAD.

this country, the larva merely boring into old posts, rails, and
other dead timber. But in those parts of the world where
coffee is grown, one of the Wasp Beetles becomes an absolute
plague, under the name of " The Borer."

The female gnaws a small hole into the tree, very much like
the perforation of a gimlet, and there places her eggs. As soon as
they are hatched, the larv^ begin to eat their way through the
tree, and often drive so many tunnels, upwards and downwards,
that the tree dies. Mr. A. E. W. Lascelles, managing director
of the Moyan Coffee Company, makes the following remarks in
a little work on coffee-plantations : —

"The part of the tree above their entrance generally gives
at once unmistakable indications of their presence; and if
these are noticed, and the tree cut off at the place where
the perforation is seen, the grub will be found inside and the
lower portion of the tree be saved, and ultimately send out a
sucker to supply the place of the lost stem. But it frequently
occurs that large trees with heavy crops on them fall victims to
this pest, and then it becomes necessary to root up the old tree
and plant a fresh seedling in its place.

"The Beetles may be observed flying about in numbers in
the evenings after rain in March, April, and May ; and if bright
fires of weeds, grass, &c. are lighted on the various roads and
other vacant places on the estates, they will be attracted by the.
blaze and light, and fly into the fires. This method has been
found very efficacious, and is neither expensive nor difficult of
execution.

" It may be remembered that the Borer is most abundant in
rather dry localities, and is not so troublesome in virgin forest
land as in what has been already described as ' bamboo ' land."

This "bamboo" land, which is so favourable to the Borer, is
described as gentle undulating slopes, sparsely covered with
large trees and bamboo thickets ; the soil being heavy, deep,
hard, and full of weeds. When properly cleared, this land suits
the coffee tree admirably, but unfortunately it suits the destroyer
as well as the tree.

The Sternacanthides are here represented by one species ;
namely, Lophonocerus harhicor/iis. The name Sternacanthides is
Greek, signifying " thorny-breast," and, as the reader will see

THORNY-BREAST BEETLES.

247

by reference to the illustration, it is a very appropriate title.
They have six spines on the thorax — namely, four long spines
and two shorter — besides two small but bold spines on the
collar. They are all natives of South America.

The fine insect which is here represented is an excellent
example of the grouj). In colour it is wholly black and orange,
the two hues being arranged so as to form a bold pattern,
as seen in the illustration. This pattern is rendered the bolder
from the fact that the orange portions are raised and slightly
rounded, while the black parts are depressed. The spines upon
the thorax are shining black.

Though the vivid colours and well-defined marks of the
elytra render the insect a very conspicuous one, they fade into

Fio. 116. — Lophoiioeerus barbicuiuis
(Black anil orange.)

comparative insignificance before the extraordinary antennae.
The first four joints of these appendages are covered with thick
long hairs, pointing slightly forward, but radiating equally on
every side like the bristles of a bottle brush. They are black
at their bases and orange at their tips, so that they carry out the
colours of the elytra. The remaining joints are very slender
and of a pale yellow. Both scientific names of this insect refer
to the antennse. The generic name Lophonoccrus is formed from
two Greek words signifying "plume-horned," and the Latin word
harlicornis signifies "bearded horn." There are very many
species of the Sternacanthidaj, of which the present is certainly
the best example.

248 INSECTS ABROAD.

The extraordinary little Beetle which is represented below
belongs to the group called Ehopelophorides. This word signifies
"club-bearer," and is given to the Beetles on account of the
club-like appearance which is given to the antennae by a single
large tuft of hair with which they are adorned. They are mostly
Australasian, and are small insects, our present example being
the largest, and one or two very tiny creatures.

The word Cosmisoma signifies an adorned or decorated body,
and is probably given to these insects on account of the
beautiful colour of the body. The hue of the Cosmisoma scopipes
is either blue or green, the insect being exceeding variable in this
respect, and the surface is covered with rather bold punctures.
The antennae are very long and slender, and the fourth joint is
furnished towards the end with a large round tiift of long black

Fig. 117. — Cosmisoma scopipes.
(Blue-green, witli black liair tufts.;

hairs. The hind legs are equally remarkable. They are chestnut
in colour, very long in proportion to the size of the insect, and
the end of the thighs is much enlarged. The tibiae are slender,
boldly curved, and from their outer edges radiates a flat brush of
black hairs similar to those upon the antennae.

Another species of the same genus, Cosmisoma ochraccum, is
very similar to this insect, except that it is smaller and has the
hair-tufts yellow. There are many other allied insects which
bear tufts on the antennae. The most remarkable of them is
called Disaulax hirsuticorviis, whose peculiar structure is implied
by the specific name, which signifies " hairy horns." In this
insect there are no tufts on the legs, but the first four joints of
the antennae are wliolly covered with long black hair, which
radiates equally round them, so that they appear cylindrical
rather tlian conical, as is the case with the Lophonoccru.s.

VARIABLE ANTENN.15.

249

The Sternotomides are represented by the Beetle 'called
ZographiLS oculator. The name of this group is formed from
two Greek words signifying cut, or truncated, thorax, and is
given to the insects because the thorax is wide and short, as if
it had been abruptly cut off, or like a draughtsman set on its
edge. They are all natives of Africa. The projections at the
sides of the thorax, instead of being sharp spines, are large
thick tubercles, rounded at the tip.

The present species is a really handsome insect. Its colour is
black, and across the head and thorax are drawn some very
narrow yellow lines, their edges as clearly defined as if they

Fig. lis.— Zographus oculatoi.
(Black, with yellow marks.)

were done with a pen and ink. The elytra are covered with
tiny wrinkles, and are marked with bold ridges, boldly armed at
the shoulder and running nearly parallel with the suture. Upon
each of the elytra are four large yellow marks, deepening into
chocolate in the centre. The name ZograpJius, which signifies
anything that is painted from life, is given to the insects on
account of the lines and spots wherewith they are adorned.
The specific name oculator, which is formed from the Latin word
oculus, an eye, refers to the eye-like form of the marks on the
elytra.

The antennae of this insect are extremely variable in different
individuals, being in some specimens fully one- third lon<ior than

250 INSECTS ABKOAD.

in others. They are exceedingly beautiful, even if viewed with
the naked eye, and much more so when the magnifying glass is
brought to bear uj)on them. Their colour is a soft blue grey,
with a sort of a chalky look about the surface. This effect, when
the antennae are examined witli a microscope, is seen to be pro-
duced by the grey scales with which the entire organ is covered.
As if in order to break the uniformity of the antennai, the end
of each joint is jetty black.

There are many species of this group, and many of them are
beautifully coloured. Among the more conspicuous insects we
may note Sternotomus Bolumanna, a Beetle of a shining green
colour, covered with a multitude of chocolate spots and stripes.
Sternotoonns bifasciata is chocolate, with blue bands on its head,
thorax, and elytra. Sternotomus mirdbilis is black, with green
stripes and spots ; and Sternotomus regalis is black, with multi-
tudinous green and chocolate marks. Its antennae are peculiarly
long and slender.

Another African group of Beetles, the Tragocephalides, now
comes before us. This word is Greek, and signifies " goat-
headed."

There are very many species belonging to this group, all of
which are remarkable for the velvet-black of their surface, upon

which are markings of sundry other hues. Our first example,
Tragocephalus varicgatus, has more of the lighter blue than the
darker colour, and is bright orange. Two bold, black velvety

A NEW ARO beetle.

251

stripes run along the upper surface of the thorax, and the spines
on either side are also black. Upon the elytra are three bold,
black marks, which are much too complicated for description,
Dut whicli can be understood by reference to the ilhistration.

Some of the more remarkable insects of this genus are Trago-
cephalus pulchella, which is black, witli marks of vivid green and
golden yellow ; Tragocephalus gemmaria, fully deserving its name,
its velvet-black surface being studded with little azure spots, just
like jewels ; TragocejjhahisjJhospJiorus, which is vivid yellow, with
a black heart-shaped mark on the elytra; and lastly, Tragoccphah^s
nobilis, which is velvet-black, with a golden yellow band round
the thorax, and three belts of a similar colour across the elytra.

The name Tmesisternides, by which the next group of Longi-
corn Beetles is distinguished, signifies " cut-thorax," and is given
to them because the thorax is narrow behind, broadening rapidly
to the front, where it is suddenly truncated, as if a portion had
been cut away.

They have a large range of country, being found spread over
the whole of Australasia and Polynesia. The present species,

^^

Fig. I'JU.-
(Blue or green, with white marks.)

Ichthyosoma mirahilis, comes from the Arii Islands, and is quite
new to science, having only lately been discovered. It is the
largest of the whole genus, and is a very conspicuous insect, the
colours being very brilliant and boldly contrasted. The colourinc
of the insect is as follows : —

252 INSECTS ABROAD.

The upper surface of the head, tliorax, and abdomen is shining
blue or green, some individuals being of one tint and some of
the other. Three bands of pure white are drawn across each of
the elytra, two of the bands being continuous, and the last, which
is close to the tip, being broken up into several small rounded
portions. The legs are rather curiously coloured. The whole
of the thigh and about one-quarter of the length of the tibite
are deep shining blue, while the rest of the tibite is yellow.
The tarsus is of the same hue as the thigh. The antennse are
entirely blue.

The generic name Ichthyosoma is formed from two Greek
words, and signifies " fish-bodied." I cannot, however, see any
particular appropriateness in the term, as tliis insect bears no
more resemblance to a fish than do the other Longicornes which
have already been described.

CHAPTER XVII.

PHYTOPHAGA, OR PLANT-EATERS.

There has been, and still is, some difficulty in the arrangement
of the Beetles wliich come next in order. As, however, this is
not intended for a work on systematic entomology, there is no
need for entering into any such controversies. As may be in-
ferred from their title, these insects feed upon plants, and are
mostly found on the leaves.

The first group of these insects, the Sagrides, are almost en-
tirely exotic, being represented in England only by four small
inconspicuous Beetles belonging to the genus Orsodacna. Many
of the exotic Sagrides are, however, exceediugly beautiful in
their colours, though few of them run to any great size.

They form a portion of the large family Crioceridse, of which
our well-known Asparagus Beetle {Criuccris asparagt) is a
familiar example. Other British examples of this family are
the lovely Donacia Beetles which stud the leaves of water-flowers
like living gems. The Sagrides are nearly allied to the Donacias,
though the splendid colouring of the former only belongs to the
exotic species.

The species which is shown in the illustration on the next
page, Sagra Buquetii, is at once the largest and most splendid of
the genus. It is found in Java.

In all the species belonging to the genus, the hind legs are
greatly developed, and in this species they are absolutely enor-
mous when compared with the body of the insect. The thighs
are thick, powerful, boldly curved, and armed with a series of
teeth on the inner surface. The tibiae are correspondingly
powerful, and continue the curve of the thighs near their tip ;
the inner surface is clothed with rather long and thick hair,
of a shining golden yellow. The tarsus is so small as to

254 INSECTS ABROAD.

appear absolutely useless. The other legs are rather small than
otherwise.

The colour of this Beetle is singularly beautiful. In tlie first
place the elytra are rich shining green, with the exception of a
fiery copper-red stripe in the middle, which is wide at the base
and narrows gradually to the tip. The whole surface is thickly
granulated. A decided golden gloss tinges both the green and
the red, the golden gloss shifting with every change of light.
The head and thorax are also green, and so are the legs, the
surface of which is granulated like that of the elytra, but not so
deeply.

Kio. 121. — Sagra Buquctii.
(Green and coppery red.)

This is an exceedingly variable insect, especially in point of
size, some not being one-fourth as large as that which has been
figured.

The Sagrides have a very wide geographical range, being found
in Australasia, Java, and India. Their colours are exceedingly
various, though green of some kind is generally the predominant
hue. The present species, for example, is mostly green, and
Sagra chrysochlora is entirely golden-green. Sagra cmjvjrea,
however, is almost entirely blue ; and Sagra nigrita, a small
Cingalese species, is dull black.

Now come a vast number of Beetles, with outlines more or
less circular. For this reason they have been named Cyclica,
this being a Greek word signifying " a circle." None of them
are of any great size, the largest barely reaching an inch in
length, and on an average being seldom more than one-third of

ANT-BEETLES.

255

that length. In beauty of colour, however, they compensate for
their small size, for there is scarcely a colour of the rainbow
which is not represented in some of the Cyclica. This beauty
is not attained by the iridescent hairs with which many Beetles
are clothed, but is due to the surface of the body itself.

The family of the Clythridfe is represented in England by
only three little species, which are very seldom found, on account
of the locality in which they live. They inhabit ants' nests, and
their larvEe contrive to make moveable cases of a tough and
leathery nature, in which they conceal the greater part of their
bodies. Only the head, thorax, and legs project from the narrow
end of the case, the rest of the body being concealed within it.

Whether this covering be intended for a protection against the
stings of the ants is a very doubtful point. That it should
be supposed to serve such a purpose is natural enough,
especially as it would form an effectual protection against the
attacks of ants or even stronger enemies than they are. But
we must remember that in most instances where Beetles are
parasitic upon ants, both parties seem to live in perfect amity ;
and, indeed, in one case, if the nest be
broken open, the ants take as much
care of the Beetles as of their own off-
spring. A somewhat similar case is
formed by Beetles belonging to the
genus Poropleura, which will presently
be described.

Our example of this family is a very
pretty Brazilian Beetle belonging to the
genus Themesia, of which there is only
one species in the British Museum.
The front of the thorax is bright blue,
shining and punctated, and the elytra
are of the same hue, the latter being
sometimes green or even copper. The
middle of the thorax is covered with

abundant golden yellow hair, not set regularly, as is generally
the case with insect hair, but laid in tufts, very like moss pressed
flat. The under surface is clothed with similar hairs.

I have no doubt that the specific name aurisapilla, which is

X^:^;^-'

Fig. 122.— Themesia aurisi
(Blue and yellow)

256 INSECTS ABROAD.

absolutely meaningless, is wrongly spelled. Had it been auri-
capilla, it would have signified " golden-liaired," and would
have had a direct reference to this yellow down. But as the
name is spelled aurisapilla in the printed catalogues, it must
perforce be retained.

Next to the Clythida3 come the Cryj)tocephalidpe, This rather
long name is formed from two Greek words signifying " hidden-
head," and is given to the insects because their small heads are
almost entirely sunk in the thorax, so that when viewed from
above they look, but for the antennae, a.s if they had no head at
all. The elytra do not quite cover the end of the body, and the
entire form is thick, cylindrical, and looks as if it had been
abruptly truncated in front. We have in England only one
genus, Cryptocephalus, of which about eighteen species are
known. They are bright little insects, and may be found on
fine summer days basking in the blaze of the hottest sunbeams.
Their larvae inhabit odd moveable cases, which are formed, like
the covering of the Cricoeridae, from the excrement.

Several of the species have been lately discovered, and it is
believed that others yet remain for discovery. Indeed, every
collector, when he visits a new locality, especially to the North
of England or Scotland, is sure to keep a careful watch on the

foliage, in hopes of detecting
some species of Cryptocephalus
at present unknown. And as
they are small beetles, and apt
to be exceedingly variable, it is
likely that there may be in
cabinets more than one species
which has not been inserted in
any catalogue.

Fic. i23.--Poropieuramoustrosa. In Order to show morc clearly

the extraordinary form of tlie

insect which has been selected as an example of this family, it

has been found necessary to magnify it, the length of an ordinary

specimen being about half an inch.

This is a most difficult insect to describe. Its colour is a ricli,
sliining violet, with a metallic glitter like that of foil. The whole
surface is knnlibed, and creased, and wrinkled, and channelled, and

" GOLDEN APPLES. Z:)!

pnnctured full of lioles, so that it really looks as if a piece of
violet foil bad been loosely rolled between the hands, and then
pinched into the rough semblance of a beetle. The generic
name Poropleura, which signifies " chaunelled-side," refers to
this extraordinary formation. In order to bring out all its
peculiar beauty, the insect must be taken into a strong light,
examined through a lens, and turned in every direction, so as
to allow the light to reveal the multitudinous knobs and grooves
and pits with which the surface is covered. To judge by the
long series of specimens in the British IMuseum, there is but
little variation, either in size or colour.

Another species, Poroiphiira, cliimcera, is about the same size
and formed in much the same manner, but is green instead of
blue ; while Poropleura hacca, a smaller insect, looks as if made
of crimson foil, the edge of each fold and the top of each pro-
jection being vivid green. Poropleura citprea looks, as its name
implies, as if it were made of copper foil. All the insects are
natives of Brazil.

It has been mentioned that the larvae of the Cryptocephalidai
inhabit moveable cases. In the British Museum are two of the
cases made by the larvae of Poropleura. They are conical and
curved, looking like very thick and blunt cows' horns, being
hollow at the larger end. Their texture is almost exactly like that
of very fine sponge, and the colour is either yellow or brown.

The splendid family of the Chrysomelides thoroughly deserves
its name. The word signifies " golden apples," and is given to
the insects on account of their rounded, smooth, and polished
bodies, which are often decorated with golden green, crimson,
blue, and in fact almost every combination of colouring. None
of the species are large, by far the largest of our British Chry-
somelides being tho well-known Bloody-nose Beetle (Timarcha
tenehricosa), whose round, indigo bodies are so familar to all who
live in the country. They have a very wide geographical range,
and, indeed, wherever the climate permits insects to live at all,
some of the Chrysomelides may generally be found.

The fine insect which is shown in the illustration on the next

page is a native of Brazil. Its name is Doriipliora tessella/a,

both of which words are very appropriate, both to the genus and

the individual. The generic name Donjphora is Greek, and

s

l!58 INSECTS ABEOAD.

signifies " spear-beaiing." It is given to the insects because the
mesosternum, i.e. the central portion of the lower side of the thorax,
is lengthened into a projecting spike of a spear-like form. The
reader may perhaps remember that in the Dyticus a somewhat
similar spike, only fork-headed, projects from the metasternum,
or third portion of the thorax.

The beautiful species which is here shown is a native of

Brazil. Its ground colour is yellow, and across the elytra are

drawn five rows of squared black or chestnut spots. Tlie thorax,

as is the case with nearly all the species, is plain, dark chestnut.

Some of the species are worthy of

notice for the way in which they are

^^"\^^^_„=«.»^ coloured. Doryjjhora duodeclm- guttata,

^"'^'•m'^^KSr^^ which is found in Para, is shining green,

thickly punctated, and having six round

yellow spots on each of the elytra. Dory-

Ijlwra testado, of Bolivia, has five simikir

marks and blue surface, the lowest being

"5^^- ' heart-shaped. Borypliora pura is pale

^lo. 124 -Doiyphora tesseiiata. gieeu, DoTijphora (Kneo-cpUtata iQ green,

(Yellow, with black marks.) ^ud has a T-shaped mark upon the

elytra, and a spot of the same colour on

each shoulder. Dorypliora unijerialis, another Brazilian insect,

is yellow, variegated M'itli green or black spots.

Perhaps the most beautiful of them all is the largest of the
whole genus, and so called Dorypliora princcps. The colours of
this fine insect are so varied that it is not easily described. The
head is yellow, with a deep-blue circular spot on either side
The edges of the thorax are yellow, each having a similar blue
spot. On the middle of the thorax is a yellow mark much resem-
bling the ace of spades, and the rest of the thorax is deep shining
blue, thickly punctated. On each of the upper inner angles of
the elytra there is a large rounded yellow spot, a similar spot is at
their tip, a yellow band . is drawn across the middle, and the rest
of the elytra is deep blue, crossed with many zigzag black lines.

The beautiful insect which is represented in the illustration
looks very tame in the plain black and white with which its
shape, but not its splemlid colour, is shown. In common with
most of its genus, it is a native of Brazil.

THE VINE BEETLE. 259

The colour of this splendid insect is not easily described,
because it varies together with the direction of the light. The
surface is always brilliantly metallic, but its exact hue seems to
depend entirely on the light, so that it may be green, copper,
gold, or blue. There is always a narrow bright line along the

Fig. 125. — Eumolpus fulgidiw.
(Metallic copper and green.)

edges of the elytra. There are many species, some being deep
indigo blue, some purple, and a few brown.

An allied insect, which inhabits Southern Europe {Uumoljms
vitis), is very destructive to the vine. It is very small, but
exceedingly plentiful. The larva feeds upon the young leaves
and twigs, just as they are shooting forth in the spring-time, so
that the proper development of the foliage is prevented. But
this is not the worst of its ravages ; for as soon as the grape-
bunches are fairly formed, the insect fastens upon the stems, and
gnaws them all round so as to prevent the flow of sap. In form
it resembles Eumolpus fulgidus.

The word Eumolpus has no reference either to the qualities or
the appearance of the insect, being only a classical proper name.

Theke is a curious genus of Chrysomelides called ]\Ietacycla,
from the shape of the insects which belong to it. The name
comes from two Greek words signifying any object that is
capable of being rolled about. The females of tliese insects have
the head and tliorax small, but the abdomen of enormous size,
being capable of becoming almost globular. Tlie present species
is called Mdacycla Sallci, and is a native of Mexico. The
abdomen of the female is so large, round, black, and sinning, that

260

INSECTS ABROAD.

"^-•--j-jO.

Fig. 126.— Metacycla Sallei.
(Black, with violet elytra.)

it looks just like a ripe black currant. The elytra are violet ni
colour, thickly punctated, very short and rounded, and appear
like mere useless excrescences on the back of the insect.

The male Metacycla is quite different in shape, the body Ijeintjj
quite twice as long as it is wide, and the elytra reaching to its
end. There are several species of this genus,
among which may be mentioned Metacycla
turgida, which is yellow, and has the elytra
decorated with six large black spots. Also
there are several allied genera, such as Mcta-
Icpta and RiLpilia. Some of these insects
might easily be mistaken for Kove Beetles,
their Ijodies being long and their elytra very
short. One of the most notable of them is
Rupilia rujicollis, a native of New Soutli
Wales. It derives its name of rnficoUi^i,
or " red neck," from the bright ruddy chest-
nut of its thorax, which hue extends to its
head. The elytra are blue in some specimens
and green in others^ and the abdomen is chestnut, like the thorax.
We have in England two little Chrysomelidse which present
exactly similar peculiarities. They belong to the genus Gastro-
physa, i.e. " swollen-belly," and may generally be found in the
common dock.

The insect which is here repre-
sented is an exceedingly variable one,
especially in point of size, many
specimens being so small as to loolv
by the side of others like dwarfs be-
side giants. It also varies in colour.
The head and thorax are always
shining yellow, but the elytra are
sometimes green and sometimes
black, though, as the name of the in-
sect implies, they are mostly purple.

This is a very large genus, containing some splendidly coloured
Beetles. Aplosonyx hasalis, a species which inhabits Manilla, is
curiously and boldly marked, the upper half of the elytra being
shining jetty black, and the lower half yellow. Another species,

Flo. 1-27. — Aplosonyx inirpurasa'iis
(Yellow and purple. )

THE TORTOISE BEETLES. 261

which has not yet been named, and wliicli conies from Dorey, is
black, with a yellow belt; while another, also unnamed, is yellow,
with a large oval patch of black on the middle of the elytra,
and a round spot on the shoulder. Some species, again, are
yellow, with a blue band across the middle of the elytra. Amid
all the variety of colouring, the reader will see that yellow is
the hue which most prevails throughout the genus.

The last family of these Beetles is called Cassidiidte. This
name is taken from the Latin word Cassida, which signifies " an
iron cap," and is given to the Beetles because their shape closely
resembles that of the basin-like steel cap which has been in and
out of fashion so often. Don Quixote's celebrated Helmet of
Mambrino really did bear some resemblance to the peculiar head-
covering called Cassida.

We have but one genus of Cassidiidse in England, namely, the
well-known Tortoise Beetles, all belonging to the single genus
Cassida. These derive their popular name from the tortoise-like
appearance of the body, the resemblance between the insect and
the reptile being so close as to be at once apparent. Indeed,
suppose that anyone who was wholly ignorant of entomology
were shown a number of insects and asked to pick out the
Tortoise Beetles, he would do so wiLliout ever having seen a
Cassida before.

None of our species are remarkable for beauty, their colour
being mostly a dull, pale green, which renders them almost in-
visible when they are clinging, according to their custom, to the
surface of some leaf. It is true that one or two species have
golden stripes on their elytra, but this colour fades after death
even more completely than the green, which, when the insect is
perfectly dry, becomes brown or yellow, with scarcely a tinge of
green in it. The exotic Cassidas, however, are often so splendid
and their colours so permanent, that several of the species, par-
ticularly those from South America, are often set in gold and
worn as jewels.

The illustration on the next page gives a figure of a fine
Brazilian Tortoise Beetle, called Mesomphalia illustris. The
thorax is very flat and of a deep satiny green hue. It is
covered with punctures, and on either side there is a rather deep
depression. The elytra are curiously formed. They are rounded

262 INSECTS ABROAD.

and Joine-like in the middle, and very flat round the edges,
so that the general shape is very much like that of the Helteus,
which is figured on page 187. Their colour is deep green,
and they are profusely punctated.

On each elytron there are three rather large spots, exceedingly
variable in shape and size. They always, however, occupy tlie
same positions : one, which is more or less oval in shape, at the
base, a rounded spot on the middle of the flattened edge, and
another near the tip. These spots, contrary to the usual struc-
ture of Beetles, are quite as brilliant on the under as on the
upper surface of the elytra ; and if the elytra be opened and the
insect held up to the light, the spots shine out like the red
danger-lamp of a railway. The body
of the insect is dark blackish green.
In the British Museum there is
a well-preserved specimen of the
larva of this species, which admi-
rably shows the very remarkable
characteristics of the Cassida larva-
It is rather pear-shaped, with a
boldly elevated back, and having
^ ,. .„ , . the whole of the body surrounded

Fig. 128. — Mesomphalia illustris. ''

(Green, with red spots.) by long radiating filaments, just like

the blazing rays with which the
ancients decorated the head of Apollo when represented in his
character of the Sun-god or Helios. The end of the body is
turned upwards, an attitude which is natural to it, and for a very
singular cause.

It is now well known that leaf-feeding larvae live in reality
upon the juices of the leaf, and that the only object in biting
off and swallowing small pieces of the leaf is, that the digestive
organs may extract the juices which the mandibles or jaws could
not procure in sufficient quantity for the subsistence of the
larvse. As for the pieces of leaf themselves, they pass through
the digestive system almost unchanged, and, when ejected, can
be easily unrolled by steeping them in warm water, just like tea-
leaves. If they be then placed beneath a microscope, it is seen
that they have scarcely undergone any perceptible change, and
tliat even the delicate hairs which stud the surface remain in
tlieir places. With most loaf-eating larvre, the ejected portions

LARVA OF THE TOIITOISE BEETLE. 203

fall to the ground, but this is not the case with the larvaj of the
Tortoise Beetles and oue or two other insects. Each portion as
it is ejected is received upon a sort of forked appendage to the
tail, which is turned over the body. It rapidly becomes dry,
and in its turn is pushed forwards by those that successively
follow it. In this way a sort of cover or shield is formed, which
completely covers the body, and so disguises its appearance that
no one who was not acquainted with its appearance would
recognise it. When the cover becomes too heavy and unwieldy,
it is thrown off, and another soon takes it place.

There are many species of Mesomphalia, some of which are
very curious insects. Such, for example, is Mesomiphalia latevit-
tata, in which the elytra look exactly as if they were made of
the thinnest tortoiseshell, the flattened edge being black. Then
there is Mesomphalia /estiva, a lovely and most variable insect.
The whole of the upper surface is covered with a beautiful net-like
pattern, which is mostly green, but in some specimens is blue,
in others copper, in others purple, and in some is composed of a
mixture of these colours. Mesojiijjhalia discoicles is either green
or black, but always has a row of large yellow spots across the
middle of the elytra. And lastly, Mesoinplialia dissccia is pale
yellow, but has the elytra traversed by a few narrow red lines
which divide them into eight portions, very much like the pieces
of a dissected puzzle.

The name Mesoviplialia is Greek, and refers to the rounded
shape of the centre of the elytra. It is formed from two words,
one of which signifies " the middle," and the other " a lioss " or
rounded projection.

The variety of form which is seen among insects is really
endless, and, no matter how deep and practical may be the
experience of an entomologist, he is perpetually discovering
varieties of form where he least expects them, and for which he
cannot even conjecture the use. Such is the case with the
singular genus of Tortoise Beetles, one of which is here shown.

As a rule, the elytra of the Tortoise Beetles are quite smooth,
but in these insects there is a most singular development of
them. Close to the suture, and not very far from the base, each
elytron is furnished with a single spike, which runs upwards
quite perpendicularly. So upright ai'e these spikes, and so closel

264

INSECTS ABROAD.

are they set together, that if the insect be viewed from above,
especially when seen through the glass of a cabinet drawer, they
might easily escape observation in spite of their great develop-
ment. Wlien, however, the insect is viewed edgewise, the horn-
like projections are exceedingly conspicuous, and show out as
may be seen by reference to the illustration.

There are several species of Bato-
nota, all being Brazilian. The present
insect is dark, almost black olive, and
tlie surface is covered with deep
punctures. The shape of the elytra
is rather remarkable, as they run out
on either shoulder into a sharp, elon-
gated point, looking very much like
the blade of an Indian dagger. The
outline of the elytra is very graceful,
forming a succession of bold curves,
and very much resembling that of the well-known insects which
are popularly called Bishops' Mitres, and which are so troublesome
in orchards. The generic name Batonota is Greek, and literally
signifies " thorn-back," so that it is a very appropriate one.

Fig. 129.— Batouota bidens
(Blackish olive.)

There is a very remarkable genus of Tortoise Beetles, called
by the appropriate name of Asjyidomorplia, i.e. " shield-shaped,"
the particular kind of shield to which reference is made being
circular and having a boss on the centre, like the target which
was formerly used by the Highlanders.
They are found in many parts of the
world, as we shall presently see, and
there are many species, the present
example being at once the largest and
most conspicuous in point of colouring.

The sides of the elytra and of the
thorax are flattened and widened, and
are so delicately thin that they look
just as if they were made of very pale
yellow gelatine, such as is used for
the ornamental cases in which hon-
hons are enclosed. So translucent,
indeed, are these flattened portions, that not only the legs

Fig. 130. — Aspidoinorpha Sanctse

(Jrucis.

(Palo transparent yellow, with dark

brown centre.)

THE HISPxV BEETLES. 265

of the Beetle, but even the antennie, which are very slight and
slender, can be easily seen through them. The middle of the
thorax and elytra is raised, somewhat like the same portions of
the preceding insect, and is of a dark brown. Upon the shoulders
of the elytra, and near their tip, are two rounded spots, which
at first sight are of the same dark brown as the centre. If, how-
ever, a strong side light be directed on them, they are seen to be
uf a shining metallic green, almost exactly like common green
foil, and having almost the same little crumples and wrinkles as
the foil.

There are very many species of this genus. The present ex-
ample comes from India. There is another from New Guinea,
and therefore named AspidomorjyJia Novce-guinecnsis, which has
the cross-like marks of a deep black, but not reaching each
other in the middle of the elytra ; and AspidomorjjJia mtitata, of
Sierra Leone, which is the palest and most glass-like of all the
species, has a black Y-shaped mark instead of the usual cross.

As is often the case with insects, some members of this group
are so unlike their companions, that at first sight they appear to
have no connection with each other. The Hispides afford a good
example of this fact. They belong to the great family of the
Cassidiidffi, and yet their bodies, instead of being round and
flattened, are oblong, and the head projecting from the thorax
instead of being buried in it and hidden under it. Nearly all
the Hispides are exotic, and there is not a single species which
is acknowledged by modern entomologists as being truly British.
Some of the species have the head prolonged into a horn, while
others not only have the head horned, but the first joint of the
antenuce armed with a spine.

The typical species of the Hispidae is Alurnvs marginatus, a
native of Brazil. This is one of the largest of the Phytophagus
Beetles, and is indeed a very conspicuous insect, owing to tlie
bold contrasts of its colours.

The ground colour appears at first sight to be dark brown, but
when illumined by a brilliant light, such as a sunl)eam, it mani-
fests itself in its true splendour. It then appears to be dark
green, glossed with purple ; and if examined Avith a tolerably
powerful magnifying glass, the whole surface will be s6en to be
covered with wrinkles and punctures, each puncture seeming to

266

INSECTS ABROAD.

m^^

have its own separate hue of sparkling carmine or ultramarine
blue, so as to produce the beautiful colouring which has been
mentioned. The sides of the thorax are mostly yellow, but
sometimes red, and a band of the same colour runs completely
round each of the elytra, and also across its middle, so as to
form a sort of cross when they are closed. The thighs of all the
legs are of the same hue as the
edging of the elytra, except at
their ends, which are nearly black,
as are the tibiae and tarsi.

This is a most variable insect,
some being scarcely half the size
of others, and the coloured edging
varying both in hue and dimen-
sions. In some specimens the
colour is bright king's yellow, in
others it is vermilion, while in
some the cross bar is wanting.
All, however, possess the coloured edge of the thorax and elytra
and the coloured legs.

A remarkable instance of variation is found in another species
of the same genus, Alurnus thoracicus. This insect is generally
black, Avith a broad vermilion band across the middle of the
elytra. There is, however, a well-selected series in the British
Museum, in which the red band is progressively wider and
wider, until, in one or two insects, it spreads over the whole
of the elytra, leaving only a few little black dots scattered over
the surface as an indication of its normal hue.

mus niarsiuatixs.

CHAPTEK XVIII.

PS E U DO T III iM E R A.

Another large section of Beetles comes next in order. This is
called by the name of Pseudotrimera, or False Three-jointed
Beetles, because the tarsi only appear to have three joints. In
reality, however, they have four joints, but the tliird is very
minute, and is hidden in the doubly lobed end of the second
joint. The whole section is a very miscellaneous one, and
receives a great number of Beetles which appear to have but
slight relationship with each other. The first family, or rather
group, of these insects is called ErotylidiB, of which we have about
five species iu England, belonging to three genera. They have
been also called by the appropriate name of Clavipalpi, or clubbed
palpi, because those organs terminate in a large knob-shaped
joint. The ends of the antenna are also clubbed and flattened.
Our own species are all inhabitants of fungi, and can be obtained
in the autumn by oj)ening the various fungi that are found at
that season of the year. The name Erotijlidcs is Greek, signifying
" little darlings," and has been fancifully given to the insects
because they are not large and many of them are exceedingly
beautiful. The antennae have the flattened club formed of three
joints. The body of these insects is generally oval, and mostly
raised in the middle. The surface is smooth and polished, and
is almost invariably more or less covered with clearly defined
marks, sometimes black, but often red and yellow.

The first illustration on the next page represents a very con-
spicuous example of this group, called Eiiccmstes vcrticalis. The
name Encaustcs is Greek, signifying anything that is scorched or
burned, as a hot iron burns wood, and is given to the insects on
account of their rather peculiar colouring. The present species
affords a good type of the genus. Its colour is yellow, in many

268

INSECTS ABROAD.

specimens inclining to chestnut. The bold markings with which
it is thickly covered are deep black, and the general effect is
exactly that of lines traced on a board with a red-hot iron. The
" poker-drawings " which were so much in vogue some twenty
years ago, produced exactly the same rich tints as those of the
Encaustes.

Fig. 132. — Encaustes verticalis.
(Yellow and black.)

As is often found in boldly-marked insects, the Encaustes is
exceedingly variable, the amount of the black markings being
seldom precisely alike in any two specimens, while some speci-
mens are very small indeed, and might be easily taken for dif-
ferent species. This species belongs to Java.

The remarkable Beetle which is here shown also belongs to

Fig. 133.— Erotylushistrio.

(Yellow, black, and red.)

the Erotylides, and is a good instance of the typical genus
Both in sliape and colour it differs so greatly from the preccdin^i

THE MOUNTEBANK KEETI.E. 269

insect, that few persons who did not know them woukl think
that they belonged to the same group.

When viewed from above, the shape of the Beetle very much
resembles the ace of diamonds, as it is sharp at either end and
very broad in the middle. If viewed from the side, it is seen to
be (piiteflat below and with its back forming a sort of hunch in
the middle, and altogether slug-like in shape. The front of the
flattened thorax is so scooped out as to project in a sort of
crescentic horn on either side, and the hinder angles form a
somewhat similar, though blunter, horn.

As for describing precisely the colours of this insect, such a
feat is all but impossible, inasmuch as the arrangement of tlie
markings is exceedingly variable. Suffice it to say that the
ground hue is yellow, and that upon it are drawn a vast number
of bold and very complicated black marks, scattered in a pro-
miscuous manner over the whole surface. The only point in
which all the specimens agree is, that a broad, jagged band of
these black marks runs completely over the middle of the body,
and there are three similar but shorter and narrower bands, one
above and two below the central band. On each shoulder is a
roundish red spot, and a similar spot is on the tips of the elytra.

The name of histrio, or " mountebank," is given to this
species in consequence of the jagged and in-egular markings
bearing a fanciful resemblance to the many-coloured dress used
by the race of mountebanks, which is nearly extinct in this
country. The head and thorax are simply Ijlack, flat, and
shining.

Many species of Encaustes are known, all differing greatly
from each other, but all possessing the characteristic jagged
lines. ErotyliLs Guereydi, for example, is jetty-black, and is
diversified with one broad yellow band and two red bands.
Erotylus 2'>eregrin2is has four narrow belts thus arranged : yellow,
red, yellow, yellow. Another has one red and five yellow bands.
Another is black, with five yellow bands, each tipped with
scarlet, just at the outer edge of the elytra. Some are all ver-
milion, with a few black bands, and the red has so spread
itself as to oust the black as a ground colour; and, on the other
hand, one species is all black except one or two little yellow and
red spots, the only remains of the coloured bands.

This genus can easily be distinguished by the shape of the

270 INSECTS ABROAD.

maxillary palpi, i.e. those feelers which are attached to the
maxillse, or inner jaws. In all the Erotylidce they are terminated
by a large flattened joint, but in the typical genus this joint is
boldy crescentic in its shape.

That the exotic Erotylides are fungus-eaters like our British
species, is evident from the observations made upon the larva
of Erotylus surinamensis. The -perfect insects are always to be
found about boleti, and within these fungi the larvae are taken.
They are rather large, white, flat-bodied grubs, with short, sharp,
sturdy jaws supported on a black head, which can be withdrawn
into a cavity in the front of the thorax. It is smooth, but on
the first segment of the body there is a soft, fleshy tubercle,
from which issues a pale, scented liquid, the object of which is
quite unknown.

Mr. Westwood, to whom I am indebted for the above account,
gives, in his " Introduction to Entomology," a figure of the larva
of an allied species, which in many respects is very much like
that of our English Erotylidse, save that it is much larger.

The exact position of the family of the Languriidae, and its
relationship to the other families, are matters respecting which

Fig. 134.— Fatua Weidmannii.
(Yellow and black.)

there has been much doubt. As, however, they are placed next
to the ErotylidiB in the British Museum, we will accept that
arrangement.

This species, Fatua Weidmannii, comes from China. The legs
are very long, especially the first pair, wliich have the thighs
much elongated and slightly bent, and tlie tilna; of moderate
dimensions and rather boldly curved. The antennae are also
long, and liave little tufts of stiff hair at each joint.

The colour of the head and thorax is yellowish and partly

LADY-BIEDS. 271

translucent, so as to give them a liorny aspect. They are pro-
fusely covered with punctures. The elytra are " puncto-striate,"
i.e. have parallel rows of punctures drawn along them from
the base to the tip. In the specimen represented above, the
colour is black, but there are several examples in the British
Museum which are brown. In size, as well as in colour, this is
an exceedingly variable insect, some specimens being so small
that they hardly seem to belong to the same species.

The family of the Coccinellidffi is a very familiar one to us
under tlie popular name of Lady-birds. The name of CoccincUa
is a diminutive of a Latinized Greek word, signifying " a round
grain," or "kernel," and is given to these Beetles on account of
the rounded shape of their bodies.

They are very useful creatures, and in this country are beyond
all price, their larvae feeding entirely upon the apliides, which
occasionally do so much damage to the crops, and would do so
much more, but for the Lady-birds.

There is a great similarity between all the Coccinellidie, so
that it is always easy to distinguish them from other Beetles.

In consequence of this similarity I have only selected one
exotic species as an example of them all.
This is Synonycha grandis, an insect which
is found in China and Japan. It is ex-
ceedingly variable in colour, the ground line
being of any shade l)etween yellow and
brown. The marks upon it, which do not
vary, are black. A North Indian species,
Sijnvnycha spilota, is red, with a large black ^^iV \\ ^il-^

cross-shaped mark and one or two black
spots; and Synonycha duoclccwi-piindaia p^,, ,^,_^^^^^^.,.^^^ ^^^^^.^
is yellow, with six large black spots on (ViiioW, with hiack spots.)
each elytron. These marks are so large that
they occupy almost the entire surface, and leave only a narrow
hexagonal network of yellow.

Next come the Endomychides, which may easily be distin-
guished from the Erotylides by the antennaj, which are longer
tlian the head and thorax, and by the shape of the maxillary
palpi, which never possess the hatchet-shaped last joint, but are

272 INSECTS ABROAD.

thread-like throughout. Like the preceding family, they are
found on fungi of various kinds. Some of them live under the
bark of trees, but even in this case they have the same habits,
eating the living fungi which grow in such situations. jSTot
only do they resemble the Erotylidse in their habits, but in their
appearance, so that but for the distinctive character of the
maxillary palpi, it is not always easy to pronounce Mdiether an
insect belongs to one family or the other.

The name Endomychidm is Greek, signifying " one who in-
habits the innermost parts of a dwelling," and is given to the
insects on account of their habit of lurking in the interior of
fungi and under bark.

We have but four British examples of the Endomychides, the
best known of wliicli is Lycoperdina hovistce, an insect which, as
its name implies, is found in the interior of the common puff-ball.
The difficulty of placing these Beetles in their proper situation
may be inferred from the fact that several of them have been
placed by some entomologists among the Burying Beetles.

The curious genus, an example of which is here given, has a
tolerably wide geographical range. The present species, Eumor-
,1^, 2^^^'^^^ marginalis, is a native of Penang,
and others are found in the East Indies
and part of America. In all these insects
the club of the antennae is flat and three-
jointed, and there is a bold notch in
the front of the tibia of the fore-legs-
The body is rounded, and the elytra are
much expanded, and flattened at the
sides so as to form a sort of rim. The
F>o 136-Eiuuoi-phusnutrginaiis. gpgcies which is now bcforc us affoi-ds

(Purple, with yellow spots.) ^

an excellent example of this remarkable
form, whicli we iiow see repeated for tlie third time, namely, in
Mormolyce, described on page 39 ; Hehijus, described on page
]87; and in the present genus. We shall again see a similar
structure when we come to the Orthoptera.

The thorax of this insect is much raised in the middle, where
it rises to a blunt angle. It is curiously shaped, liaving a very
deep scoop in front, through which the head is seen. It is
rounded in front, but each of the hinder angles as lengthened
into a slender spine, which projects backwards well over tlie

A SP1K1>AI!MED BEETLE.

273

shoulders of the elytra. The colour of tlie thorax is black, ami
that of tlie elytra is a lovely rich purple, with a silky or satiny
lustre. They are thickly covered with punctures, and on exa-
mination with the microscope the purple is seen to be produced
liy means of the punctures, which are nearly equally crimson
and blue, so that the blending of the two hues in the eye has
exactly the same effect as if the colours had been mixed and
laid on the insect with a brush. The silky gloss is given by the
punctures, which are small and si't very closely together. On
each of the elyti-a are two large round yellow spots, one near tlie
shoulder and the other near the tip.

There are several species of this genus, among which may be
noticed Eumorphus dilatatus, which is yellow, with the raised
portion of the elytra dark brown ; and Eutnorphus bipundatus,
which has, as its name implies, two large black spots on a yellow
ground. This is the largest of all the genus, and is a really
handsome insect.

The larva of one s])ecie3 of Endomychus w^as found by the
late Eev. F. W. Hope feeding on fungi under the bark of the
willow-tree, and by him given to Mr. Westwood. It exactly
looks, but for its colour, like that of the Silpha. Tlie head is
rather small, forming a curious contrast to the three segments
corresponding with the thorax of the future Beetle, and which
in this larva are of enormous comparative size. The remaining
segments, which correspond to the abdomen, are rather flattened,
and each of them is turned up at the side and produced into a
sort of hook.

It seems strange that in-
sects differing so much in ap-
pearance as the last-mentioned
Beetle, and that which is here
shown, could belong to the
same group, and yet tliis is the
case.

We have seen examples of
several spiky insects, but this
is by far the spikiest of them

all. Indeed, M'hen it sits with its legs drawn up to the body,
it is scarcely possible to distinguish, without some little trouble.

- Aiuijliistenms Satanas.
(Deep violet.)

274 INSECTS ABROAD.

b3tween spikes, legs, and antenna3. Its colour appears to be
jetty, shining black, but, when a strong light is directed upon
it, is seen to be the deepest purple, something like that of a
watch-spring, and having a similar surface.

Each front angle of the thorax is "armed with a long, sleiuhn'
spike, straight and sharp as a needle. A similar spike
projects from each shoulder of the elytra, a large double, forlced
spike occupies the disc, and another projects from the t^>, so that
altogether there are ten long spikes, besides two short, sturdy
points at the upper angles of the elytra. Tlie whole surface,
both of thorax and elytra, is very deeply granulated. Altogether
the insect reminds the readers of Bon Gualtier of " Slingsby of
the manly chest," the celebrated slayer of the snapping turtle,
with his suit of spike-armed mail.

The antennfB are long, and so are the legs, which are rather
curiously formed, the thighs being quite slender at their attach-
ment to the body, and then swelling out rapidly into a rounded
knob at the tip. The tibise are long, slender, and slightly curved,
and the whole of the limb is the same shining violet as the body.
Altogether there is a very uncanny look about the insect, which
almost justifies the very expressive specific name which has been
given to it. This species comes from Borneo.

There are many species of this genus, and a more extraordi-
nary set of insects it is not easy to imagine. Being small, they
only look grotesque ; but if they were about ten times their
size, they would appear to be among the most formidable of
the Beetle tribe. They are, however, despite their appearance,
perfectly harmless, and can only damage the fungi on wliich
they feed.

Of the other species we will mention two. One is Amphi-
stcrmis hainahis, which is deep violet, with six red spots, three
on each of the elytra. Another species, AmpMsiernus tnher-
culahis, is brown, with four yellow spots. It has no spikes,
these being modified into tubercles.

EAEWIGS.

T 2

EARWIGS.

CHAPTER I.

DERM.IPTERA, OR EUPLEXOPTERA.

The position, and even the very name of the insects which now
come before us, are by no means settled. We all know what to
call a beetle, a bee, a butterfly, or a gnat ; but there is no such
certainty about an Earwig — some naturalists considering them
as forming an order of their own, some as coming at the end
of the Beetles, and others as belonging to the Orthopterous
insects, and being a link between them and the Beetles.

Van der Hoeven, in his " Handbook of Zoology," makes the
following remarks in favour of this arrangement : — "At all events,
these insects have greater agreement with the Orthoptera than
with the Coleoptera ; tliey differ from the last by their incom-
plete metamorphosis and by many particulars of internal struc-
ture. The great size of the under wings in comparison with the
elytra is very common in the Orthoptera (to refer to Phasma
alone), and the reflexion of the point of the wing also is not
wanting in some other Orthoptera."

Then there is a difficulty about their scientific name. By
some they are called Dermaptera, i.e. " skin- winged," because
their elytra are soft and leathery, instead of being hard and
stiff, like those of most beetles. By others they are termed
Euplexoptera, or " beautifully folded wings," in allusion to the
wonderful manner in which their large, gauzy wings are folded
beneath the tiny elytra. As if to add to the perplexity, some
entomologists have given the name of Dermaptera to the grass-
hoppers, cockroaches, crickets, and other insects which are better
known by the title of Orthoptera. I cannot bring myself to

278 INSECTS ABROAD

acknowledge that this last-mentioned arrangement can be correct ;
and so I shall retain the word Orthoptera as representing the
grasshoppers and their kin, and give my readers the choice of
Dermaptera or Euplexoptera to represent the Earwigs.

There is even a diiSculty about the popular names of these
very plentiful insects. It has been suggested, and with much
probability, that the English name " Earwig " ought rightly to
\)e " 'Eoxiving" because the wings are shaped very much like the
human ear. Be this as it may, there is a belief, not only in
Encland but in other countries, that the insect creeps into the
ears of sleeping people, and so eats its way into the brain.
Anyone who has the slightest acquaintance with the structure
of the ear of course detects the utter absurdity of such a notion,
but the power of ignorance is so great that this belief prevails
in spite of all entomological and anatomical remonstrances.

How deeply rooted is the idea in this country everyone knows,
and how the insect is equally feared and hated. In Germany
the same notion prevails, as is evident from the popular name
Ohr-toiirm, or Ear- worm ; and it is expressed as strongly as
possible in the French Perce-oreille, or Ear-piercer. Such are
a few of the discrepancies connected with these insects, and
which we need not trouble ourselves to reconcile. We will
content ourselves with the usual English name of Earwig, and
will follow, as in " Insects at Home," the arrangement which
forms them into a separate order under the name of Dermaptera.

It might reasonably be expected that the exotic Earwigs
would infinitely surpass our own insects in size, in number of
species, in shape, and in extraordinary habits. Such, however,
is not the case, and, like the Water Beetles, which have already
been described, the foreign Earwigs are almost exactly similar
to our own in size, form, and colour. As to their habits,
scarcely anything seems to be known about them, so that we
are left to conjecture that as they resemble our own species in
form and colour, so they do in their manners and customs.
So we may safely conclude that, like the English Earwigs, those
of other countries are omnivorous, feeding on the petals of
flowers when they can get nothing better, and choosing for their
special food the larvte and pupae of solitary bees.

In the collection of the British Museum are many species,
among which there are only three which appear to be worthy of

TWO STKAKGE EAKWKiS. 279

notice. The first of these is new to science, and I have given
it the name of Forfiada Petrojjolis, in honour of the spot
where it was taken. This is really a .curious insect. In coh)ur
it resembles our ordinary Earwig, except that the antennoe have
a white portion near the end, and the tibiee are light yellow.
The wings are large, and pro-
ject considerably from beneath
the elytra, unlike those of our
British species— in which the
only projecting point is the
end of the 2:)rincipal hinge by
means of which the wing is
folded.

The forceps, by means of
Avhich the wiugs are packed nnder the elytra (and, as some
naturalists say, unpacked), are strangely constructed. They are
very powerful in comparison with the size of the insect, and,
instead of being rounded on the outside edges, are boldly
elbowed. They have also a bold tooth near the base, and the
tip is widened, flattened, and scooped so as to form a pair of
teeth on each side.

The strangest part of the structure, however, lies in the abdo-
men. This is very M'ide, much flattened, and the third and two
following segments project on either side, so as to form three
distinct teeth, slightly curved, and sharp at their tips, like those
of a circular saw. This very curious insect was captured in
1857 by j\Ir. II. Clark, at Petropolis, in South America.

TnK remarkable insect whieli is shown in the illustration
on page 280 is, like the preceding species, a native of South
America. It was captured by Mr. Janson, at Choritales, a place
in Nicaragua. In some respects this insect reminds the English
entomologist of our Giant Earwig {Forjicesila gigantea), which
was formerly one of our rarest insects, only one specimen having
been known for many years. Unlike that insect, it is paler in
colour than the generality of Earwigs. This species is nearly
black; but in both insects the forceps of the male are of very
great proportionate length. As in the Giant Earwig the forceps
of the female are comparatively small, wo may suppose that the
same is tlie case with the present species.

280

IXsr.CTS ABROAD.

The forceps are quite a.'^ long as the body of the insect, and
have but a very slight curve until nearly the tip, where they
suddenly curve inwards so as to cross each other when closed.
About a quarter of an inch from the base a strong tooth is
developed on the inner surface, and between the teeth and the
base is a row of very tiny teeth, too small to be detected without
the use of the magnifying glass. In fact, supposing the whole
of the forceps to be removed from the tip to the large tooth,
there would stiil remain an instrument capable of pinching
severely and retaining its hold firmly.

The hinges of the wiiigs project rather boldly beyond the
elytra ; and as they are pale brown, they are easily seen against
the shining black of the abdomen and elytra. The upper part of
the elytra is covered with bold punctures, and there is a belt of
similar punctures across the middle of the body.

Our I'ast example of the Earwigs is the very fine insect called
Forficesila Americana. There are several specimens in the
British Museum, and one of them has fortunately been set with
its wings expanded. There is no ajjparent difference in the
structure of the wing when compared with that of our own
species, but its great size renders the mode of folding easier of
examination than is the case with the smaller species that
inhabit England. The peculiar fan-like folds are well seen,
together with the slight transverse hinge on which the wings
when furled are doubled up so as to lie under the elytra.

Very slender are Ihese hinges, looking to the casual observer
merely like a fine continuous nervure running nearly i)aral]e]
with the edges of the wing ; and it is not until a tolerably
powerlul glass is brought to bear on them that their real clia-

WING OF THE EAKWIG.

281

racter is seen. Needs l)e that they must be so delicate, for the
wings to which they are applied are themselves of almost in-
credible delicacy. They are too delicate even to be called gauzy ;
and while they have all the lovely prismatic colouring of the
soap-bubble, look scarcely less fragile. By far the strongest
part of the wing is the principal hinge, as from it diverge all the
lesser hinges on which the wings are folded.

In the illustration this part of the wing may be seen just
beyond the ends of the elytra, and when the wings are closed
the hinge still projects, and, as has beon already stated, is very

140.— Forticesila Americana.
(Dark bruwii.)

conspicuous. When examined with a lens, the shape of the
principal hinge is seen to bear some resemblance to that of a
cocked hat turned upside down, the hollow occupying the centre,
and apparently forming a cavity in which the ends of tlie
supplementary hinges can meet. This fine insect belongs to
South America, and the specimens in the British Museum were
brouirht from Jamaica.

In the British Museum there are many unnamed species of
foreign Earwigs. One, which comes from Eio de Janeiro, is
long, light brown, and slender, with such long legs that it looks
very much like a "Daddy-long-legs" without its wings. Another,
a small species which was brought from Tejuca, is entirely
black, with the exception of a yellow patch in the middle.
Another Tejucan Earwig, much larger than the preceding species,
is dark chestnut-brown, with the exception of the wing-hinges.

282 INSECTS ABROAD.

which are bright yellow, and project well beyond the ends of the
elytra. In a moderately-sized Earwig from Petropolis, the whole
of the thorax and elytra are yellow, and have a black stripe
running down the centre. This is by far the most showy of all
the Earwigs in point of colour, though in size it is inferior to
several of those which have been already described.

As to the uses of the Earwigs, this is a problem which has
never been solved. We know perfectly the harm which they
do in civilized lands, but cannot see how that is counterbalanced
by any good which they do either in this or other countries.
They eat the petals of our best flowers, they have a w^onderful
knack of forcing their way into the ripest peaches, plums, and
apricots, and lying hidden between the stone and the fruit.
They certainly do destroy the larvee of solitary bees, and have
been observed to eat several insects, their own species included ;
but as the solitary bees do no harm, the Earwigs do no particular
oQod bv destrovins them.

ORTHOPTERA.

ORTHOPTERA.

CHAPTER I.

BLATTID.-E.

TiiEEE are two orders of insects which have several character-
istics in common, and which, in many instances, bear so close an
external resemblance to each other, that a beginner in ento-
mology is nearly certain to confuse them together. These are
tlie Orthoptera and the Heteroptera, the Grasshoppers being
familiar examples of the former, and the Water Boatmen of
the latter. The word Orthoptera, which stands at the head of
this chapter, signifies "straight wings," and is given to the
insects because the wings are, when closed, laid straight along
the body, and, though they must be folded longitudinally to
enable them to be packed under the elytra, are not folded trans-
versely as is the case with the Earwigs and Beetles. The elytra,
if we may retain the name, are of a parchment-like consistence,
and, when closed, cross each other at the tips.

Now, if the structure of the wings were the only mark of
distinction, there would be some difficulty in separating the
Orthoptera from the Heteroptera. But the structure of the
mouth is so radically different in these two orders, that the
merest glance is sufficient to prevent any confusion between
them. In the latter of these orders the mouth is formed for
suction, and the insect is furnished with a sharp proboscis,
Avhereas in the former the mouth is formed for eating, and is
furnished with powerful jaws.

It is evident from the name which is given to these insects,
that most of them are winged, though there are some species
which possess scarcely the least rudiments of wings. In those

28() INSECTS ABROAD.

cases where the wiugs are fully developed, they are ahvays
very beautiful in form, and often so in colour, having always a
more or less shining iridescence, and in some cases being as
brilliantly coloured as those of any butterfly.

As to the arrangement of the Orthoptera, Mr. Westwood
divides them into four sections. The first is the Cursoria, or
Runners, so called because their legs are formed for running,
and the insects are consequently swift of foot. The too-familiar
Cockroach is an example of this section. Next come the
Eaptoria, or Snatchers, the fore-legs of which are formed for
seizing and holding. The Mantis, or Praying Insect, is an
example of this order. These are followed by the Ambulatoria,
or Walkers, such as the Walking-stick Insects or Phasmas ; aind
last come the Saltatoria, or Jumpers, such as the Grasshopper,
whose hind legs are greatly developed and used for leaping.

We will begin with the first section, namely, the Cursoria,
which consists of a single family, the Blattidse, or Cockroaches.
Our indigenous Cockroaches are few in number, small, and live
in the open air, the singularly unpleasant insect which frequents
our dwelling-houses being a comparatively recent imjDortation.
In various parts of the world, especially those where the climate
is sultry, the Cockroaches are very mimerous and often very
large. One of these species is well known to sailors for its
predilection for ship-life. A ship thus infested is infinitely more
disagreeable than a house can be ; for, in the first place, the
insect is much larger than the Blatta orientalis of our houses,
and, in the next place, it pervades the whole vessel, especially
at night, and causes woful discomfort to the inmates.

Even so experienced a sailor as the late Michael Scott, author
of "Tom Cringle's Log," could not bring himself to endure the
Cockroach, and writes as follows : — " For the information of
those who have never seen this delicious insect, I take leave to
mention here, that when full-grown it is a large, dingy-brown
beetle, about two inches long, with six legs, and two feelers as
long as its body. It has a strong anti-hysterical flavour, some-
thing between rotten cheese and assafcetida, and seldom stirs
abroad when the sun is up, but lies concealed in the most
obscure and obscene crevices it can creep into ; so that when it
is seen, its wings and body are thickly covered with dust and

THE EGYPTIAN COCKKUACll.

287

dirt of various shades, of which any culprit who chances to fall
asleep with his moutli open is sure to reaj) the benefit, as it
has a great propensity to walk into it, partly for the sake of
the crumbs adhering to the masticators, and also apparently
with a scientific desire to inspect by actual measurement, with
the aforesaid antennre, the state and condition of the whole
potato-trap."

It is greatly to the nocturnal and light-hating habits of the
insect that its safety and increase are owing. When the Cock-
roaches are out of their retreat, most insect-destroyers are asleep,
except perhaps the hedgehog, which works great havoc among
them, and, if servants can only be induced to appreciate and
protect it, becomes a most desirable inmate of a house.

Fig. 141.— Polyphaya ./Ejjjptiac;:
(Dark brown.)

In Egypt, the Cockroach attains rather formidable dimensions,
as may be seen by reference to the accoiripanying illustration,
which represents both sexes of their full size, the female being,
as is usuaUy the case among insects, much larger than the male,
and being totally destitute of wings. These creatures infest the
Nile boats to such an extent that, before a traveller engages a
vessel for a trip up the river, he always, if he be an experienced
hand, sees that the boat is sunk for several days, so as to drown
out the Cockroaches and other insect plagues. Orientals are
strangely indifferent to such things, and will rest in perfect con-
tentment where an Englishman would 1)0 half distracted with
pain and annoyance.

The Egyptiait Cockroach {Polyphaga jEgyptiaca) very much
resembles our own domesticated species, except that it is much

288 INSECTS ABROAD.

larger. As with ours, the female has no wings, though the
male is provided with those organs, and is much smaller than its
mate. This species has a very wide range, and there are speci-
mens in the British Museum taken from Turkey, Malta, Greece,
Bagdad, Egypt, Algeria, and Asia Minor. The generic name
Polyphaga is formed from two Greek words, signifying "a
general eater."

The rather formidable insect which is shown in the accom-
panying illustration is a native of Australia. There is more
colour about it than is generally the case with Cockroaches, dark
reddish brown being their usual hue.

The whole surface is finely granulated, and, though at first

Kio. 1 1'J. — Polyzosteria cuprea.
(Copper-brown, with yellow marks.)

sight it appears to be simply brown, a decided coppery wash is
seen when it is viewed by a side light. On the front of the
thorax is seen a white stripe, and on either side are two similar
marks. In the insect itself these marks are bright yellow ; and
if the creature be elongated, so as to separate the segments, it
will be seen to have the front edge of each segment marked
with the same colour, though hidden by the segment immedi-
ately in front of it. The legs, too, are similarly coloured, being
banded alternately with yellow and dark brown. The name
Polyzosteria, which is a Greek word signifying " many-banded,"
refers to these alternate belts of different colours.

Plain as are the generality of Cockroaches in respect of hue,

COLOURED COCKKOACIIES. 289

there i« one genus, rather widely spread, which has a tolerable
amount of colour about it. Paratropes clegans, of South America,
is black, striped witli yellow ; while Faratropes onentalis is black,
with a yellow edge round the entire body. Faratropes pica, a
Brazilian species, has a broad black stripe down the centre of
the body, a large yellow spot on either side near the middle, and
a similar pair of spots near the thorax. All, however, are not
equally gifted with colour, Faratropes mclanaria looking much
like our own species, except that it is much blacker, and Para-
tropes decipiens, a native of Brazil, being dark, very small, and
more like a beetle than a cockroach, a peculiarity from which
it has derived its specific nameof decipiens, or " deceptive."

CHAPTER IT.

2IJNTID,E.

The very remarkable insects which now come before us form the
whole of the gronp called Eaptoria, or Snatchers. This name is
a very appropriate one, as the insects are carnivorous in their
habits, and feed almost wholly upon other insects, which they
catch by means of the singular structure of their fore-legs. These
limbs are very long, and when stretched out at full length project
greatly in front.

If the reader will refer to Plate V. he will understand the
structure of the fore-legs better than by a mere description. At
first sight these legs seem to have an additional joint. This,
however, is not the case, the coxa, which is in most insects A^ery
short and comparatively insignificant, being so greatly developed
as nearly to equal the thigh in size, and so to give to the limb
its required length. The thigh is very strong, flattish, slightly
curved on the under side, and boldly grooved, the groove having
a row of teeth or spikes on either side. Into this groove the
tibia can be shut just as the blade of a clasp-knife is shut into
its handle, and, as the tibia is flat and armed with spikes like
those of the thigh, it is evident that an insect which is seized in
so formidable a trap has but little chance of escape.

Being slow of foot, the Mantis is not able to capture its prey
by speed, but does so by craft. Holding the two front legs
raised above its head in the attitude i-epi'esented in Plate V.
Fig. 1, it steals slowly and gently towards its prey until it is
within reach of its stroke, when a sharp and rapid movement of
the raptorial legs encloses the hapless insect in their grasp,
where it is held until eaten. As in most cases, the colour

THE PRAYING MANTIS. 291

of the body harmonizing with that of the surroiinding objects,
the intended prey is the less cognizant of its approach.

Like many other predacious creatures, the Mantis ^^'ill remain
motionless for hours, its fore-legs raised over its head, ready to
strike at any insect that may come within reach. Tliis attitude
has been strangely misconstrued, not only in Europe but in
other parts of the world. The attitude, really one of menace, is
mistaken for that of prayer, and accordingly one species which
inhabits Southern Europe is called the Praying Mantis {Mantis
religiosa). This insect is called Pric-Dieu by the French
peasants, and Louva Bios by the Portuguese ; while, according
to Sparrmann, the Hottentots worship the Mantis as a deity,
and hold anyone to be a saint on whom one of these insects
may alight.

Mouffet, in his " Theatre of Insects," evidently inclines to the
belief tliat the jNIantis does possess some supernatural power.
''They are called Mantes, 'foretellers,' either because by their
coming (for they first of all appear) they do shew the Spring to
be at hand, so Anacreon the poet sang ; or else they foretell
death and famine, as Coelius the scholiast of Theocritus has
observed. Or, lastly, because it alwaies holds up its fore feet
like hands, piaying as it were after the manner of their Di-
viners, wlio in that gesture did pour out their supplications to
their gods.

" So divine a creature is this esteemed, that if a childe aske
the way to such a place, she will stretch out one of her feet and
shew him the right way, and seldom or never misse. Her tail
is two-forked, armed With two bristly prickles ; and as she
resembleth those Diviners in the elevation of her hands, so
also in likeness of motion ; for they do not sport themselves
as others do, nor leap^ nor play, but walking softly, she retains
her modesty, and shewes forth a kind of mature gravity."

Tlie insect seems to have taken a singulat hold of the sui:)er-
stitious mind, for there is a well-kno^^-n monkish legend that St.
Francis Xavier, seeing a Mantis moving slowly forward, with its
fore-legs raised, assumed it to be engaged in prayer, and ordered
it to sing aloud, whereupon the insect immediately chanted a
canticle.

Slow as is the gait of the JMantis, tlie stroke of the raptorial
legs is quick and sliarp, and given with such force that when
u 2

292 INSECTS ABROAD.

two (^f them tiglit, as they are tolerably sure to do if they meet,
a successful blow with the flat edge of the leg will cut the
unlucky insect in two. In fact, the movements of two of these
insects when lighting have been compared with those of men
armed with sabres. On Plate V. two specimens of Mantis tincti-
pennis are shown as they appear when engaged in combat. The
lower insect has struck its blow and missed, while its antagonist
is raising its legs to make its stroke in return.

This species is a native of Ceram, and is a very good typical
example of the Mautidte. The lengthened thorax, which is cha-
racteristic of the famil}-, is plainly shown, undisguised by the
flattened appendages to the sides which are seen in many spe-
cies, notably in that which is represented in the lowest figure
of Plate V. This lengthened thorax, which resembles a long
neck, has gained for the Mantis in some countries the popular
name of Camel Cricket.

The raptorial legs are boldly toothed, and if they be closed it
will be seen that not only does the tibia sink deeply into the
groove of the thigh, but that the sharp teeth with which the lower
edges of both these joints are armed, interlock with each other,
so as to make the escape of any prey almost a matter of impossi-
bility. As is often the case among insects, the female is larger
than the male and has more powerful fore-legs. Being also more
quarrelsome, if she be sought by a male, she is much more likely
to quarrel with him than to agree with him ; and in the former
case she is certain to kill him first and eat him afterwards.

The colour of this insect when living is a lovely leaf-green.
Unfortunately, the colour is very fugitive, and, in spite of all
trouble that may be taken, fades soon after death. It is remark-
able that with these insects, which are green so as to resemble
the leaves of the tree which they frequent, the colour changes
with the season of the year, changing from green to yellow or
brown towards the fall of the leaf The same phenomenon
occurs with the Leaf Insect, which will be presently described.

At Fig. 2 on Plate V. is seen a rounded object fastened to a
twig. This is an egg-cluster of the Mantis, these insects laying
them much after the manner that is so familiar to us in the
domestic cockroach, except that the outer envelope which protects
them is not of so hard and tough a material, and is applied
after the eggs are deposited. Indeed, considering the size and

E(?(>S OF THC MANTIS. 29 3

number of the egcrs, it would be absolutely impossible for tlie
insect to deposit them within a single envelope as the cock-
roach does.

These egg-clusters are really remarkable objects, and worthy
of a close examination. I have never been fortunate to obtain
one in a recent state, but I have made vertical and transverse
sections of a dried cluster. Though made of very thin and
slight material, the investing membranes are so tough that much
force must be used, and they are so delicate that, unless the
knife be very thin and sharp, they are broken down and tlieir
shape lost. My sections were made with an amputating knife,
and by means of a swift drawing-cut, the sections answered
admirably, one longitudinally down the centre, another along
the side, and a transyerse section across the middle. These cuts
show that there are foxiv rows of egg-sacs ; and if each sac repre-
sents a single egg, the group will have consisted of about one
hundred and sixty eggs. When the larvre emerge they are black,
long-legged little beings, looking much more like spiders than
insects.

The last-mentioned insect is an inhabitant of trees, and there-
fore the colour is green, so as to harmonize with that of the
leaves among which it lives, and to enable it to steal unobserved
on its prey. The species which is now before us inhabits sandy
spots, and is of a dark yellowish-brown, so exactly resembling
the colour of sandy ground, that the insect cannot be detected
without some difficulty, in spite of its rather large size. It is a
native of Egypt, and some specimens in the British Museum
were brought thence by Sir J. G. Wilkinson. The generic name
Uremiaphila is formed from two Greek words signifying "dpsert-
lover," and is given to the insects in allusion to their habits.

It is an odd -looking creature, the fore-legs being thick and
sturdy, while the two remaining pairs are long and very slender.
They are of a paler colour than the rest of the body. Both the
elytra and wings are thick, short, and rounded, from which the
insect derives its specific name of rotundipeiinis, or " round-
winged." Even the wings themselves, which in this group of
insects are generally translucent, are in this species dark and
opaque like the elytra. If, however, the elytra are opened and
the insect examined from beneatli, a brightly-coloured metallic

294

INSECTS ABROAD.

spot will be found on the under surface, the only example of
bright colour in the entire insect.

The groove on the under side of the fore-legs is exceedingly
bold and deep, and the teeth with which each edge of the
groove is fringed are very numerous, though not so spike-like as
is the case with many species. The movements of the Eremia-
phila are very slow.

Dull-coloured as are the Eremiaphilas, there are some insects
belonging to an allied genus which are of metallic brilliancy,

Fic US — rieimapln

and which have given to the genus the name of Metalleuf/iea
or Mctallyticiis. One of these insects, Metalleatica splendida,
which was brought from Borneo by Mr. Wallace, is a really
splendid creature. The body is burnished blue or green, accord-
ing to the light in which it is viewed, the elytra are glossy green
washed with gold, and the translucent wings are very pale and
delicate brown. The legs are also green, and the raptorial legs
are remarkable for the width of the thighs and the great strength
of the teeth or spikes with which the thigh and tibia are armed.

TH-E I'URPLE THESPIR.

295

The remarkable insect which is represented in the illustration
below is called Thespis purpurascens, the latter name being
given to it on accou-nt of the splendid purple hue with which
a portion of the wings is coloured. The specimen in the
British Museum is, I believe, unique. It was brought from Ega,
in South America, by Mr. Bates.

When the wings are closed, the creature looks much like one
of the ordinary " walking-stick " insects, some of which will
be presently described ; both the elytra and wings lying quite
closely to the body, and the latter being only slightly darker
than the general hue. The head is set cross-wise, like that of

the Hammer-headed Shark, or, to use a more familiar example,
like the head of our common Demoiselle Dragon-flies.

When the wings are opened and spread, a wonderful store of
splendid colouring is displayed. The basal portion of each wing
is very pale brown, and is covered with multitudinous tiny pen-
cillings of snowy white. The rest of the wing is bright yellow,
on which are two large marks of deep shining purple, rather
tending to red on the upper surface and to blue on the lower,
which is more brilliant than the upper. All the legs, even the
raptorial pair, are very long and slender.

There are several species of Thespis, but this is by far the
most beautiful, though not the largest. One species, Thespis
ingens, is of very great size, but has very small and absolutely
useless wings ; while Thespis Bcvfica, although not brilliantly

296

INSECTS ABROAD.

coloured, has very large wings which can be used for flight.
One of these insects, Thespis Xiphias, is remarkable for having
its body nearly flat, and armed down each side with a row of
small teeth. The naturalist who named it thought that its body
bore some resemblance to the beak of the sword-fish, and accord-
ingly gave it the iiarae of Xiphias.

Another lovely-winged Mantis is the Harpax occllaria, of
Southern Africa.

In this creature we see the germs of the curious flattening
which distinguishes the well-known Leaf Insects. The head is
flattened in the middle, and the large eyes protrude on either
side like those of a lobster. Each side of the thorax is much
flattened, and there is a flattened projection on the inner side of

Fig. 14o. — Harpax ncellaria.
(Green ; elytra with a yellow, black, auJ green spot.)

the two hinder pairs of legs. The body is also flattened, and
three of the segments project at the sides so as to form teeth,
almost exactly like those of the earwig figured on page 279.

In this insect both the wings and elytra are nearly of equal
beauty. If the reader will refer to the illustration, he will see
that the basal half of each wing is rather darker than the rest.
This portion of the wing is opaque yellow, much like the " king's
yellow " of painters, the rest of the wing being beautifully trans-
lucent and of a crystalline clearness. The colour of the elytra is
rather more complicated. First comes a patch of green next the
base, and then, as fiir as the edge of the eye-like mark, the colour

THE DEROPLATYS. 297

is opaque yellow, like Ibal, of tlie wing. The " eye " itself is
composed of a black central spot, round which is a ring of
yellow, then an interrupted circle of black, and then an outer
ring of green. The end of the elytron is translucent.

When the insect sits with its wings closed, these eyes have a
very curious effect. The rigiit elytron passes almost but not
entirely over the left, so that the eye of the right elytron comes
exactly in the middle of the back, the edge of the corresponding
eye of the left elytron just showing beneath it. There is mucli
variation in the eyes, in size, colour, and arrangement.

Tiie generic name Tlarpax is Greek, and signifies " a robber,"
in allusion to the predacious character of the insect ; while the
specific name ocdlaria, or " eyed," refers to the eye-like marks of
the elytra. There are several other species of Harpax, one of the
prettiest of which is Harpax tricolor. In this insect the elytra
are green, and the translucent wings are green at the edge, and
are crossed by a middy chestnut stripe followed by a pink band.

On Plate V. Fig. 3 is a most singular insect, called Lcroplatys
dcsiccata. The former of these two words is Greek, and signifies
" broad-backed ; " while the latter signifies something that is
dried up, in allusion to the general appearance of the insect,
which looks very much like a ragged dry leaf.

The eyes of this insect are black and very prominent, and
have rather a fierce appearance. The fore-legs, too, are decidedly
formidable, not only being large and powerful, but armed with
long, sharp, black teeth. The middle and hind pair of legs are
very slight in proportion to the rest of the insect, and at the end
of the thighs have a flattened, axe-shaped projection.

The thorax has a most singular aspect. In the middle it
rises to a rather sharp ridge, and is then suddenly flattened and
rounded, on either side. Towards the base, it is cut into a
very deep and bold tooth, something like the barb of a spear,
and then is finely notched like the edge of a rose-leaf. Several
of the segments of the abdomen are flattened and drawn out
on either side into tooth-like projections.

Both the elytra and wings are ample, and, as is often tlie case
with these insects, are more beautiful on the lower than on the
upper surface. The wings have in their centre a very large
patch of dark, shining brown, next to which comes a border of

298

INSECTS ABROAD.

grey, the rest of the wing being pale brown with a yellowish
tinge. On the upper surface the elytra are brown, just like a
withered leaf, which they also resemble in the character of the
nervures. Below, however, the elytron is boldly and beautifully
marked. Its general colour is yellow-brown, but towards the
tip it is adorned with a large eye-like spot, the centre of
which is black, surrounded by a broad ring of grey, and com-
pleted by a semicircular patch of dark brown on the side next
the base.

The extraordinary being called Phyllonrrnia paradoxa is a
native of Natal.

Even in the illustration it scarcely looks like an insect, but
without the aid of colour it is absolutely impossible to give even
an approximate idea of its utterly un-insectlike aspect. Take
a dry oak-leaf, rub it between the hands, pinch out little bits
from the sides, and there will be a very tolerable representation
«:)1' Fhylloiiemia paradoxa.

Its colour is just the withered brown of a dry leaf, finely
granulated with black, as is a leaf that
has for some time been lying on the
ground. The end of the head is
squared, elongated, and flat; the
sides of the thorax are flat, the legs
are furnished with sundry flattened
projections ; while the abdomen is not
only flat, but is bent upwards just as
dry leaf is curled by the heat of the
sun. There is nothing straight or
regular about it, and it is so crum-
pled, jagged, and twisted, that if it
were placed among a number of dried
leaves, even the most experienced eye
could hardly distinguish the leaf from the insect.

The generic name of Phyllonemia is a very happy one. It
is composed of two Greek words, the former signifying " a
leaf," and the latter " a fibre or filament," in allusion to the
appearance of its body and limbs, which exactly resemble,
a leaf torn into jagged strips. The word paradoxa needs no
explanation.

.&-fc^>:

Fig. 140. — Phyllonemia paradoxa.
(Brown.)

THE EMPUSA.

299

There seems to be absolutely no limit to the extraordinary
forms which are seen in these insects, each new shape appearing
more strange and grotesque than its predecessors. Here is an
example, viz., the Empusa gongyloides of Ceylon ; an insect whose
name and appearance are
equally grotesque and per-
fectly suitable to each other.

Every peculiarity of the
Mantidae seems to be exagge-
rated in this species. The
elongated thorax is drawn
out to a wonderful length, so
that the fore-legs are at a
great distance from the middle
pair, and, when the creature
is among the branches, look
almost as if they belonged to
two different insects. The
sides of the upper portion of
the thorax are flattened and
pointed ; tlie raptorial fore-
legs look, with their sharj)
edges and deep grooves, just
like a pair of dry beech-nuts
armed with sharp thorns ; the
other legs have circular, flat
projections like patches of
dry leaf stuck on the ends of
the thighs ; the elytra look
just like two withered but
entire leaves, while the sides of the abdomen are flattened,
pinched, and torn into a weird resemblance of dead leaves that
have been blown about by the wind, and tattered by the thorns
and stones among which they have been hurled.

The word Um^msa is Greek, and is the name of a terrible
female goblin that was thought to haunt sleeping infants and
suck their blood.

impusa guii-yl
(Biuwii.)

CHAPTER III..

AMBULATORIA, OR WALKING-STICK INSECTS.

This group, like the preceding, is composed of a single family,
called Phasmida^. The term is taken from a Greek word signi-
fying a ghost or spectre, and is applied to the insects on account
of the spectral appearance which many of them possess.

Formerly, the Phasmidae were arranged with the Mantidse, the
relationship between the two groups being easily seen. There
are, however, distinctions between them which quite justify
their separation. In the first place, the Phasmidse do not possess
the armed raptorial legs which are so characteristic of the
Mantidfe. The mode of depositing the eggs is quite different ;
for, whereas the eggs of the Mantidse are enclosed in a common
envelope, such as has already been described, those of the Phas-
midse are laid separately, and are very large and thick-walled
when compared w^ith those of the previous group. The eggs of
one of the best known species will be presently described at
length. From the Crickets and Grasshoppers the Phasmidse are
at once distinguished by their slender hind legs, which are made,
not for leaping, but for walking.

Some of the Phasmidse are of enormous s'v/e — veritable giants
among insects, and look so formidable, even when dead and
dried, tliat many persons will not venture to touch them without
a sort of mental shock.

Many of these insects are entirely wingless, and even when
these organs exist, their structure is very curious. The elytra
are always very small ; and as the wings are broad, ample, and
able to sustain the heavy, long-bodied insect in the air, they are
utterly useless for protection. Yet the delicate, gauzy wings
need some protection, which is afforded by the wing itself. In

THE WALKING-STICK INSECTS. 8Ul

all cases where wings are present, these organs are " plicated "
longitudinally in a multitude of folds, each fold being very
narrow towards the base, and increasing regidarly in width
towards the edge ; so that when the wings are closed, all the
iolds lie exactly on each other in a single line, precisely like
the folds of a fan.

Indeed, it is hardly possible for an entomologist to see a fan
without recognising its origin in the wing of a Phasma. Each
wing thus lies along the body of the insect, and, in consequence
of its neat folds, does not break the continuous outline of the
stick-shaped insect. The delicate membrane of the wing, how-
ever, needs some protection, aiid this is found in the outermost
fold, which is stiff and stout, and, when the wing is closed, lies
over and protects the wing just as the outermost "stick" of a
fan protects the delicately-painted folds of the fan itself.

OuK first example of the Phasmidse is represented in the
illustration on the next page, and is known to naturalists by the
name of Phihalosovia pythonius. The former of these two terms
is composed of two Greek words signifying " fig-bodied," perhaps
because the insect bears some resemblance to the young branch
of a fig-tree. The latter of the words is also taken from the
Greek, and signifies the gigantic serpent of mythology which
was slain by Apollo.

Certainly the creature deserves its name, for it is a " big
thing." One of these insects which I have measured is as thick
as a man's thumb, and is fifteen inches in length when its legs
are stretched out according to its custom when living. So
gigantic an insect could not be represented of its full size, and
the artist has therefore been obliged to reduce it considerably.
But if the reader wishes to form some idea of the size of this
enormous insect, let him take a rule, measure a length of fifteen
inches, and draw the creature on that scale, taking care to re-
present the body as thick as the thumb of an ordinary man.
It is scarcely possible to get these gigantic creatures into an ordi-
nary entomological drawer ; and when, after much doubling up
of their legs and folding back of their antennae, they are com-
pressed within the needful limits, they must be supported by a
double row of pins throughout their entire length, and each
limb must be separately kept in its place by pins and braces,

302

INSECTS ABROAD.

lest they should break from their hold, and by their sheer weight
destroy the other occupants of the drawer.

This insect is in the hal)it of assuming an attitude which
gives it so exact a resemblance to a green stick, that as it re-
mains motionless it can hardly be detected. The two front
legs are held straight in advance of the body, and are either
stretched to their full length, or have the tibia doubled back on
the thigh. The other legs are pressed closely to the body, the
feet clinging tightly to the branch on which the insect is sitting.

(Reduced (igure.)

There is one point about the formation of the fore-legs which is
worth mentioning. In order to enable them to project on either
side of the head, the inner side of the thigh is deeply scooped
towards the base; so that when the legs are stretched forward,
the head is almost concealed in the hollow formed by these two
grooves.

The figure, which is necessarily very much reduced, represents
the female, which is always longer, thicker, and more powerful
than the male, which is fully three inches shorter, and has a body

INSECT GIANTS,

503

scarcely thicker than a crowquilh The female, however, is wing-
less, while the male possesses very large and beautiful wings. The
wing-cases are green, Avith a yellow edge, while the wings them-
selves are greenish at the base, with a yellow line, and the
costal area yellowish buff.

There are many species of Phibalosoma in Fiji, discovered, I
believe, by Mr. M'Gillivray. In the British Museum are some
of the eggs of this species. They are small in comparison with
the size of the insect, being scarcely as large as millet seeds,
brown, hard-shelled, and rough on the surface.

The insect which is shown in the accompanying illustration
is of necessity much reduced in size, as, if it were drawn of its

■Enrycnnthahnrrifla. (Rpdiiccil figure.)
(Black-brown.)

full dimensions, the entire page would not contain it. The
thigh alone of the hind leg is more than an inch and a half in

304 INSECTS ABROAD.

length, and half an inch in thickness, so that the reader can
easily infer how large the insect itself must be.

The generic name Eurycantha is Greek, and signifies " thick-
thorned" — a very appropriate title, inasmuch as the creature
is one of the thorniest of insects. It has thorns on either side
of the body, six on each segment, thorns on t?ie upper part
of the thorax, and thorns all over its legs. Even when dead,
it is not pleasant to the touch, for one or other of the sharp
curved spikes is sure to scratch or to prick. When it is
alive its captor had better seize it with forceps, or at least
with thickly-gloved hands, for it is enormously powerful,
and has a way of driving its leg-})rickles into the hand and
drawing blood.

The specimen which is figured is a female. The male is
easily known by the shape of the hind legs, the thighs of which
are much thicker, shorter, and barrel-shaped. It is remarkable
that if one of the limbs be lost during the larval state, it is
replaced by another, which, however, never attains to the full
dimensions. After the insect has reached its perfect stage, any
such loss is irreparable.

The egg of this species, which is a native of New Guinea and
the adjacent islands, is a large one — quite as large, indeed, as
that of one of the small humming-birds. It is oval, and gene-
rally dark green in colour, covered with granulations, so that
it resembles an emeu egg in miniature. Sometimes, however,
it is grey, mottled with brown, or entirely brown.

Another species of this genus, Eurycantha Tyrrhcea, is a
native of the New Hebrides. It is much flatter than the pre-
ceding species, and has an aspect very much like that of a
scorpion.

M. Montrouzier remarks that it swarms in marshy grounds
where the sago- palms grow. Yet, although it is so plentiful,
he could not succeed in keeping any of the insects alive, as they
all refused to eat, no matter what food he provided for them.
It is a dark-loving insect, always crouching into the shade
when set at liberty, and being found mostly hidden under the
parasitic vegetation that in that climate grows so thickly on the
trunks of old trees. He calls it by the name of Karahidion.

For some time he thought that it was only the larval form of

LAKVA OF EURYCANTHA.

305

some insect, not even a trace of wings or elytra being discover-
able. But, as some of his specimens laid eggs which afterwards
were hatched, there was no doubt that the insects had attained
their perfect stage. On an average, each female lays about one
hundred eggs, and when the young larvse emerge they are about
an inch long, and look like little black threads rather than
insects.

Fig. 150. — Euryeantha Tyrrliaa.
(Pale grey-brown.)

The illustration represents the species aVjout half its proper
size, as a full-sized drawing would nearly occupy the entire
page.

There are many species of this curious genus, varying consider-
ably in size and colour, and they are spread over a considerable
portion of the world. There is, for example, Enrycantlia Australia,
which is found on Lord Howe's Island, and which has the barrel-
shaped hind legs of the male sex strongly developed. The other
species present few points of interest, except that one, Eury-
cantJm olivacca, a native of Cevlon, is green instead of brown.

306

INSECTS ABItOAD.

Here we have an insect, the male of which is not known.
Indeed, so dissimilar are often the sexes in the Phasmidse, that
it is rather difficult to avoid the danger of labelling the male
and female as belonging to two different species.

This insect has three distinct peculiarities, on account of
which it was selected for illustration. In the first place, the
sixth segment of the abdomen is much widened and flattened,
so as to assume an almost heart-like shape.

Pterinoxylus diffonnipes.
(Brownish, with green elytra.)

Secondly, the two front legs are fringed along the sides with
flat, foliated projections, deeply notched, and looking very much
like the edges of an oak-leaf. The middle and hind pairs of
legs are nearly simple, except that a slight projection near the
end of the thigh takes the place of the foliation. - It is in
allusion to this structure that the species has been named
" difformipes," i.e. differently formed legs.

Thirdly, the wings themselves have a very curious structure,
which is not seen until they are spread. When closed, as seen
in tlie illustration, the wings look very like two sharply-pointed

IXSF.CT GIANTS. oU7

plates projecting iVoin beneath small, rounded elytra. The
generic name of Pkrinoxi/Iitft, or " sharp-winged insect," has
been given to it on account of the appearance of the wings when
closed. If, however, they be opened and spread widely, a very
curious structure is seen. The upi^er edge of the wing is modi-
fied into a green, almond-shaped, fiat, horny plate, whicli covers
the gauzy portion of the wing, and is the only part wliich is
visible when the organ is closed.

At the base of the wing, and partly overlapping the horny
plate, is an oval mirror-like patch, very smooth, very shining,
and having no veins or other markings upon it. As nearly as
possible this patch is the same size as the elytra, so that when
the wings are closed, as seen in the illustration, it is wholly
covered by them. Whatever may be the case witli tlie male
insect, the wings of the female are much too small to be of any
use for the purpose of flight The elytra themselves are green,
patched with brown.

This remarkable insect inhabits tropical America. It is drawn
rather smaller than its actual size, the length from the tail to
the claws of the outstretched fore-legs being about seven inches.

As, in the case of several of the preceding insects, the drawing
has to be made on a reduced scale, so it is with the species
represented on the next page. Jts length from head to tail is,
in the female, about seven inches; and the tore-legs will add
some three inches to this measurement.

The name Cyphocrania is formed from two Greek ^vords
signifying "bowed-head," and is given to the insects of the
genus because the head always droops greatly downwards.
The name Enccladus is that of one of the giants of myth.o-
logy, and is applied to the species in consequence of its
gigantic size. It is not, however, the largest of its kind, for
it is far excelled in dimensions by Cyphocrania gigas, which is
rather more than eight inches in length from head to tail, and
its spread of wing is exactly eight inches in one of the specimens
which I measured. This, therefore, may be considered as one of
the three or four largest insects of the world ; and I should very
much like to weigh some of them while they are still living, so
as to obtain an approximate idea of the amount of material con-
tained in each.

X 2

308

INSECTS ABROAD.

In estimating the comparative size of animals, the best plan,
next to seeing the creatures themselves, is to dravs^ them to scale.
If the reader will enlarge the illustration below, making the
spread of wing eight inches, and the length of the body about
eight inches and a half, he will form a very correct idea of the
enormous size of the insect.

Large as are the wings, they can be folded so closely and laid
so neatly along the body, that they scarcely break the outline,
and the insect retains its curious resemblance to a stick. AVhen

Fig. 1.j2. — Cypliot-rauia Enceladus.
(Gi-ei'ii-bruwn ; wings brown, spotted with white.)

the great wings, however, are opened from beneath their tiny
elytra, the whole aspect of the creature is altered, and it at once
exchanges its stick-like appearance for that of an active, flying
insect. The wing-cases are merely brown blotched with yellow,
but the wings themselves are very delicate and gauzy, and
coloured a dark, blackish, shining brown, relieved by a number
of pure white spots, varying greatly in shape, number, and size,
according to the individual.

The peculiar liollowing of the foro-legs at their bases is very

WALKING-STICK INSECTS. 309

plain in so enormous an insect; and if the first, or thigh joint,
alone be examined, it will be seen to bear a most singular resem-
blance to a bayonet, even to the groove along the inner surface.
With the exception of a few little pointed tubercles on the upper
part of the thorax, the insect is entirely unarmed.

Next comes an insect which is a great contrast to the former,
especially in the male sex, which is here represented. It is so
stick-like in its aspect, that I really wonder how it can have
been detected at all among the slender twigs and branches which
it resembles so much in shape and colour. All practical ento-
mologists know how difficult it is even for their skilled eyes to

Fig. 153.— Bacillus Natalia.
(Giceu-brown.)

detect the larvte of sundry Geometridie, as they project from the
branches in exact resemblance to dried and -broken twigs ; and,
in tlie case of the Bacillus, I should think that the difficulty
must be infinitely increased.

Eespecting the habits of this particular species, little or
nothing seems to be recorded ; but in Mr. Westwood's " Intro-
duction," Vol. I. p. 434, there is an abridgment of a paper by
the Rev. L. Guilding on an allied species, Bacteria cornutum, a
native of the West Indies.

"This is one of the apterous species, and tliere is a gi-eat
diversity in the size of the sexes, the male being 3| inches in
length, while the female is 7^. It is very abundant in tropical
America and the adjacent islands, feeding by night upon the

310 INSECTS ABROAD.

leaves, which it greedily consumes. It walks with a very vacil-
lating motion, and, when resting, extends its fore-legs along the
head, so as to defend the antennae. It is tenacious of life. It
occurs in the imago state throughout the year.

" The female deposits twenty-two eggs from September to
November. These eggs are oval and greatly resemble a legu-
minous seed, having numerous scattered impressed dots and an
elongated chain-like spot. The operculum at one end is distinct,
and impressed like a honeycomb. The eggs are retained for a
long time in the ovipositor at the extremity of the abdomen
before tliey are relinquished by the parent insect, which rejects
them without any attention. According to Stoll, the eggs are
dejjosited in the earth like those of the locusts.

" The egg-state continues from seventy-nine to one hundred
days ; the larva is hatched from May to August. The young
larva has all the appearance of the imago, but differs in its
colours. After throwing off its first exuviae, it grows rapidly
until the horns of the head appear. If it lose a leg by violence,
this is reproduced, but of a smaller size, in the next moulting.
The pupa scarcely differs in any respect from the imago."

The generic name Bacillus, or, as it ought rightly to be,
Bacillum, is Latin, signifying " a little stick." The specific
name Natalis refers to Natal, in which district it is found. The
female of this insect is much shorter and thicker than the male.
The colour is yellowish green daring life, and there is a white
line running along each side of the head, the thorax, and part of
the abdomen.

Again we are obliged to employ a reduced figure, though in this
case the reduction is not so great as in one or two of the Phas-
midse which have just been described. The present species,
Necroscia Zeuxis, measures four inches in length Irom head to
tail, so that it is really a large though not a gigantic insect.

The genus is a very large one, comprising about ninety species,
and it has rather a large geographical extent, being found in
most of the islands of the Indian Ocean, and over India gene-
rally. Of this species only one specimen is in the British
Museum, and this was taken in Borneo.

Even in its dried state it is a beautiful insect, and when
alive must have l)een lovely. Its beauty depends mostly upon

CURIOUS ANTENNJ^.

311

its wings. Tlie elytra, as may be seen by reference to the illus-
tration, are so sniaU as to be entirely useless by way of protec-
tion to the wings, which are very large and beautifully coloured.
The ground colour is shining black, but upon the disc of the
wing is a large patch of yellow, edged witli a number of bright
blue spots. The nntennee are of extraordinary length, reminding
the observer of the same organs in the familiar Long-horned
Moths of EnelniHl.

KiG. 164. — New'os'jia Ztrnxis.
(Greeu; wiugs marked with blue and yellow.)

Many species of this genus are beautifully coloured, among
which may be mentioned Nccroscia roseipe7inis of Borneo, in
which the hard upper edge of the wing is green, and the rest a
beautiful pale pink, just like the hue of a blush rose. Another
species, Nccroscia anmUijjes, is remarkable for tlie bands of
bright yellow which not only surround the legs, as is implied
by the specific name, but even extend to the antennae, although
those organs are scarcely thicker than human hair and run to a
very great length. In all these insects the wings when closed
lie flat along the back, protected by their hard upper edge ; and
the contrast between the same insect with its wings closed and
open is absolutely startling. I presume that the generic name

312

INSECTS ABROAD.

Necroscia, which is formed from a Greek word signifying " death,"
is given to the insects in consequence of their resemblance to
dead bits of stick as they sit with their wings closed.

The difference between the sexes in the Phasmidre, to which
allusion has more than once been made, is very strongly appa-
rent in the insect which now comes before us.

The figure of Ecstatosoma tiriaium, which is here given, repre-
sents a female. In this sex the body is very large, covered with
spikes, especially on the head, which has as it were a crown of
spikes ; the legs are flattened at the sides into leaf-like append-
ages, and several segments of the abdomen are developed at the

^¥.r

Fig. 155. — Ecstatosoma tiriatum.
(Green.)

sides so as to form projecting teeth. The wings are so small as
to be useless for the purposes of flight. The male insect has
scarcely one-sixth the bulk of the female, his body is slight and
smooth, without the projecting segments, and he is furnished
with a pair of exceedingly ample and very delicate wings.
Indeed, so totally different are the two sexes, that at first sight
it seems scarcely possible to realize the fact that they belong to
the same species, particularly when the wings of the male are
expanded.

The colour of the insect is emerald green. The egg is more
gk)bular tlian oval, and at one end there is a projecting point
wliich marks Ihe "operculum " oi- moveable door M'liicli permits

THE PLATYCIiANIA.

:;i8

tlie youiifr to escape when hatched. The larva of this insect is
quite as different from the perfect male or female, as they are
from each other, and bears a curiously close resemblance to the
PliylUme'inia paradoxa, which has been described on page 298.
It is a native of Australia.

The very rare insect which is here shown is a native of Fiji.
There is only one specimen in the British Museum. It is about
four inches in length, the illustration being drawn half the size
of the real insect.

Fig. 156.— Platyciania plielaii
(Green.)

The generic name Platycrania, or "wide-skulled," refers to
the shape of the head, which is rather broader than is generally
the case with the Phasmida. The body is very smooth, and the
upper surface of the thorax rises into a bold longitudinal ridge.
As IS often the case with these insects, the wings are more
beautiful than the body — that and the elytra being green, while
the gauzy wings are bright yellow.

Several species of Platycrania inhabit India ; and there is an
eatable species, Platycrania cdulis, found in Ceram.

314

INSECTS ABEOAD.

The remarkable being which is shown below is the best known
of those creatures which are popularly designated as Leaf Insects,
in consequence of the almost exact resemblance which they bear
to leaves.

If the reader will imagine that the insect in question is of a
bright leaf-green, he will see how close is the resemblance.
Indeed, I have found great difficulty in pointing out a living
specimen to persons who came on purpose to look at it, so exact

Pio. 157.— Phyllium Scytlie.
(Green.)

was the resemblance between the insect and the leaves of the
plant on which it was sitting. This resemblance is stronger in
the female than in the male, in consequence of the absence of
wings and the greater size of the elytra, with their leaf-like
nervures. It is a very variable insect in point of size, some being
about as large as the figure, and many being very much larger.
It is a native of India.

If the elytra be examined against a strong light and with
a moderately powerful maguifying-glass, they will be seen to
be covered with delicate reticulations very much lilce tlie old

THE LEAF INSECT. 315

childish puzzle called •' liosamond's Bovver." Each of the meshes
has a green patch in the centre, and a slightly raised yellow edge.
Owing to its peculiar form, the insect is very fragile when dried,
and, unless it he carefully supported by pins and braces, is sure
to lose one or two of its joints before very long.

The egg of the Leaf Insect is of very singular form. If viewed
from above, it looks something like a five-rayed star, the rays
1 jcing very irregularly disposed — three of them tolerably close to
each other, and the remaining two wide apart. It is not easy to
describe the shape of the egg without a figure, but we may forni
some idea of it from the following simile. Suppose we take a
rather short and stout Stilton cheese, and set it on end. Then
let us cut five deep longitudinal scoops, so as to leave five
angular walls, and there is a tolerable imitation of the shape of
the egg. Now, on the top of the cheese, and in the centre, let
us place a conical pat of butter, with the base downwards, and
there is the operculum of the egg.

The shell of the egg is very hard and tough, and, if examined
with a lens, is seen to be extremely rough on the surface, and
i'urnished with sundry depressions which are evidently intended
as openings to the fine channels by which air is admitted to the
creature within. If the egg be opened, the interior will be seen
to be beautifully smooth, polished, and of a faint pinky white,
very much like fine porcelain. There is little doubt that the
larva is hatched within this receptacle for some time before it
emei'ges. A most interesting account of the growth and habits
of the Leaf Insect is given by IVIi-. JNIurray, in the " Transactions
of the Linnsean Society."

After showing that in so roomy and well-ventilated an apart-
ment the insect attains a considerable amount of development
before emerging, Mr. Murray proceeds as follows: — "After having
reached the form of a six-legged jointed insect, it emerges from
the egg by pushing off the lid. It comes out middle foremost ;
that is, its head and tail are packed downwards, so as to meet
each other. The back between these first appears, and they are
drawn out next ; the legs are extricated last.

" The colour of the insect at this stage is a reddish yellow,
something of the hue of a half-dried beech leaf; for it is to be
observed that although the colour of the insect varies at different
periods of its life, it always more or less resembles a leaf in some

316 INSECTS ABROAD.

stages. When it has once settled down to eat the leaves on
which it is placed, the body speedily becomes bright green.

" Among the leaves of the connnon myrtlb it cannot be dis-
tinguished by the colour of the body (the Jegb are, however), and
the habit of carrying itself adds to the deception. It bears its
tail generally curled up a little, ^ust about as much bent as the
myrtle leaf. As it bends its tail up, however, the arch would be
the wrong way unless the insect walked back downward, which,
in fact, is its constant habit — adhering to the under side of the
leaves.

" This habit brings to light another beautiful contrivance for
still farther heightening its resemblance to a leaf. The upper
surface is opaque green, the under surface glossy glittering
green, just the reverse of the myrtle or guava leaf, so that by
reversing its position it brings the glossy side up and the dull
side down. This peculiarity is much more distinctly seen in
the young state and living insect, than in the dried specimen."

I possess a few eggs of the Leaf Insect, which I have placed
in a hothouse, and which [ hope may be hatched in some two
months or six weeks after this account was written. Fortu-
nately there is plenty of myrtle in the neighbourhood, so that if
the young Leaf Insects should emerge from the egg, there will
be abundance of food for them. Specimens which have been
hatched in England have passed into their perfect state and
lived for some eighteen months, so that the sight of a living
Leaf Insect will not be so wonderful as it was a few years ago.

CHAPTER IV.

SALTATORU, OR CRICKETS, GRASSHOPPERS, AND LOCUSTS.

Once more we are on familiar ground. Not a single example of
the ]\Iantida3 or the Phasmidte is known in this country, but the
Saltatoria are plentiful enough — some of them too plentiful in
the eyes of agriculturists and housekeepers. They are well
known by the structure of the hind legs, wdiich are very long
and powerful, and, wdien the insect is at rest or only walking,
project considerably above the body. The antennsae are slender,
and in some species are of a very great length.

The first family is that of the Gryllidae, or Crickets. The
popular name of these insects is evidently derived from the
sound produced by the male insect. The instrument by Mdiich
the cry is made is found in the elytia, which are furnished with
a ridged apparatus, the friction of which produces the shrill
grating sound with which we are so familiar. A detailed
description of this apparatus is given in my " Insects at Home,"
and need not be repeated here. The elytra lie horizontally in
repose, and in many species the wings, when folded, project
from under the elytra. In some of the Gryllidae they are very
greatly elongated. The fore-legs are more or less fossorial,
i.e. suited for digging, and the feet, or tarsi, have three joints.

An admirable example of the elongated wings is seen in
Acheta monstrosa, called by some entomologists Sckizodactylus
monstrosus. The reasons for this second title we shall soon
learn. In tliis insect, the ends of the wings are not only of
very great length, but are rolled up in spiral coils, so as to avoid
interference with locomotion. The elytra, as well as the wings,
have this remarkable structure. On reference to the illustration,
tlie reader will see that there is a sort of a chequered look on
the elytra. This is caused by their delicacy and transparency,

318

INSECTS ABROAD.

which permit the nervines of the lower wing to show tlivough
the substance of the upper.

This is the largest known species of Cricket ; and if ils
powers of producing sound be as much stronger than those of
our domestic insect as its body is larger, it must be a singularly
noisy neighbour. The antennae are slender and of very great
length, so long indeed that the artist could not manage to intro-
duce their entire length into the figure. Each of these organs
has two hundred and forty joints.

(Palebiviwn.)

This insect, which is a native of India, has many of the habits
of our well-known Field Cricket, and, like that insect, resides in
burrows, which it sometimes sinks to the depth of three feet.
It is nocturnal, never being seen outside its burrow in tlu'
daytime.

The geni.'ric name Schizodadylii.'i, which has ali'eady been
mentioned, refers to the structure of the feet, and is formed from
two Gi'eok words, the former signifying anything that is cleft or
divided, and the latter a toe, or finifer. If the reader will look

A \VOOD-BOK1N(; CRU'KKT. olO

at the tcarsus, or foot as it is popularly called, he will see that
it is very curiously constructed. The first joint is very long,
and in the hind pair of legs is furnished on either side with a
triangular flattened plate. Then come two short joints, each
of them with a long, flat projection on either side ; and then
comes the fourth, or last joint, which is long and rather powerful.
Besides these appendages, there are six little plates of similar
form on the end of the tibia, tliree on either side.

To my mind the most extraordinary of the Crickets is a spe-
cies called Cylinclrodes Camphcllii, which inhabits Australia.
At a hasty glance it is almost impossi])le to believe that it
belongs to the Crickets at all, looking, as it does, wonderfully
like the larva of some wood -boring insect. It is about as thick
as an ordinary artist's pencil, and, as its generic name implies,
almost as cylindrical as the pencil.

It has but rudiments of wings, and the two hinder pairs of
legs are very small, and pressed closely against the body. The
thorax is also cylindrical and shining, and the two front legs,
which are very much like those of our common Mole Cricket,
are very flat, and, like the other legs, pressed closely against
the sides, which are sculptured into cavities. Thus, there is
scarcely any break in the outline of the body when the insect
presses all its legs against its sides. Its structure shows that
the creature must be one of the borers, and accordingly it
is found to inhabit timlier, — a very strange residence for one
of the GryllidaB.

Many of the insects which have been recently described have
been of such large dimensions that the figures were necessarily
diminished, so as to get them within the limits of our pages.
Just the contrary is the case with the Ehipipteryx margi7iafvs,
which is drawn of exactly double the linear dimensions of the
real insect.

The thorax of this insect is shining black, but it has in the
middle two oval yellow marks, and it is surrounded with a
narrow yellow band, whence comes its specific name of margi-
natus. These markings are not quite the same in all specimens,
the yellow spots varying in size and the band in thickness.
Sometimes the two spots are merged into one, but in all speci-

320 INSECTS ABROAD.

mens the band exists, and is very conspicuous. The thorax is
covered with a coating of very fine down. The elytra are very
narrow, and of a pale brown colour, with a black stripe along
the centre.

The chief beauty of the insect is not seen until it expands its
wings, which are extremely delicate, and of very great size when
compared with the dimensions of the insect. Indeed, so sujali
are the elytra, and so large are the spread wings, that the insect
bears a most curious resemblance to an earwig, as may be seen by
comparing the figure of the Ehipipteryx with that of Forficesila
Americana, on page 281. Tlie name Rhipipteryx. refers to the
size and shape of the wing, being
formed of two Greek w^ords, the
former of which signifies " a fan,"
and the other " a wing."

Tlds species is a native (jf
^Mexico. Small as it is, there
are others very much smaller ;
one of them, an inhabitant of
Ceylon, being no larger than a
common gnat, for which it might
easily be mistaken. Its name is

Fig. 159.— Rhipipteryx marginatus. t^i ■ ■ , f rr ■ i ^ i \ ■

(Brown-yellow, and black thorax. ) RllipipteryX. ( Or 1 Tlda chjlus) nigVO-

ceneus. Writing of the strange
shapes assumed by foreign Achetidse, Mr. Westwood makes the
following remarks : — " I possess several very curious minute
species belonging to this family, which singularly represent
Coleopterous insects. Of these, a Brazilian species has all the
appearance and even colours of a Cicindela ; whilst a small
Mauritian species has the wing-cases thick and glossy, oval,
convex, and meeting with a straight suture, exactly like elytra
(of beetles)."

The next family is the Locustidtc. The insects belonging to
tliis family may be known by their elytra, which are "so deflexed"
when at rest, i.e. tiirned down on either side of the body, that
the general shape of the insect much resembles that of a gabled
roof. The antennas are slender, but moderate in length, and all
the tarsi have three joints. The two latter characteristics are
useful in separating this family fi'<nn that which immediately

THE CERBERODON.

•A'll

follows. It is rather remarkable, by the way, that the insects
which are popularly called Locusts do not belong to this family.

The formidable-looking insect which is called Cerberodon viridis
is quite as formidable as it appears to be, and fully deserves its
generic name, wdnch will be presently explained. It is a native
of Brazil. As the specific name imports, the colour of the insect
is green.

It is chiefly remarkable for two points, the fl'rst of whicli is
the structure of the legs. All the limbs are furnished with thorn-
like spikes, but the front pair are most poM'erl'ully armed in this

respect, the tibia having ten long curved spikes, five on each side,
arranged as seen in the illustration. The thigh is also armed,
but the spikes are not nearly so long and so Y»^'werful as those
of the tibia.

The second characteristic lies in the jaws, which are really
gigantic in proportion to the rest of the body. They are long,
stout, curved, and furnished with teeth on the inner surface. In
this genus, the left jaw is much larger than the right, and is
prolonged into a sickle-like point. The name Cerherodon refers
to this peculiarity. It is formed from two Greek words, one signi-
fying "a tooth," and the oilier Cerberus, tlie three-headed dog of

V

322

INSECTS ABROAD.

mythology, who guarded the gates of the infernal regions, and
prevented the imprisoned souls frona escaping.

There are several allied species, the most remarkable of which
is PhmoijIiilacHs funesta, of Sierra Leone. This insect looks
wonderfully like a huge spider, its legs being very long and
slender, and its body short, stout, and rounded.

The strange-looking insect shown in the accompanying illus-
tration is a tolerably common one, and is found throughout the

Fio. 161.— Calliiiienus oiiiscus.
(Green ; red abdoirieii, spotted with black.)

warmer parts of Europe, Greece and Turkey seeming to be
favoured localities for it. There are several species belonging
to this genus, of which the present is the largest that is
known.

All the insects of this genus are strange, awkward, ungainly-
looking beings, having rather the appearance of larvae or pupiB
than of perfect insects. The name oniscus, \i\\\c\\ signifies "a
wood-louse," is given to the insect in consequence of its extra-
ordinary shape. Generally, among Orthoptera, even if tlio females

THE CALLIMENUS. 323

are without wings, the male possesses tliose organs ; but here is
one of the exceptional examples to which allusion has already
been made, where neither sex possesses wings. In order to show
more fully that this is the case, the illustration has been drawn
from a male insect. The female is very much like the male, but
is at once known by the short, broad, sharp-pointed, sabre-shaped
ovipositor, the blades of which have a strong tendency to sepa-
rate after the death of the insect.

The insect is a curious, but not a pretty one. The squared
thorax is green, bright during life, but becoming dull yellowisli
green after death. The thick, rounded abdomen is almost
entirely dull red, upon which are a number of black patches,
placed as seen in the illustration. These black patches are
slightly raised above the rest of the surface, and are thus
much more prominent. Towards the end of the abdomen there
are a number of green patches, so that the ungainly form is
in.some way compensated by the variety of colour.

One species, Callimcnus dasi/jms, of Hungary, is entirely black,
shining, and granulated like very rough sand-paper. It has a
number of large tubercles along the back. There are some most
extraordinary insects allied to the Callimenes, of which Lesina
lutcscens is perhaps the most singular. It is a little, flat, yellow
creature, with its head developed into a sharp projecting spike,
and its long thorax furnished with three distinct sets of jagged
spikes, laid flat on the back, each set looking very much like
some of the ancient battle-axes.

Another is Vates latifolium, which bears, as its name imports,
a singular resemblance to a leaf. It has no spikes like the j)re-
ceding insect, but its body is flat, and shaped much like tliat
of the Phyllonemia, which has already been described, except
that it is, if possible, rather flatter, while the legs are furnished
with flattened, ragged-edged appendages, that look exactly like
scraps of torn and jagged leaves. Instead of the bold spikes of
Lesina, it has a number of fine, needle-shaped prickles on the
thorax, which look exactly like the hairy edges of a leaf-stem,
so that when the creature is alive and green, the resemblance to
a leaf is wonderfully exact.

On pp. 324 and 325 are depicted two figures of the same
insect, showing the difference of appearance which sometimes
Y 2

32-i

INSECTS ABROAD.

exists between the sexes. The name of the insect is Acripeza
reticulata, and it is a native of Tasmania.

The female is without wings, but she possesses hirge elytra,
which are thick, convex, and opaque. Their colour is dark brown,
mottled with black ; and when they are closed, the insect has a
very curious appearance, looking very much like our common
Bloody-nose Beetle (Timarcha tcnchricosa) , greatly magnified,
and turned brown. The abdomen is large, thick, and rounded.

FiG. 162.— Acripeza reticulata. Female.
(Green-brown, mottled with black.)

dark in colour, with a row of white spots on the edge of each
segment. The legs are banded after a similar fashion. There
is no ovipositor in this species, although it exists in several
insects which are closely allied to it.

The male Acripeza is so different from the female, that the
two insects scarcely seem to belong to the same species. His
body, instead of being large and rounded is slightly made, and
not one quarter as large as that of his mate. The elytra are
very large and long, and the wings of corresponding dimensions;

PLATE VT

THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SEXES.

325

so that when they are opened, the insect seems to be all wing
and no body.

It has just been mentioned that althongh the Acripeza has no
ovipositor, there are allied insects which do possess that organ.
These belong mostly to the genera Ephippiger, Nabrus, and Odon-
tnra. The last-inentinned insect inhabits many parts of Europe,

Fig. 103. — Aoripeza reticulata. Male.
(Brown, mottled with black.)

such as Sardinia, Germany, and Spain, and is also found in
Algeria. The female has a short, boldly-curved ovipositor, both
edges of which are deeply notched like the edge of a saw. The
name Oclonhtra, i.e. "tooth-tailed," refers to this structure.

On Plate VI. may be seen two very beautiful examples of
these insects. The upper figure represents Acridoxena Haivaiiana,
which, as its name implies, is a native of Hawaii. Whether its
wings be opened or closed, it presents a very striking appearance,
as we shall presently see. The illustration represents it as in
the act of flying, in which attitude we will first describe it.

The general colour of the body, including the thorax, is green,
with a tinge of yellow, the head being very much darker, and,
indeed, almost black. The elytra are decorated after a very
elaborate manner. Their outer portion is ruddy chestnut.

326 INSECTS ABROAD.

mottled with bold streaks of black and four semi-oval marks of
pale yellow. The inner portion is yellowish green, with three
bold patches of very dark and very soft brown, and the end of
the elytra is the same colour, with the exception of an indistinct
bar of ashen grey, which runs diagonally through it.

The wings themselves are voluminous, and are covered with
a vast number of short, narrow, wavy white stripes, shaped
exactly like the conventional marks used by artists to represent
birds flying at a distance. In some specimens there is a slight
variety in the arrangement of the marks, and the colour of the
body is bright emerald green. When the insect is at rest, its
whole aspect is altered. The folded wings lie along the body
and are entirely concealed under the elytra, which are so formed
as to produce not only a ridge along the back, but a sharp hump
or gable in the middle of the back. The right elytron passes
over the left, concealing about one-third of it, so that the brown
marks just meet, and form continuous bands of brown on the
green surface. •

The ovipositor of the female is long and sabre-shaped, and it
is rather curious that not only in this species, but in other
insects, the blades of the ovipositor are apt to separate at the tip
as the insect becomes dry after death. The name Acridoxcna
is formed from two Greek words, and intended to signify a strange
grasshopper. The name, however, is open to the same objection
as that of Xenoceros, which has already been mentioned on p. 197.

The lower figure represents a very singular insect, of M'hich
there is but one species in the British Museum. Its name is
Scmaa (or Acantlwdes) imperialis, and it was taken at Silhet, in
Northern Hindostan.

The whole aspect of this creature exactly resembles that of
withered foliage. It is pale yellow-brown in colour, and is all
crumply and spiky, like a withered branch of some thorny plant.
The thigh and tibia of the fore-legs are flattened and notched
like dried oak-leaves, and the long hind legs are furnished with
thorn-like spikes down to the feet. On the upper part of the
thorax is a crown-like patch of spikes, and there are two large
spikes at the end of the abdomen, just at the base of the
oviposilor. The abdomen is much raised along the centre, so as
to I'orni a decided ridge.

A GIGANTIC OVIPOSITOK. 327

The elytra are exactly like withered leaves, even to their
nervures, and are curiously shaped, each of them having a veiy
deep notch near the inner angle. On each of the elytra are
three round spots of a greyish hue, just like the fungus-marks
that are so common on decaying leaves. The wings are very
dark, except a broad band round their edges, in which the
colour is almost exactly the same as that of the elytra. When
spread, the wings do not lie flat, but are crumpled in a most
singular manner towards their bases. The jaws are enormously
powerful, and being tipped with shining black, they have a
very formidable appearance.

There are several allied insects which deserve a short notice.
One is Megalodon ensifer, a native of Hindostan. It derives its
generic name of Megalodon, i.e. "large-toothed," from the enor-
mous comparative size of its jaws, in which respect it rivals
the insect which has just been described. The specific name
ensifer is Latin, and signifies " a sword-bearer." It is given
to the insect on account of the gigantic size of the ovipositor,
which is so long that it cannot be carried after the usual
fashion, but takes a sudden turn upwards close to the abdomen.
It is very wide as well as long, so that the female of this
insect is very conspicuous. Along the back are three tufts of
spikes, similar to that on the thorax of the Sanaa imjjerialis.

Another species, Storniza pallicornis, of Bogota, is bright
green in colour, and in shape very much resembles the common
spider-crab, even to the shape of the head, wdiich is produced
into a sharp point. The spikiest of them all, however, is
Panacantlms varius, of Quito. This very remarkable insect
fully deserves its name of Panacantlms, which is formed from two
Greek words, and signifies something that is all thorns. The
last of these remarkable insects which will be here mentioned is
Coinoj)liora cusindata, of Brazil. Just as the Storniza resembles
a spider-crab in shape, so does the Copiophora resemble a shrimp^
and, so close is the likeness, that at the first glance at the drawer
in which it is preserved it is hardly possible to avoid the idea
that a shrimp has by accident been placed among the insects.

The illustration on the next page represents the m.Oi\Q Ptcrochroza
ocellata. The female differs little from the male, except that hei
body is shorter and thicker, and at the end of the abdomen there

828 INSECTS ABROAD.

is along, Hat ovipositor, boldly curved upwards, like the blade of
an Indian tulwar or saljre. It is a native of Para, and is one
of the many beautiful and strangely-formed insects that were
brought from South America by Mr. Bates.

Like several other insects of the same group, it bears a won-
derfully strong resemblance to withered leaves, especially when
its wings are closed. The nervnres of the elytra are, as may be
.seen by reference to the illustration, exactly like those of a leaf,
and tlie similitude is increased bv tlie colour, wliich is reddish

/

Fig. 164. — Pterocliroza ocellata.
(Biowu, wings with eye-like niark.s.)

brown. The lighter spots which are seen on the elytra are
dull white. This colouring belongs only to the upper surface
of the elytron, that of the lower under surface being for the
present reserved.

The true wings are very large, and are beautifully mottled
with yellow streaks, disposed as is shown in the figure. Near
the tip of each wing is a large eye-shaped spot, almost exactly
resembling the " eyes " on the wings of our familiar Peacock
Butterfly. There is some variation in the colours of the eye and

ENTOMOLOGICAL FORGERIES. 329

their arrangement, but the colours are generally as follows. The
half of the eye nearest to the base of the wing is rich ruddy
chestnut, while the remainder is dark brown. In the middle of
the eye are two crescent-shaped marks of pure white, the points
of the upper crescent being turned towards the tip of the wing,
and those of the lower crescent to the lower edge of the wing.

Altogether, the body seems so small, an4 the spread of wing
so great, that we almost wonder why sQ^.little a body should
require such enormous wings. It must be Bemembered, however,
that much of this space is taken up by the elytra, whicli are not
only useless for flight, but are absolutely so much additional
weight which the wings have to support.

We will now return to the elytra. As in one or two other
insects, though tliis is seldom the case, the under surface is
much more beautiful than the upper. Viewed from above, the
elytra are simple reddish brown ; but when seen from below,
they arc bright pink, diversified with bold mottlings of black.

This curious disposition of colour has led to several attempts
at fraud, one or two examples of which are kept in the British
Museum as warnings to those who purchase insects without the
exercise of due discretion. There is as much "jockeying " in
insects as in horses, dogs, or pigeons, and the blacklegs of the turf
are quite equalled by those of the cabinet, " Doctored " insects
are as common as Birmingham antiquities, and the renowned
Flint Jack himself was not a more successful impostor than are
many entomological forgers. One of the most ingenious ento-
mological impostures that I have seen was not intended for sale,
but merely as a hoax by way of a practical joke. The fabri-
cated insect was mostly made up of parts taken from other
insects, but the ingenuity lay in the manner in which six spider-
legs were s-ubstituted for the original limbs, and each joint nicely
coloured so as to carry off the eye from the fabrication. The
head was altogether a fiction, being very neatly cut out of cork,
and painted so as to give it an almost exact resemblance to a
real head.

Parts of one insect are substituted for those of another, and
in those cases where mimicry of form prevails, as in the Clear-
wing Moths and the Bombylidse, the deception is not easily
detected. In the fraudulent specimens above mentioned, the
insect forger has displayed an astuteness which almost

330

INSECTS ABKOAD.

amounts to genius. Knowing that at the British Museum
any attempt to substitute a portion of one insect for that of
another would be detected, he has removed the elytra, and
replaced them with the greatest neatness, only with the under
surface upioards. The effect on the appearance of the insect is
really wonderful. There is nothing obtrusive about it, but the
splendid colouring of tlie elytra harmonizes so well with the
wings and the rest of the body, that none but an accomplished
entomologist, apt to suspect and keen to unmask imposture,
would think that the insects in question were not genuine speci-
mens. The ingenuity of the procedure was further enhanced by
the fact that several specimens were offered for sale together.
A single specimen might have aroused suspicion, but three or
four, all exactly alike, were calculated to lull it.

The Philippine Islands produce the beautiful insect which is
known under the name of Gryllacris signifera. It is represented

106 — Grjlhoussigniltra

with alternate daik btii])ts.)

of the natural size. The chief point of interest in this insect
•ies in the wings, wdiich are very large and marked with alter-
nate dark stripes.

There are several species belonging to this genus, one of wliich,
Gryllncris spurraia, from Java, is remarkable for the enormous

THE MIGKATOHY LOCUST. 331

size and beautiful colouring of the wings. When the insect
opens its wings for flight, they spread out on either side in
a fan-like form, very much resembling the pectoral fins of the
Flying Gurnard, the resemblance being increased by their dark,
shining surface. The generic name Gryllacris is Greek, signify-
ing " cricket-locust ; " and the specific name signifera is Latin,
and means " a standard-beaier."

The next family is c?i^e(\. Acrididm, from a Greek word signi-
fying " a grasshopper." The Acrid idae resemble the Locustidre
in the arrangement of their elytra, which are boldly deflexed.
They may, however, be distinguished by their antennae, which are
very slender and hair-like, after innning to a wonderful length,
and sometimes having more than two hundred joints. They also
differ from the Locnstidae in the structure of the feet, which
have four joints instead of three. There are very many species
comprised in this family, and it is therefore necessary to select
a few examples of those species which present the most striking
cliaracteristics.

The first and perhaps the most important of these insects is
the Migratory Locust, so familiar to ns by its frequent mention

Fig. 106.— FuL-liytylus niigratorius.
(Green, mottled with dark brown.)

in Holy Writ, The elytra of this insect are green-brown,
mottled with a darker hue, the colour being much more brilliant
during the life of the insect than after its deatli. Some of these

332 INSECTS ABROAD.

inottlings v^xtend to the head, where they assume shapes bearing
some resembhxnce to Arabic letters. In his " Thalaba " Southev
makes an ingenious use of these marks : —

" The admiring girl surveyed
His outspread sails of green,
His gauzy underwings,
One closely to the grass-green body furled,
One ruffled in the fall and half unclosed.
She viewed his jet-orbed eyes,
His glossy gorget bright
Green glittering in the sun ;
His plumy, pliant horns,
That, nearer as she gazed,
Bent tremblingly before her breath.
She marked his yellow-circled front

With lines mysterious veined ;
And ' Knowest thou what is here inscribed,

My father I ' said the maid.
' Look, Thalaba, perchance these lines

Are in the letters of the Ring,
Nature's own language written there.' "

The vast masses in which these insects appear have been too
often described to need more than a passing allusion. Suffice it
to say that they come in great clouds, which look in the distance
like those of an approaching thunderstorm, and that where they
settle, they consume every green leaf and grass blade, even
devouring the young and tender twigs of the trees. They seem
to have but little power of guiding their flight, but are forced
to be blown by the wind in any direction which it may happen
to take ; and when a swarm is seen in the far distance, the
unhappy agriculturists know that there is no hope for their
crops but in a change of wind. Various means have been
tried, but none have succeeded in arresting or even mitigating
the damage which a few hours' visit can work among the
vegetation.

They are not tenacious of life, and a cold wind will kill
them almost at once, while myriads upon myriads perish
should they be blown out to sea. In such a case, their bodies
have been known to form a continuous wall along the sea-shore, '
extending for several miles in length, and giving out an abso-
lutely intolerable odour

THE EGGS OF THE LOCUST. 333

The eggs of the Migratory Locust are small, long, and ov^al,
about the size and shape of rice-grains. They are gathered
together in rounded groups of some forty in number, the eggs
projecting like almonds from a pudding. A quaint and simple
account of the growth and habits of tlie Locust is given by
Mouffet in his " Theatre of Insects."

" Now the female bringeth forth (as Aristot. saith), the little
stem that grows to her tail being stuck in the ground, and thus
layetli all her burden together in the same place, which scatter-
ing up and down, look as it Avere like a honey-comb. Hence
proceeds a kind of little worm in the likeness of an egge, in-
cluded in a little earthly thin membrane, the which being forced
open, out come the locusts and fly abroad. But (by the favour
of so great a philosopher) they lay eggs indeed at the beginning
of autumn, though not of the fashion of eggs, as I have seen
with my eyes and have had them in my hands. The which
feture is so tender, that with the least touch it is bruised to
pieces.

"Neither is it laid upon the superlicies of the earth, but
somewhat deeper, and in the winter underground : where in
the winter they being perfected by concoction, in the subsequent
year, almost at the latter end of spring, they come forth out of
the shell or membrane aforesaid, wherein they were, being yet
little blackish locusts creeping up and down without either
shanks or wings, which afterwards in a short time become
bigger. They bring forth at the latter end of summer, and
when they have so done they forthwith die, certain little vermine
breeding about their necks (as it happeneth to the beetle) which
do strangle them. These dying after such foolish fashion as
they do, are yet able at their pleasure, any one of them, if it do
but fasten on his chaps, to kill a serpent.

" In a wet spring the eggs perish, but in a dry there is
great increase of them. Some will have them to be brought
forth and to dye twice a year (in the number of whom is
Willichius,) that is to say, at the rising of the Pleiades they come
forth, and dye at the setting of the Dog-star, then others to be
brought forth. Some say at the setting of Arcturus. In
mountainous places, and of a thin air, there breed no locusts, but
in plains and places full of clifts and chaps ; nor do they lay
their eggs upon the superfirie.'*, but in the chinks and caverns of

334

INSECTS ABROAD.

the earth, both tha.t they may be the better concocted, or else
better preserved from cold and rains.

" TJiat they should be generated of the carkasse of a mule
or asse (as Plutarch reports in the life of Cleonides) by putre -
faction, I cannot with philosophers determine : first because it
was permitted by the Jews to feed on them ; secondly, because
no man was ever yet an eye-witness of such a putrid and ignoble
generation of locusts."

The insect which is here represemed is another of the de-
structive creatures which are known by the general name of
Locusts. AH the insects belonging to this genus have the
tliorax exceedingly prolonged, so as to form a sort of neck.

Fig. leT.—Tryxali.s inguiciilata
(Rod brown, with colourod winy

If the reader will refer to the illustration, he will see that the
antennae are constructed after a very curious fashion. In most of
the Orthoptera these organs are very long and slender, consisting,
as we have already seen, of more than two hundred joints. In
this genus, however, the material which might have served for

A SWARM OF LOCUSTS. 335

the usual long and slender antennoe is formed into two short, flat,
few-jointed antennae, narrow at the base, then widening rapidly,
and at last coming to a sharp point, very much like the antennte
of several moths.

This is really a beautiful creature, though its beauties cannot
be seen until it spreads its wings. As it sits at rest, or merely
crawls after the fashion of its kind when not alarmed, it is a
simple, plain-bodied insect, in no way more remarkable than one
of our own grasshoppers; but as soon as it takes to the air, it
displays a wondrous amount of hidden beauties. The upper
edge of the wing is dark brown, through which runs a stripe of
snowy white. The base of the wing is azure blue, followed by
bright pink, which fades gradually until the wing appears of a
crystalline clearness. There is also a patch of green just beyond
the blue mark. This is the usual arrangement of colour, but the
insect is a very variable one both in size and hue.

There are many species of Tryxalis, the genus being spread
widely over the world, even Japan and New Guinea possessing
representatives of it. As an example of the wide range of these
insects, I will mention one species, Tryxalis nasufa, specimens
of which, now in the British Museum, have been taken in the
following localities : — Switzerland, Marseilles, Leghorn, Galilee,
Nubia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, interior of Soutli
Africa, North Hindostan, Ceylon, Cambodia, New South Wales,
and Sandwich Islands.

Some time ago I was at a singularly interesting conversazione
at the Albert Hall, into which electric wires were brought from
various parts of the world : among others, there was one com-
municating with Kurrachee, in India. Having ascertained that
an operator was on duty at the Indian enil of the wire, our
operator asked if anything was then going on. Tlie answer came
back in a few minutes, that a vast swarm of locusts was passing
over Scinde. And I have little doubt that the locusts in
question belonged mostly to the very species which has just
been mentioned.

In Hardwicke's "Science Gossip" for April 1871, there is a
very interesting paper on Locusts, by ]\Ir. C. Iloine. As far as
I can gather from his description, the insects belonged to the
genus Tryxalis: —

" I had been more than twenty years in the country before I sa'A

336 INSECTS ABROAD.

a locust, and, strantiely enough, the first flight visited my station
when Dr. Jerdon, who had been very many more years than I
had been a resident, was staying with me, and he too had never
witnessed a visit of these insects. It was on September 13,
1863, when just after luncheon it suddenly became quite dark,
and the servants coming in, told us that the locusts had arrived,
and so we went out to see them.

"The whole sky, as far as the eye could reach, in every direc-
tion, was full of them. They flew from the north-east at a great
pace, with a strange rustling, filling the air with sound, which
seemed to come from every point, and were much scattered
in their flight, which ranged from thirty to two hundred feet
from the ground. The wind at the time was blowing from
the north-east, and they were borne along upon it Pre-
sently we noticed them returning, having been turned by a
storm of wind and rain which was coming up from the south-
west, and which advanced to within a quarter of a mile of the
place where we were standing. They faced round, and every-
one they met turned with them and hurried towards the north-
east, as did those which had alighted in the trees.

"About ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after tliis, there
came up a heavy storm of wind and rain from the novtli-east,
with a little thunder and lightning. This again turned them,
and they were floating rapidly past, when a terrific downpour of
rain obscured all from our view, and caused tliem to settle on
every tree in wdiicli they could find shelter.

"One emli, or tamarind tree, standing in the middle of a largo
field, was so covered with them, that at a little distance, insteail
of the brillant green for which this tree is noted, it appeared of a
dull red. Next morning there was not a leaf left, only bare twigs,
while under the tree there must have been half an inch deep of
excreta. . . . About 10 a.m. many thousands were flying about,
and T expected great damage. The sun however came out, and
with dried wings they all departed. Th(\y first rose into the air
like pigeons, gyrated a little, and then went straight off to the
north-west. The whole of this flight, from a careful examination
we made, appeared to have been young males.

" On the 16th September there were three more large flights,
extending for miles, but a very few settled ; little harm wa.**
done to the crops. The appearance of a flighr on tho hoinzmi

LOCUSTS USED AS FOOD. 337

is curious. It is like a tliiu, dark streak, which increases in
density every moment till it has arrived. Any computation of
the number of insects of which such a swarm consists, would
be quite impossible.

" What strikes everyone, as they approach, is the strange
rustling of millions on millions of crisp wings. Often after
this there were flights, but it was impossible to trace their
direction, nor is it certainly known w^here they generally breed.
Many swarms settled in the Punjaub, where they laid their eggs
in the ground, and thousands of men, women, and children col-
lected these, and they were destroyed. Still, many remained,
and the young wingless larvae crawled over the ground, creating
far greater havoc than their winged parents.

" When they come, everyone turns out with pots, kettles, and
pans, and makes as much noise as he can. This certainly pre-
vents them from settling, and I thus twice saved my garden, and
trust never to see them again.

" In the evening I had asked two gentlemen to dinner to meet
the doctor, and I gave them a curry and croquet of locusts. They
passed as Cabul shrimps, which in flavour they much resembled,
but the cook having inadvertently left a hind leg in a croquet,
they were found out, to the infinite disgust of one of the party,
and the amusement of the others. Here is a receipt for cooking
them, taken from the Akhhar, a native Algerine journal, under
date August 1866 : — ' Criquets d la Benoiton. — Take the locust
gently between the finger and thumb of the left hand ; cut it in
two with a knife, and pour into the animal's inside a small
quantity of good rum ; let it stand two days, and then cover
it with a fritter paste and fry them. Then sprinkle with
sugar, and pour into the dish a small quantity of Burgundy.'
I never tried it.

" The bodies were as tough as leather in the curry, and quite
uneatable ; but the croquets, in which they were well broken
up after having been deprived of their legs, heads, wings, and
wing-cases, were very fair ; and if thoroughly sun-dried, with
a little salt, I can fancy, when ground and mixed with other
food, they would be very tasty. Our Mahommedan servants
ate them, and they told us how that in many parts they were
extensively used, being dried and kept in sacks. All animals,
such as cattle and camels, are said to like them ; and amongst
z

338

INSECTS ABROAD.

birds, the only ones that did not touch them were the doves
and parakeets, both vegetable feeders."

The bear appears to be especially fond of locusts. Mr.
Shaw mentions that in 1863, when vast multitudes of these
insects perished on a glacier, the bears came by dozens to
feed on the dead bodies, which in some places filled the
crevasses ten or twelve feet deep. The animals were so
occupied with their feast, that they scarcely noticed the pre-
sence of travellers, and allowed them to pass without taking
any notice.

Like many of its kin, the Bhomalea centurio loses much of its
beauties soon after death, its bright green hues, in particular.

Fio. 168. — Bhomalea penturio.
(Briglit gireii, with scarlet winga.)

becoming dull yellow, brown, or even black. Many insects cnn
be guarded against loss of colour by being kept in absolute
darkness, the action of light causing them to fade. But with
these creatures, though the light is quite as destructive of colour
as in others, the drying up of the juices produces a similar

k SINGULA?. THORAX. 339

effect, and sooner or later the lovely hues vanish, no matter
whether the insect be kept in a light or a dark place.

The general colour of this insect is bright green, mottled
with black. The elytra are pink, covered with a fine black
network, and even the very legs are of the same brilliant green
and black as the body. The chief beauty, however, lies in the
wings themselves, which are almost wholly of a blazing scarlet,
the only exception being an edging of deep black, widest in
front, and rapidly narrowing as it proceeds towards the base.
In order to see the insect to its full advantage, its wings and
elytra sliould be spread, and it should then be held up against
a strong light. And, if the magnifying glass be also employed,
the exquisite structures of the wings and elytra will well repay
the trouble of examination.

This insect is a native of South America. The generic name
Rhomalca is taken from -a Greek word signifying " strength ;"
and the specific name centitrio is probably given to it on account
of the brilliant scarlet of the wings, which gives to the insect a
sort of military air.

The insect which now comes before us has an equally strange
look, wdiether its wings be closed or open. Its name is Teratodes
monticollis. It is a native of Hindostan.

In the structure of this creature the most conspicuous point is
tlie singular development of the thorax. "We have seen many
z 2

340 INSECTS ABi;OAD.

examples where the thorax has been widened and even furnished
with flattened appendages at the sides. Here, however, the case
is quite different. The thorax is narrowed, very much raised,
and shaped very much like the head of an axe with the edge
upwards. The resemblance to an axe is increased by the fact
that a narrow and highly polished ridge runs along the upper
edge of the thorax, giving it an appearance as if it had been
ground and sharpened.

The colour of the thorax is green, with a yellowish tint. It
is very rough on the surface, the roughness being produced by
a vast number of tiny elevations surrounded with a sort of net-
work, such as has been described in connection with several
beetles. On each side of the thorax, and nearly in the middle,
is a round, sunken spot, of a much darker hue than the rest of
the thorax. The head is shaped so as to suit the thorax, and is
sunk rather deeply in it. It is also furnished with a row of
slight notches over the top and front.

The elytra are covered with extremely fine network, and the
wings are translucent and gauzy, adorned with a number of very
fine black lines, each line only running across a single fold.
These lines are set alternately, like those of bricks in a building,
and really produce a very pretty effect. The body is green, as
aie the legs, which are very long and slender. The figure repre-
sents the insect of the usual dimensions, but there are one or
two specimens in the British Museum that are considerably
larger.

The generic name Teratodes is Greek, and is formed from a
word signifying " wonderful." The specific name monticollis is
composed of two Latin words, the first signifying a "hill" or
" mountain," and the second a " neck." It is given to the species
on account of the strangely elevated thorax.

TuE beautiful insect called Chromacris colorata fully deserves
both its names, which will be presently explained. It is a
native of Brazil, and is represented of the ordinary size. It is,
however, extremely variable in this respect, some specimens
being very much smaller than the figure, though few, if any,
are larger.

The general colour of the insect is dark opaque green, but
upon the head, thorax, and al)domen there are a number of spots

BEAUTIFUL ELYTRA.

841

which are of a very brilliant green. The elytra are also dull
green, so that when they are closed there is nothing remarkable
about the insect's appearance. Towards the end of each elytron
there are a number of squared reddish brown spots, arranged
with perfect regularity at a little distance from each other, so
that when examined with a magnifying glass the end of the
elytron looks as if it were a network of square green meshes,
each mesh having a chestnut centre.

The wings themselves are shining black, but each wing has a
large patch of bright yellow extending in a fan-like shape from
the base nearly to the edge, and just beyond this patch are two
large oval spots of a similar hue. Indeed, the two colours are
so equally divided, that it is not easy to say definitely whether
the black or the yellow be tlie ground hue of the w^ing. The
reader will see, by looking at the figure, and remembering the

Fiu. 170.— Clmiinarns coloraTa.
(Green; wiugs black, witli yeilow iiiaik.s.)

colours, liow very different must be the aspect of the insect when
flying, with its beautiful black and yellow wings expanded, and
when at rest, with those wings folded away under the dull
green elytra.

The generic name Chroniacris is Greek, and ,'^iguifies "a
coloured grasshopper," and the Latin specific title of colorcda
carries its own interpretation. Some allied species have the
colon ling of the wings arranged after a similar fashion, except
that the yellow is replaced by scarlet.

342 INSECTS ABROAD.

The insect which is appropriately called Cystocoelia immacu-
lata is one of the oddest of its kind, though its oddness cannot
be expressed by the plain black and white of the printer's ink.
The illustration can but represent a large-bodied flying insect. It
cannot represent that the large, rotund, smooth body is quite
hollow.

If a very ripe and very large green gooseberry were taken
from the bush, the contents removed, and the empty skin in-
flated and attached to the thorax of a grasshopper, some idea
may be formed of the extraordinary appearance of the insect.
In fact, the creature has come to be called the " Flying Goose-
berry," by way of a popular name. The inflated abdomen is
quite transparent, so that if held up to the light and the finger
be passed across it, the shape of the finger can be plainly seen
through the body of the insect. Inspection conducted in this

V

\

%

"\%

_^m^~

'^^ ,V3f^i-^f:^'|P^^^''

Fig. 171 — Cystocrelii iinnncnlita
(Pale gi-rcn : alHlDineii hollow uid tKuis]><xient )

manner shows that the whole of the vital organs live in a small
band occupying the centre of the under surface of the abdomen,
the whole interior of the abdomen being, with this exception.

HABITS OF THE CYSTOCCELIA. 343

absolutely as empty as a blown bladder. The object of this
singular structure is at present unknown.

The rest of tlie insect differs little from the ordinary structure
of the Saltatoria. The thorax rises very high in the middle, and
if the insect be viewed sidewise, it will be seen that the thorax-
is drawn out into a point behind, and projects over the first few
segments of the abdomen. Its colour is opaque green, except
that along the ridge which crowns its summit is a slender line
of light scarlet.

The genus is distributed rather widely through the world, and
is found in most of the hot countries. Of the habits of this
particular species, which belongs to Southern Africa, nothing has
iDeen recorded ; but Mr. A. W. Scott has taken some very inter-
esting notes respecting an allied insect, Cydoccelia Saundersii,
which inhabits Ash Island, situated in Hunter's Eiver, New
Soutli Wales:—

" These insects are extremely numerous on Ash Island, prin-
cipally inhabiting an orange grove of about 1,200 trees, and we
scarcely ever remember seeing one beyond a few rods of the
limits of this garden, nor have we ever heard of or discovered a
single specimen elsewhere, with the exception of the few brought
by Sir Thomas Mitchell from the interior.

"During the short twilights of this country, the male com-
mences and ends his song, which resembles a loud, deep guttural
E, continued incessantly and with vibrations. So loud, in(3eed,
is this sound, that when near to several insects it becomes
painful to the ear. It is, moreover, very unlike the shriller and
harsher notes uttered by the common Cicada.

"In this brief period after sunset the males and females
occasionally fly from tree to tree, their flight being slow and
steady, particular!}' that of the former. The only other time
these insects are heard is immediately, in hot and sultry weather,
before a thunderstorm, and then only at broken intervals. Tiiis
habit was particularly noticed on our placing the males on a
bunch of flowers in the drawing-room, where every evening they
regaled us with their short-li-ved song, and at other periods
occasionally predicted the coming storm.

" The larvae live underground on the roots of plants, and in
their liabits and transformations closely approximate to those of
the common Cicada.

344 INSECTS ABROAD.

" The perfect insects appear early in September, and are to
be found until about February. They are extremely easily
captured, the females being taken when in flight by a
common butterfly-net, and the males by going to the spot
from where their voices proceed and suddenly shaking the
bough, which causes them to drop to the ground, when they
may be picked up."

THYSANOPTEEA.

THYSANOPTERA.

CHAPTER I.

TllRiriLJi.

The rather long name which is given at the head of this chapter
is formed from two Greek words, and signifies "tassel-winged,"
because the wings of the insects are furnished with long tassel-
like hairs. They have no network-like pattern upon them, and
are laid Hat upon the hack when the insect is at rest, one wing
lying almost completely over the other.

The exact position of these insects is not easily decided. It
is true that they are very small, but then the microscope has
abolished all difficulties in that direction, while the discovery of
certain foreign species, such as that which is here figured, has
rendered examination comparativel}^ easy. The structure of the
mouth forms the principal obstacle to the systematic arrange-
ment of these insects. They have mandibles, but these organs
are modified into a pair of slightly curved and very slender
bristles, technically called " setiform," from the Latin word
seta, a bristle.

Mr. Westwood, who was the first to describe the parts of the
mouth, sums up the description in the following words : — " The
relations of this order are very difficult. The nature of the meta-
morphoses would unite it with the Orthoptera or Hemiptera,
M'liile the structure of the wings and mouth removes it from both
these orders. The mouth, indeed, seems to be of a character
almost intermediate between the Mandibulata and the Hau.5tel-
lata ; the setiform mandibles are very like those of the Hemi-
ptera, whilst the general disposition of the other parts of the
mouth are more like those of a maudibulated insect. It appears

348

INSECTS ABROAD.

doubtful to me, however, whether the action, even of the
maxilla3, can be transverse, or whether the insect can be said
to bite its food."

Without exception our English species of the Thripidae are
exceedingly small, some so minute as to be scarcely recog-
nisable as insects. Take the finest of fine-pointed steel pens,
draw with it the lightest possible line as long as the letter " i ''
(without the dot), and that will give a tolerable idea of the
average English Thrips. Small as they are, they are both
directly and indirectly injurious to man. They are directly
injurious by their inveterate habit of getting into the eye and
causing severe pain, the tasseled end of the wings being highly

Fig. 172.— Idolothrips sp^
(Blaolt.)

irritant. This habit they share witli the smaller Eove Beetles,
whose turned-up tails are as painful to- the eye as the wings of
the Thrips.

They are indirectly injurious in consequence of the mischief
which they do among plants, especially in greenhouses and hot-
houses, where the leaves of the plants are often quite blackened
by the numbers of these tiny creatures. They infest the garden
and field as well as the greenhouse; the vegetable marrow, French
beans, and other plants being subject to their attacks. They
even damage the wheat, getting between the fiower and the
grain and depriving the future seed of its moisture. Both on
the Continent and in England the wheat has suffered so severely
from the inroads of the Thrips, that nearly one-third of the crop
has been rendered useless.

The species which is shown in the illustration is a native of

THE TIIRIPID.^. 349

New Holland, and is by far the largest of its kind. Indeed,
it bears about the same relation to the ordinary Thripidae that
an elephant bears to a cat, being more than one-third of an
inch in length. The figure is slightly magnified, in order to
show the structure more clearly, the exact length being indi-
cated by the line in the upper part of the illustration. The
antennae are moderately long and very slender, and the head is
long and narrow. On each side of the abdomen are seven tooth-
like appendages, and the insect is also armed with long, sharp,
bristly spines.

The larvae of the Thripidte are active, and somewhat resembling
the perfect insect. There is but little change of form in the
pupa, except that the rtidimentary wings are very plain, and
the limbs are rather hampered by a filmy covering, so that the
creature is sluggish in its movements.

NEUROPTERA.

NEUROPTERA.

C H A P T E R T.

LIBELLULIDJ^.

The next order of insects is appropriately named Neuroptera,
i.e. jSTerve-winged Insects. It comprises the Dragon Flies, Ant
Lions, Lace-winged Flies, May Flies, and the insects which are
popularly, though wrongly, called White Ants. In this order
the wings are four in number, the upper being used for flight,
and not employed as a protection for the lower pair. They are
divided into a vast number of cellular spaces by means of bold
nervures, thus giving to the insects the name of Neuroptera.
No other order of insects has the wings divided into so many
cells as is the case with the jSTeuroptera.

As a rule the wings are of the same size, but in many cases
the hinder pair are very much narrowed, in some species being
little more than narrow threads. Sometimes the hind wings
are absent altogether, and in some species both pairs of
wings are absent. Indeed, although there is little difficulty
in referring insects to this order, the characteristics are so
variable that, as Mr. Westwood very justly remarks, there is
scarcely one which does not meet witli an exception.

The best known group of the order is the Libellulidpe,
popularly known by the name of Dragon Flies, in consequence
of the swiftness and voracity displayed by these insects.

In England they are often known as Horse-stingers, from an

absurd idea that they possess stings. This notion has evidently

arisen from the facility with which a Dragon Fly can bend its

long abdomen, the movement bearing some resemblance to that

A A

35-i INSECTS ABROAD.

of the wasps, bees, and other sting-bearing insects. The very
prevalent idea respecting their habit of stinging horses has
probably arisen from the fact that they live entirely upon
insects, which they capture on the wing. As various flies do
persecute horses greatly in the summer months, and often follow
them in swarms, the Dragon Fly finds an ample supply of prey
near the horse, and is, in fact, the protector rather than the
persecutor of the animal.

In the larval and pupal stages of their life they are inhabit-
ants of the water, and are quite as predacious under water as
they are in the air when they obtain their wings. There is but
little difference of shape in the larva and pupa, except that
in the latter the rudimental wings are seen on the back, in
the form of four thick, leather-like plates, giving little promise
of the ample, gauzy, shining wings which are concealed beneath
them.

Both the larvse and pupae of the Dragon Flies possess a most
curious development of the lower lip, technically named the
" mask," because, when it is not in active use, it covers the face
of the insect exactly as a mask would do. The mask cannot be
exactly described without the use of diagrams. Suffice it to
say that it forms a curiously jointed weapon, armed at the end
with a pair of toothed jaws. It can be darted out with very
great quickness, and when the prey has been caught, the mask
is folded back, and thus brings the captured insect into the
mouth of its destroyer.

As both the larvaj and pupte of the Dragon Flies are plentiful
in any of our ponds or ditches, the reader can easily capture
some specimens, and watch their habits, which are very interest-
ing. The creatures almost always lie under the shelter of weeds
and close to the bank, so that they may be caught by passing
a net closely along the bank where the weeds lie thickest.
They are very fond of the shelter of the common duck-weed,
and I have taken three or four specimens in such spots with a
single sweep of a net only five inches in diameter.

As a rule these larvai and pupas feed upon subaquatic crea-
tures which are sufficiently active to escape in case they were
alarmed by the movements of their foe. In order therefore to
enable them to dart quickly through the water without causing
much disturbance, the Dragon Fly larvtc are furnished with a

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DKAGOxX FLIES. 355

very siugular mechanism. There is a large hollow in the bod}^
extending nearly through the entire length of the abdomen, and
having an opening at the end of the tail.

The primary object of this cavity is respiration, for the gills
of the larva open into it, and when the creature is at rest the
cavity is gently filled with and emptied of water, so as to keep
the gills constantly supplied. If, however, the larva be alarmed,
or desirous of darting rapidly on its prey, the enclosed water
is suddenly and violently ejected, so that, by its reaction, the
insect is driven forward on exactly the same principle as tliat
by which a rocket is driven through the air. It can fill and
discharge this chamber with much celerity, so that it traverses
the distance of a yard or so with very great speed. It seldom,
however, uses this mode of progression if it wishes to travel to
a distance, but prefers its legs. As a rule the larva does not
discharge the water-chamber more than three or four times in
succession.

The appearance presented by the undeveloped wings of the
pupa has already been mentioned. When the pupa has finished
leeding and is about to pass into the perfect state, it crawls out
of the water by means of a reed or other aquatic plant, or, in
cases where no convenient plants exist, ascends the bank.
When in the air it climbs to some little height, mostly above
a foot, and then clings tightly to the object on which it has fixed
itself. The skin soon dries, and as the creature bends itself
backwards and forwards, splits along the back, and allows
the perfect Dragon Ry to emerge. As is the case with the
butterflies and moths, the wings are small, thick, and damp,
but are rapidly expanded by having air driven through the
vessels with which they are thickly permeated, and by being
constantly shaken in the breeze. As soon as they are dry, the
insect darts off in search of prey, and renews in the air the
predacious habits which it possessed in the water.

As all the Dragon Flies are very similar in their habits, there
is little to be said respecting each species. I have therefore
selected only a few examples of these insects, so as to show the
different groups into which they have been arranged. Without
going deeply into systematic entomology, it will be sufficient to
state that the Dragon Flies fall naturally into two groups, which
are at once distinguished by the shape of the head. In the first
A A 2

356 INSECTS ABROAD.

group, called ]^ibellulicUe, the head is rounded, and in the other,
called Agrionidiie, it is very much wider than long, almost cylin-
drical, and set on the hody like the head of a hammer on its
handle.

We will begin with the former group. On Plate VII. Fig. 1
is represented Palpopleura marginata.

This is a small, boldly-coloured, exceedingly variable insect.
Except that the ends of the wings are always colourless, it is
not easy to describe the distribution of the hues, so varied are
they in different individuals. As a rule the ground colour of
the wings is shining yellow, which in many cases forms a sort
of edge to the wings, thus giving to the insect the specific title
of marginata. The rest of the wing is covered with rich brown,
in some specimens being almost black and covering nearly the
entire wing, while in others it is very pale, and only occupies a
few patches set at distant intervals from each other.

The handsomest of this genus in point of colour is Paljwplcura
fasciata. It is really a most lovely insect, its wings glittering
with iridescent hues of metallic purple, green, blue, and gold,
these colours being brighter at the base than towards the ex-
tremity of the wings.

The illustration on the next page represents an insect belong-
ing to the typical genus. It is a native of Southern Africa (the
specimens in the British Museum having been taken in the
neighbourhood of Natal), and its name is Lihellula variegafa.

During life the body of this insect is bright red, but after
death the colour fades so completely that only an experienced
eye can detect the least trace of the hue that was formerly so
conspicuous. All entomologists know that our own Dragon
Flies are similarly disposed to lose their colour, and have
lamented that the brilliant hues which decked the insects when
they were taken must inevitably fade into dirty browns and
blacks. There is no help for it, as far as our present knowledge
goes. It is possible, by dissection and paint applied internally,
to retain the colours of the abdomen, but no art has yet been
discovered by which those of the thorax and head can be
preserved.

And even if all these colours could Ite made durable, nothing
can replace the wondrous brilliancy of the eyes. In the living

^

LOSS OF COLOUR.

357

insect, the play of light and colour through the eyes is like
that of an opal, supposing the opal to be translucent. Nothing
of the kind exists after death. By means of the magnifying
glass the multitudinous lenses of the eyes can be seen, but
the light, the life, and the glory have departed from them
for ever.

So, in this species, it is just possible in the dried specimen to
see that the colour of the body has once been red, though that
hue has faded into dusky brown. The upper wings are dark

Fici. 17a. — Libellula variegata.
(Body refl, wings marbled with brown )

brown at the base, and tliis colour exists as far as the middle
of the wing, the rest being transparent. The lower wings are
almost entirely brown, darkening towards the base, and having
a few transparent patches.

There are few insects in which there is so much tendency
towards variation as in the Dragon Flies. Even in our own
species this peculiarity is very noticeable, but it is especially
conspicuous in those which come from other parts of the
world.

The insect which is shown in Fig. 174 affords a good example
of variation, as, out of a collection of many specimens, there are
scarcely two that are exactly alike. There is one characteristic

358 rasECTs abroad.

in which they all agree, namely, that each wing has three spots,
but in the sliape, size, colour, and even the exact position of
the spots, there is more variety than might have been thought

-I ibelluK pulchella
(Wmgb with thiee daik spots )

possible with such simple materials. This species is found in
the Delaware district.

The Carolina Dragon Fly, which is shown in the illustration
on the next page, inhabits Florida, and is rather a conspicuous
insect. There is nothing worthy of special remark in the upper
wings, but the lower pair has a very large patch of rich brown
at the base, this patch occupying about one-third of the wing,
and having a boldly-toothed outline. The light-coloured patches
at the base are bright yellow, and contrast admirably with the
dark brown.

POWEK OF CONCEALMENT.

359

In looking at the Dragon Mies in a cabinet, or at their por-
traits in a book, scarcely anyone would see anything to denote
a power of conceahnent by means of resemblance to surrounding
objects. Yet many of the Dragon Flies possess this power in a
very remarkable degree, and I suppose that it is shared by all
On the wing, scarcely any insect is so conspicuous as a large
Dragon Fly, and yet I have often noticed that when at rest, and
on the watch for prey, scarcely any insect can escape the eye
more effectually.

It might be thought tliat the large shining wings, which are
often docked with bold and conspicuous markings, must make

Fia. IT.i—Libellula Carolina.
(Wings with brown patch at base.)

the insect visible wherever it may settle. Yet, to judge by our
own species, these very characteristics aid the Dragon Fly in its
temporary and rapid concealment. When engaged in the search
for prey, the insect always manages to settle upon some object
with which its wings will harmonize in colour and general out-
line, a bunch of leaves being a favourite resting-place. There
it will sit with its legs all drawn together so as to be as little
conspicuous as possible, and with its motionless wings so com-
pletely merged into the surrounding objects, that, when the
insect suddenly dashes into the air, it seems to have started out
of space into existence.

360 INSECTS ABROAD.

There is another peculiarity which is worthy of remark. The
Dragon Flies prefer for their sj)ort sunshiny days with frequent
gusts of wind. The warm sunshine attracts into the open air
the insects on which Dragon Flies feed, and the gusts of wind
render them an easy prey to their pursuer. Many insects are
almost helpless in the wind, especially if it should come on by
fits and starts, while the firm, strong pinions of the Dragon Fly
render it almost independent of wind, and give it a tremendous
advantage over its weaker-winged prey.

We now come to the second group of Dragon Flies, namely,
the Agrionidie. This name is formed from a Greek word sig-
nifying something that lives in the open air.

These insects arq very familiar to us on account of the beau-
tiful species which are so plentiful about our brooks, ditches,
and ponds. The most conspicuous of them is one of the hand-
somest of all the Dragon Flies, the male being rich blue, with
black wings, and the female all shining green. It is generally
known by the popular name of Demoiselle. Unlike the pre-
vious group of Dragon Flies, which fly far and wide in search of
prey, most of the Agrionidse of this country confine themselves
to the vicinity of the water in which they had passed their
larval and pupal stages, so that any entomologist who wishes to
capture these pretty insects may feel tolerably sure of success
if he hunts along the water-side.

The lovely insect shown in Fig. 176, which is appropriately
called Ewphcea splendens, is a native of India. The generic name
Exi'plioea is composed of two Greek words signifying something
that is beautiful in appearance, and the Latin specific name
splendens explains itself.

At first sight, if viewed directly from above, the insect
appears to be entirely brown, and requires a rather strong side-
light to bring out all its beauties. When so viewed, the upper
wings still retain their brown hue, but the lower pair flash out
into vivid metallic green. The brilliancy of this colour is in-
creased by the structure of the wing, the surface of which is
formed into innumerable parallel ridges that break up the light,
and give a singular richness of effect to the green hue. All
the wings are transparent and colourless at their bases.

A BEAUTIFUL GENUS.

3(il

Several other species of this genus are remarkable for their
beauty. There is, for example, Huphcea tricolor, of Borneo, in
which the wings are crimson, blue, and green, according to the
light in which they are viewed. Then, Eitphcea refidgens is of

I \i, ITii — Lui>lKea splcndens
(Lower wmgs metallic gieen )

though more delicate beauty, the wings being shining,
opalescent, and looking exactly as if they had been made of
very thin flakes of mother-of-pearl.

Both names of the insect whose portrait is given on the
next page are very appropriate, though not altogether classical.

The generic name Megaloprepus is formed from two Greek
words, the former signifying " greatness," and the latter " con-
spicuousness." As may be seen from the illustration, in which,
for want of space, only one side of the insect is fully drawn, this
is a very large creature, or rather it spreads over a very large
space. No more material is used in its structure than in that
of the Dragon Flies, which have been already described. But
that material is so attenuated, both in length and width, that
the insect which is formed from it is really a large and
important one.

A more conspicuous insect can hardly be imagined. Its head

362

INSECTS ABROAD.

and thorax are of no great size, and if those portions of the body
alone were seen, anyone would attribute them to a Dragon Fly
of ordinary size, scarcely larger than our own blue and green
Demoiselle.

But the abdomen is drawn out to such a wonderful length,
being nearly six times as long as the head and thorax together,
and the wings are so wide and ample, that it is really wonderful
how the small thorax can contain muscular power sufficient to

(Dark brown patch on the winRS.)

work these enormous wings, to sustain the leverage of the long
abdomen, to control the powerful and tightly-clinging legs, and
yet to afford sufficient space for the all-permeating air-vessels,
the gullet — which is in constant requisition — and the great
nerve-centres which supply all the body with sensation and
motive power. No one who has not been in the habit of dis-
secting insects can appreciate even the mcclianical difficulties

mSECT MECHANICS.

363

which are here overcome; and the best mechanician that the
world has known must stand humbly amazed before such an
astonishing application of mechanics to a mere insect.

The wings are translucent, with the exception of a broad
waving band of dark brown near the tip. Perhaps the reader
may have noticed, and if he be an entomologist he must know,
that Dragon Flies have upon the outer edge of the upper wings
an oblong black spot. This spot is technically called the
" stigma," and by its shape and position is extremely useful in
distinguishing one species from another. In the present insect
the stigma is situated almost at the tip of the wing, and is very
short, thus gaining for the species the name of hrcvistigma, or
" short stigma." The insect is a native of Bogota.

Fig. its.— Mecistog.ister ornatiis.
(Wings tinged with yellow at tips.)

The insect whose portrait is here given was brought by Mr.
Bates from Pan\, on the Amazon River.

364 INSPECTS A BUG AD.

During life the general hue is yellow, aud even after death the
yellow stripes upon the thorax are plainly visible. The wings
are coloured after a rather curious fashion. They are translucent
for nearly two-thirds of their length, and tJien become gradually
tinged with yellow. Across the tips runs a bold dark line, and
the extreme tip of the wing beyond this dark line is opaque
chrome yellow.

The speciiic name ornatus, or " ornamented," refers to the
coloured wings, while the generic name Mecistogaster signifies a
very long abdomen, and is given to the insect in allusion to the
structure of that part of the body.

CHAPTER II.

MYRMELEONIDJ^, 8IJLID.E, MJNTISIDyE, AND TERMITID^.

We now come to a family of insects which has many points
of resemblance to the Dragon Flies, though those resemblances
are rather apparent than real. This family comprises those
insects which are popularly known as Ant Lions, and scien-
tifically as Myrmeleonidse, this word literally signifying " Ant
Lion." None of these insects have been found alive in England.

Bearing some external resemblance to the Dragon Flies, these
insects have, nevertheless, very many points in which they
differ. In the first place they possess antennae, which is not
the case with the Dragon Flies, and in the next they pass their
larval and pupal state on laud, breathing atmospheric air by
means of tracheae or air-tubes, whereas the Dragon Flies undergo
those changes in the water, and breathe by means of gills.

In habits the perfect insect differs greatly from the Dragon
Flies. As everyone knows, the Dragon Flies are essentially
creatures of the day, exulting in the sunshine, and always
making their appearance in the bright summer weather. The
Ant Lions, on the contrary, are creatures of the dusk, scarcely
ever being seen on the wing Ijy day, and resting during the
hours of light among the thickest foliage, where their sombre
colouring renders them perfectly secure from detection.

The chief interest of these insects lies in their larval state,
and it is in this stage of development only that the name of
Ant Lion is rightly applicable to the creature. On Plate VIL
Fig. 4 is a figure of one of these remarkable larvae. It is flat,
wide-bodied, and is very sluggish in its movements, the slender
legs only serving to push it slowly backwards. Indeed, M.
Keaumur found that if the legs were cut off, the larva could
move nearly as fast as when it possessed all its limbs, the
rings of the abdomen forming the chief motive power.

366 INSECTS ABROAD.

Were the creature a vegetable feeder, such an inability to
move would not interfere with its capability of obtaining
nourishment, for many well-known larvse, especially the mud-
feeders, have no locomotive power, nor do they require it, their
food being at their mouths. The Ant Lion larva, however, is
carnivorous and predacious, feeding entirely upon living insects,
and unless we knew its habits, we should not be able to under-
stand how it could obtain its food. Its mode of life, however,
has been so completely investigated by M. Eeaumur and other
observers, that its peculiar structure is seen to be exactly
what is required for the capture of living and active insects.
In fact, Eeaumur has done for the Ant Lion larva exactly
what Waterton did for the sloth, and has shown that so far from
being a bungled performance of Nature, as some foolish persons
designated it, the whole of its structure is admirably adapted
to its peculiar position in the world.

Being, as has been said, incapable of movement, except back-
wards, and then very slowly, it is evident that the creature
cannot catch its prey by running after it, but must wait for
insects to come within its reach, Now, there are few square
inches of ground over which many insects do not run in the
course of the day, so that the problem is not the bringing of the
insects to the vicinity of the Ant Lion, but of rendering them
incapable of escaping from it. This problem is solved in the
following manner : —

Choosing some portion of ground that is covered with fine
dry sand, the Ant Lion begins to push itself backwards in a
circular direction, so as to make a shallow furrow. By means
of making a succession of these furrows, or rather by excavating
one spiral furrow, and throwing out the sand with its broad
head, the larva makes a conical pit of no great depth, but with
very loose sides. Wlien this pit is finished, the Ant Lion buries
itself in the sand at the bottom, leaving nothing but its enormous
jaws exposed. Should a luckless insect approach the edge of
the pit, the loose sand gives way, and down goes the insect
with a small avalanche of sand, into the very jaws of the
expectant Ant Lion.

The jaws are very curiously constructed. The reader is
probably aware that in insects there are two sets of jaws, the
outer being called " mandibles," and the inner " maxill.ne."

LARVA OF THE ANT LION. 367

These can be very well seen in any of our large beetles,
especially the Tiger or the Ground Beetles. In the Ant Lion
larva the mandibles are sickle-shaped, and rather deeply grooved
on the inner edge. Within this groove the maxillse play, so
that when an insect is seized with the mandibles, the niaxillfe
set to work at extracting its juices. A short time generally
suffices to suck an insect as dry as a squeezed orange, and when
this is done, the emptied carcase is flung out of the pit by a
jerk of the head, and the interior of the pitfall having been
cleared of the falling sand in a similar manner, the trap is ready-
set for more victims.

It has been said that if an insect should elude the murderous
jaws and try to escape by scrambling up the sides of the pit,
the Ant Lion brings it down again by throwing showers of sand
on it. This I believe to bo somewhat of an exaggeration, as it
is not likely that the larva would be able to fling the sand with
any definite aim. I am rather inclined to think that as the
captive insect, in its attempts to escape, must cause some of the
sand to fall into the pit, the Ant Lion instinctively flings it out,
so that some of it may accidentally fall on the insect, and in
that case would certainly bring it within reach of the jaws.

Mr. Westwood remarks that the Ant Lion larva is capable of
existing without food for a long time, one of his specimens
having lived for six months without any nourishment whatever.
This is to be expected, as the supply of nourishment must neces-
sarily be very precarious ; so that on a fine, still, hot day, for
example, a considerable number of insects may fall into the pit,
while, during a succession of wet or vrindy days, not one insect
will come out of their hiding-places.

The following account of a West Indian species of Ant Lion is
taken from Mr. Gosse's " Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica : " —

" One of the old buildings, now fast going to decay, on Blue-
fields Estate, was, in the time of sugar cultivation, the mill-house.
The wheel was tiuMied by water power — a stream from the upper
part of the rivulet having been led through a long aqueduct into
the mill, and passing off through a deep and narrow trench to
the lower course of the river. Through this winding trench, cut
to a depth of fifteen or twenty feet, but not more than a yard
wide, and now so entirely choked up and overgrown with rank
vegetation as to be quite dark, access is with some difficulty

368 INSECTS ABROAD.

obtained to the basal floor of tlie mill, which is covered with a
layer of impalpable sand — the residuum, no doubt, of the water
that shot upon it when the wheel was in operation. The floor-
ing planks of the upper level have been removed, leaving only
the rafters ; and the walls of the mill consist now of scarcely
more than the posts and beams, so that sufficient light descends
to the lower level notwithstanding its depth.

" Here I found many little conical pits in the tine sand, which
upon examination proved to be the traps formed by the grubs of
a species of Ant Lion [Myrmdeon) and inhabited by them. The
appearance of the crafty insect, its motionless vigilance at the
bottom of its den, the curved tubular jaws expanded to their
utmost stretch, and the broad body concealed in the sand; the
alertness displayed when an unfortunate ant slipped over the
edge, the struggles of the prey to escape, the reiterated showers
of sand vigorously cast up from the head of the expectant Giant
Grim, and falling on the miserable victim ; and the slow but
sure sliding down of the latter, until the formidable jaws closed
upon it — I observed with intense pleasure, not only for the
interest attached to so curious an example of insect cunning,
but also for that of repeating observations long ago made in
a distant part of the world, and, no doubt, on another species.
The manners of these Jamaican Ant Lions agreed minutely with
those of the Myrnieleoyi formicarms of the South of France,
as recorded by the accurate Eeaumur.

" The singularity of the spot chosen in this case for the exhi-
bition of the stratagem strikes one at first sight : but, on reflec-
tion, we perceive that this very circumstance is but a further
display of unerring instinct ; for the frail pits on which the
insect's success depends would be filled up and effaced by a
breath of wind, spoiled by a shower of rain, and destroyed, with
their ingenious architects, by a passing footstep of man or beast.
The depth of this locality was a protection against the first
contingency, its inaccessibility precluded the last, while rain
was kept off by the remaining roof of the building !

" How inexhaustible are the resources of Divine wisdom, when
the outgoings of it in the meanest insects are so wonderful !

" I took two or three of the grubs into the house, and put
them into a small box partially filled with sand, hoping to
witness the construction of the })itfall. They soon began to

COCOON OF THE ANT LION. 3C9

work, proceeding backward, and shovelling the sand exactly as
described, but only in irregular lines, leaving one after it had
proceeded for some distance, and beginning another; so that
they did not make even one complete circle. I was called to
a distance, however, and the insects were thrown away. The
species was probably M. Lcacfiii, of which I have taken a
single specimen near Bluefiekls — the only one I ever met with
in a perfect state.

" This rarity of the imago, contrasting with the abundance
of the larva, of this insect, has been noticed by Guilding in
St. Vincent's. He observes that not a single perfect insect
had been found by him in a state of liberty, though the larvae
swarm under every rock or shed calculated to protect their
pitfalls from the rain and wind."

In this genus the antennae are extremely fine and are knobbed
at their tips, so as to bear a close resemblance to the antennae of
butterflies. When the insect is at rest it assumes a very singular
attitude, depressing the wings and elevating the abdomen at a
considerable angle, so as to harmonize in outline with the twigs
among which it sits.

When the Ant Lion larva is full-fed, it encloses itseK in a
beautifully made cocoon formed from sand-grains fastened to
each other with fine silken threads. The walls of the cocoon are
very slight, and the interior is lined with silk. Considering the
size of the perfect insect, the length of its abdomen, and the
wide spread of its wings, the dimensions of the cocoon are very
small, the diameter rarely exceeding half an inch. As, how-
ever, is the case with insects in general, the wings are not
expanded until they have been exposed to the open air ; they
are easily contained in the diminutive cocoon.

Still, though we can thus account for the wings, we cannot for
the dimensions of the body, which is about an inch and a half in
length when the insect is fully developed. The wonder is not
decreased if the cocoon be opened, for the enclosed pupa will be
then seen to be very small, scarcely half an inch in length, the
legs and immature wings folded on the breast. In order to
understand the manner in which this curious problem is solved,
we must watch the creature as it escapes from the cocoon.

The pupa is furnished with a pair of broad, short, stout, saw-
edged mandibles, not the least like the sickle-shaped jaws of the

370 INSECTS ABROAD.

larva, or the tooth-like jaws of the perfect insect. With these
weapons it gnaws a hole in the side of the cocoon, and shortly
afterwards the pupal skin splits along the back. The insect then
forces itself through the aperture, leaving the cast skin inside
the cocoon ; and as soon as it has fully extricated itself, the soft
ahdomen rapidly extends to some three times its former length,
after which the skin becomes hardened, and the abdomen is as
straight and firm as that of a dragon fly.

From this brief account the reader will observe that M'e have
in the Ant Lion pupa the curious phenomenon of a pair of ex-
tremely powerful jaws, made simply for the purpose of gnawing
through the sand- wall of the cocoon, and being used once and
once only in the creatiu'e's life, and then cast aside.

The central figure on Plate VII. represents a very fine insect^
called Palpares Gaffer, which, as its specific name denotes, is a
native of Southern Africa.

This is a very variable insect in point of colour, and I will
therefore describe only the specimen from which the illustration
was drawn. The general colour is pale brown, but on either
side of the front edge of the thorax there is a patch of bright
yellow, and the abdomen has a ring of the same colour on the
lower edge of each segment. On the upper part of the abdomen
are a number of long, fine hairs, pale brown in colour, and all
pointing backwards.

Both pairs of wings are spotted and blotched with brown, but
the lower pair have the spots much larger, and more decided in
outline, and darker than the upper wings ; and in all specimens
the large spots are three in number. Over the rest of the wing
a number of smaller and paler spots are placed somewhat at
random, and in some specimens the upper wings have a decided
golden yellow tinge.

There are many species of this genus, found in different parts
of the world. They all have a very strong family likeness ; and
as they are exceedingly variable in the shape, number, and
colour of the spots which variegate the wings, it is no easy
business to discriminate between the species. Two species, how-
ever, call for a brief notice. One of them is Palpares immensus,
also a South African insect, being found in Damara Land. Its
upper wings are most beautifully pencilled with a delicate zigzag

PECULIAR WINGS.

^71

pattern of black on a ground of shining white slightly tinged
with yellow. Palijares tigroides, of India, is a very line insect,
one of the largest of the family, and having the wings adorned
with a number of pale brown stripes, from which it derives its
specific name of tigroides, or " tiger-like."

In this genus there are some very extraordinary insects.
Such, for example, is Ascalaphus imperatrix, of Western Africa,
which is shown in the accompanying illustration.

Fig. 179.— Ascalaphus imperatrix.
(Wings iridescent.)

The greater part of the bidk of this insect consists of the
wings. The male, which is here portrayed, is scarcely larger
in body than our common Daddy Longlegs, and not much unlike
that insect in shape. The upper wings are very beautifvd. They
are translucent, but iridescent in the highest degree, glittering
with every colour of the rainbow as the light plays over them.
B B 2

372 INSECTS ABROAD.

This iridescence is specially brilliant along the outer edge of
the wing, where a golden hue mixed with crimson seems to
predominate over the other colours.

The chief peculiarity of the insect, however, lies in the lower
wings, which are elongated like two spears with slender shafts
and broad heads. If examined with a magnifying- glass, the
general character of the wing is seen to exist even in the very
narrowest portion of the shaft, the ncrvures and cells being
plainly apparent. The widened tips of the wings are rather
boldly coloured. The extreme tip is opaque greyish white,
looking as if white paint had been laid on it, this colour ex-
tending along the inner edge for some little distance. Then
comes a patch of colourless membranes, and the rest of the whig
is brown, becoming pale on the shaft.

One of the most striking of the Ant Lions in point of appear-
ance is Ascalaphus Kolyranensis, which is shown in Plate VII.,
Figs. 3 and 4. It is found spread over the warmer parts of
Europe.

This is the insect to which reference has already been made,
as having long and straight antennte, knobbed at the end like
those of a butterfly. Indeed, so close is the resemblance, that
at the first glance the insect really looks as if some expert forger
of insects had taken the antennae of a butterfly and stuck them
on the head of an Ant Lion. A closer inspection, however, shows
that in several points the antennoe are constructed differently
from those of the butterfly, the chief distinction being that the
knobbed ends of the antennae are black and flat.

This is really a beautiful insect, and, like many others,
requires a good light in order to make its splendours visible.
The head is ornamented above with a radiating circlet of dense
black hairs, and below with a dense tuft of hairs similar in
length and quality, but bright golden yellow, and having a
silken lustre. The thorax and abdomen are of a very deep
purple, so deep as to look black unless viewed by a strong light.

The upper wings are mostly translucent, but are adorned with
varied colours. At the base there is a black spot, and then
comes a large patch of bright yellow. Beyond this is a square
mark of very dark brown, and on the upper edge of the wing is
another, but smaller, patch of pale brown. The lower wings are

MODIFICATIONS OF STRUCTURE. 373

more beautiful than tlie upper pair, as is often the case with
insects. The base of the wing is deep shining purple, followed
by a broad wavy band of yellow. The rest of the wing is pale
brown, except a nearly circular spot of yellow near the tip. If
the wings be viewed on the under surface, they will be seen to
be very glossy and iridescent, with a decided purple gloss
extending over the whole wing. There is some variation in
the size and shape of the spots, but the general appearance is
the same in all specimens.

There are many species of this very remarkable genus,
extending over a considerable portion of the world ; being
found in Europe, Asia, tlie West Indies, and Africa. One of
tliem, called appropriately Ascalaphus filipcnnis, a native of
India, has the lower wings even more narrowed than those of
the preceding species. The wings, in fact, are reduced to a pair
of delicate thread-like appendages, wdiich have not the least
appearance of being wings. Were they removed from the insect
they might readily be taken for a pair of long and slender
antennae, and, as they trail behind the body, they look very
much like legs. Indeed, as the insect is a very small one, it
bears a most curious resemblance to a gnat, the thread-like
wings imitating the hinder legs.

Why the name of Ascalaphus was given to this genus of insects
I cannot imagine. It is a name which was given by Aristotle
in his " History of Animals " to some bird which is thought to
be an owl, and is therefore singularly inapproi^riate as a name
for an insect.

We now come to another family of Neuroptera ; namely, the
Sialidte. We have several species of Sialidaj inhabiting England.
They always frequent the neighbourhood of water, and may be
seen in numbers clinging to the trees or foliage near the water-
side. They are brown in colour, and are generally mistaken for
moths by non-entomologists. Anglers always welcome them, as
the fat-bodied female Sialis forms an excellent bait for various
fish, the trout being specially fond of them.

If placed in the water, these insects swim wonderfully well,
closing their wings and scuttling along at a great pace, leaving
quite a long wake behind them. In my boyish days, moth-

374

INSECTS ABROAD.

races, as we called them, used to be a recognised amusement
during the short time that the Sialis was visible. It is true that
the race was often spoiled by the intervention of a fish, who
would quietly rise to the surface of the water and absorb one
of the competitors ; but this was looked upon as a recognised
part of the amusement.

None of the English Sialidie are of any great size, and we
have nothing that even approaclies the gigantic insect which is

Fig. ISO.— Corydalis aruiata.
(Pale brown.)

called Corydalis armata, the largest species at present known to
entomologists. It is a native of Columbia. Tlie specimen
which is here shown is a male, and in this sex the principal
feature is the structure of the jaws. The mandibles of the male
Corydalis are so long, sharp, powerful, and sickle-shaped, that
they look as if the creature were an Ant Lion, and had retaintul
its larval jaws. As may be seen by reference to tlie illustialion,

WONDERFUL JAW;

375

wlieu the jaws are expanded tliey look very much like a second
pair of antennae, and when they are closed they cross each other
at about one-third of their length from the tips. In the speci-
mens which I have examined, the left jaw is uppermost when
they are closed and crossed. In the female the jaws are short
and stout, and there is as much difference in this respect between
tlie sexes as there is between the male and female Stag Beetle.

All the Sialidse pass their earlier stages of existence in the
water. The female lays her eggs upon aquatic plants, and the
larva is a brown, flattish, long-bodied, strong-jawed grub, with a
number of filamentary gills along the sides, and swimming with
an undulatory motion. It is very ])lentiful, and it is easy to
take some thirty or forty specimens in a single sweep of the net
among the weeds.

Of the curious family of ]\Iantispida3 no British species are as
yet known. We have the well-known Snake Flies, or Raphi-

— Mautisxia graiulis
(Brown.)

diidte, which bear some resemblance to the Mantispidie, espe-
ciaUy in the prehensile form of the first pair of legs. As may be
inferred from the name, the Mantispidae bear a close resemblance

376 INSECTS ABROAD.

to the Mantid39, and iudeed tliere are several of the smaller
Mantidse which so exactly resemble the Mantispidie, that none
but a practical entomologist would detect the difference between
them.

That they are predacious is clearly shown by the structure of
the mouth and the fore-let^s. They are found mostly on trees,
the oak being a special favourite. Although none of this
family inhabit England, the Mantispidae have a very wide
range, being found in almost every portion of the world, and
certainly in all the continents. They are all dull-coloured, and
rather small insects, that which is above given being a giant
among its fellows. It is pale brown in colour, and the wings are
translucent, with the exception of a broad band along the upper
edge, which is dark brownish yellow. The raptorial legs are
very boldly developed, and the others are long and slender. It
is a native of South Africa, and is taken in the Natal district.

Now comes that most important family of Neuroptera the
Termitidfe; popularly, though wrongly, called White Ants.
There are many species of Termes, but all are very much alike
in their habits. I have therefore selected one species, Termes
dims, or the Common White Ant, to serve as an example of
them all.

These insects are spread over most of the warmer parts of the
world, and are useful or the reverse according to the amount of
population. In uninhabited districts the White Ants are valu-
able beyond price, as, together with the wood-boring beetles,
they aid greatly in developing the forest-growths. Though they
can feed upon many substances, they are essentially eaters of
dead wood, and their powers in this respect are almost incredible.
Hating light, they always begin their work by boring a hole
into the object which they are about to attack, and then devour
the whole of the interior. They never break through the ex-
terior, but leave a shell scarcely thicker than ordinary paper, so
that nothing on the exterior indicates the vacuum within.

When they get into a house, and attack the woodwork, this
habit of theirs is more than unpleasant, as no one knows
whether the wood be sound and solid, or hollow and rotten,
from one day's end to another. It may look sound enough, but
if struck or pressed the thin shell gives way, and the havoc

FwAVAGES OF THE TERMITE.

377

within is disclosed. In the British Museuui
the ravages of the Termites, wliich is so
remarkable that it is here given to the
reader. The piece of timber in question
formed the lintel of a door in the
Government offices at Jamestown.

It was originally a large square beam,
but the Termites made their way into it,
and reduced it to the singular condition
which is here shown. The manner in
which the insects have set to work is
very curious. After boring a hole into
the beam, they began to eat the softer
portions of the wood, avoiding for the
present all the knots, so as to leave them
projecting exactly as they grew in the
tree. Having done this, they had begun
to destroy the knots themselves, by boring
tunnels into them, so that there is scarcely
a knot without one or two holes in it.
When they had proceeded thus far, the
mischief was discovered and the damaged
lintel removed and sent to England, as
an example of the havoc which Termites
can work.

Even furniture is not safe, especially if
it be left undisturbed for a few days.
Suppose, for example, that these insects
have found their way into a house, and a
table has been negligently left without
having its feet placed in saucers of water.
The Termites will begin by boring a hole
through the planking of the floor, and
into the leg of the table. They will then
hollow out that table so completely, that
if a weight be placed upon it there is a
crash and a smash, and nothing remains
of the table but a heap of splinters and a
cloud of dust.

Several species of Termites exist in

i^ an example of

■r-f

eaten b\ Tci mites.

378 INSECTS ABROAD.

the warmer parts of Europe, and at La Eoclielle iliey have
quite got the upper hand of the inhabitants. 'Not even a
plank can he left for two days without being riddled by
these insects, which attack the woodeu fences, the stakes to
which young trees are tied, and even the trees themselves.
They have quite taken possession of the houses. In the Pre-
fecture, for example, they have done terrible mischief. They
have burrowed into the woodwork to such an extent that on
one occasion when a clerk stumbled as he was going down
stairs, and caught at one of the oak posts of the balustrades,
his hand went completely into it and was buried up to the
wrist, the Termites having eaten out all the interior, and left
nothing but a mere shell scarcely thicker than the paper on
which this account is printed. There is every reason for be-
lieving that the Prefecture was the original head-quarters of the
Termites which were brought from St. Domingo by some rich
shipowners in the year 1780. Some men were engaged in build-
ing a house, which was afterwards converted into the Prefecture,
and the Termites gained admission by having got into some bales
of goods brought from St. Domingo. But, great as is the incon-
venience thus caused by these insects, it is as nothing w^hen
compared with the irrt^parable damage which they have done to
the very history of the place. They contrived to reach in their
silent, darkling ways, the office in which were kept the archives
of the department, and every single paper was destroyed with-
out anyone knowing it. They did with the bundles of paper
exactly what they do with timber. They first bored into the
interior, and then set to work to eat all the paper. But they
took care not to bore through the upper sheets, nor to cut
through the edges, so no indication of the mischief was given
until one day it was discovered that nothing was left of the
archives except the upper sheets and the edges of the leaves.

It is no matter of surprise that the Termites are popularly
called by the name of ants, for they really do possess many
analogies with the ants, and have many habits in conmion with
them. In both insects only the perfect males and females pos-
sess wings ; the neuters, or undeveloped insects, never having
even a semblance of wings. Then, even those which are winged
X>reserve their wings oil a very frail tenure, only use tliem for a
short time, and of tlieir own accord pull them off after they have

HISTORY OF THE TERMITE.

379

achieved tlie one brief fliglit of their lives. They live iu large
commimities, of which a single female is the centre, and are
accustomed to act in concert, according to certain signs which
they all understand.

Our limited space will not permit more than a mere outline
of Termite history, but the following are the most salient points
to be observed in their economy : —

When the perfect insects have matured their wings, they
issue into the open air for the first time in their lives, and take
to flight in such multitudes that the numbers of their milky-
wliite wings have been compared to flakes of snow during a
heavy storm. Myriads upon myriads perish, so numerous are
the enemies that are in wait for them and the dangers through
which they have to pass. The insect-eating birds hold high
revel on them, and man
himself is one of the most
inveterate destroyers of
the Termite, not because
they do him mischief, but
because they are so good
to eat. Not only do the
aborigines eat the Ter-
mites, but travellers or
colonists who have once
persuaded themselves to
try them as an article of
diet are sure to reckon
these insects among the
best luxuries of the table.

Putting aside those which perish, we will follow the career of
a couple who have managed to evade their enemies and become
the founders of a new colony.

When they issue into the air, they are ant-like, pale brown
insects, with two pairs of very large wings, which, when closed,
cross each other over the abdomen. The above illustration
represents the male of the common Termite, Tcrmcs dirus,
and the female is almost exactly like him, except that she is
rather larger and plumper in the body. Supposing a pair of
tliese insects to have met while they are on the wing, which is
the object of these aerial excursions, they descend to the ground,

380 INSECTS ABROAD.

when they both tiiiig off their wiugs, jerkhig them forward with
a javelin-sort of twitching movement. Then they move off to
some sheltered locality ; and if they can find a spot where there
is some moist earth, they immediately begin to burrow in it.

Thus is begun the new colony, and in a short time the foun-
dress attains the most enormous dimensions. Her head, thorax,
and legs remain unchanged, but the abdomen swells to such a
size that the creature looks very much as if the head and limbs
of a Termite had been attached to the end of a hen's egg. So
large an insect requires a dwelling of corresponding size, and
accordingly she is enclosed in a cell made of clay, the interior o^

-

1

h NA

^ 7

--%\

s^^^

^

'7

1 4

f

'^

_5S~

Fia. IS4.— Tftrmes ilirus. Female.
(Pale brown, witli grey-white alidnmeu.)

which is widened by degrees in order to accommodate her in-
creasing dimensions. It may seem somewhat of a hardship that
she should be thus left a prisoner, but in fact there is no hard-
ship at all, for her body is so enormous that her legs could not
move it even if she w^ere at perfect liberty.

She, like the queen-bee, has but one business in life ; namely,
to lay eggs, which she does perpetually, their numbers being
counted not only by tens of thousands, but by millions. It is
evident that, as she cannot move, she is unable to do what tlie
queen-bee does ; namely, deposit the eggs in tlie spots where they
are wanted. It is also evident that she cannot go in search of
food, and must therefore be dependent on others. Now, the
Termite colony consists of various ranks, if one may so term

THE TETIMITE QUEEN. 381

tliem, which may be roughly divided into three distinct sets.
First come the queen and her consort, and all those which are
destined to become perfect males and females. Then comes a
body of Termites with enormous heads, armed with strong and
sickle-like jaws. Lastly come the workers ; very much smaller
and slighter insects, without any weapons of offence. I need
hardly say that, as the Termites belong to the Neuropterous
insects, none of them have a sting.

As is implied by the name, the chief labour of the colony is
carried on by the workers, who outnumber the others many
times over. It is the workers who feed the queen, and also
carry off the eggs as fast as they are laid, so as to deposit them
in spots fit for hatching them. In order to enable them to gain
access to the queen, the royal cell is pierced all round with a
number of holes, which look exactly as if they had been bored
with a bradawl ; and, if a section of the nest be carefully made,
each of these holes will be seen to communicate directly witli
the central hollow.

Thus the queen is not only tended, but guarded with the care
which her office demands : for the whole of the nest, of what-
ever form it may be, is made of carefully-tempered clay, which
when dry is nearly as hard as stone, and in the very depths of
tliat nest, the royal cell, in itself a strong fort, is situated. So
important indeed is the queen, that if a Termite colony should
prove so noxious that it must be destroyed, an experienced
Termite- killer does not in the least trouble himself to destroy
in detail the vast army of workers and soldiers. It would,
indeed, be of little use to do so, for the queen lays such vast
numbers* of eggs that even if some twenty or thirty thousand
Termites were killed, the loss would soon be made good. Know-
ing the habits of the insects, the Termite-hunter breaks into the
nest, searches for the royal cell, and carries it off. From that
moment the life of the community begins to flag, and in a short
time the nest, with its multitudinous ramifications, becomes
deserted, just as does a hive from which the actual and possible
queens are taken.

Now for the third kind of Termite; namely, the Soldier. One
of these soldiers is represented in the illustration on page 382.
The soldiers take on themselves the defence of the nest and the
direction of the workers. If a breach be made in the nest, out

382 INSECTS ABROAD.

rushes a body of soldiers, with widely-opened ja^\'s, all eager to
attack the foe, and absolutely incapable of fear. Then other
soldiers muster long lines of labourers, each carrying a piece
of clay, and in a wonderfully short time the breach is repaired.
It is very strange that both the workers and soldiers sliould be
absolutely without eyes, and yet able to construct the compli-
cated edifices for which they are so celebrated. Still, such is
the case— blind soldiers directing the blind workers by some
system of signalling which we cannot understand. In propor-
tion to the ^labourers the soldiers are very few in number,
scarcely more than 1 per cent.

In my collection are some of the specimens from which the
illustrations were drawn. The enormous head is brown-black,
hard, horny, and not with the
strongest light and the best glass
can the least indication of eyes
be seen upon any part of the
head. The large and powerful
jaws are shining black, and, in
order to allow of free movement,

185.— Temes dims Soldier ^^q gg^- jj^ r^^ ygj,y ^^Jggp tranSVerse

(Pale brown.) . - p -i t J

groove m front ot the head.
The power of these jaws is manifest, even in a dead and dry
specimen, by viewing it on the under- side. Along the centre
there is a narrow horny ridge, which contains the muscles for
moving the secondary pair of jaws, or maxillee. But, on either
side of the ridge, the head swells out into two pear-shaped
lobes, each of them nearly as large as the thorax and abdomen
together. These lobes contain and give support to the muscles
which move the mandibles, or first pair of jaws, whose size and
power can be far better seen on the under than on the upper
surface, where a considerable portion of the base is hidden by
the projecting front of the head. Compared with the enormous
head, the legs are quite slender and feeble, and the abdomen,
even in a fresh state, is comparatively insignificant.

HYMENOPTERA.

HYMENOPTERA.

CHAPTEK T.

Sm' FLIES.

This order of insects is easily known by the structure of the
wings. These organs are four in number, membranous, and
without either scales or hairs. The second pair are always
smaller than the first, and have not nearly so many veins.
During flight these two pairs of wings are connected together
by a series of little hooks, so that they practically form one
single pair. The mouth is furnished with horny jaws, and the
females possess an ovipositor, which either takes the form of a
saw-like instrument, as in the Saw Flies, or a sting, as in the
bees, wasps, and ichneumon flies. In some cases, as in the
ants, the wings are not present in all the individuals, and the
reader will remember that the same is the case with the
Termites, which have just been described.

Their number is absolutely enormous, and even in our own
country from three to four thousand species of Hymenoptera are
known. In this land they do not attain any great size, our
largest Hymenopterous insect being the well-known Humble
Bee, but in various parts of the world some species grow to a
considerable size, as we shall presently see.

We begin our account of the Hymenoptera with the Saw Flies,
so called from the curious structure of the ovipositor. This organ
is intended for the deposition of eggs in slits which are cut in the
bark or the leaf-stems of various trees and plants, and is made in
a very beautiful manner. There are scarcely any two genera of
Saw Flies in which the ovipositor is made in exactly the same
manner, so we must content ourselves with a general description,
c c

386 INSECTS ABROAD.

At the eud of the abdomen, and on the under side, is a pair
of horny plates, each edged with teeth like those of a saw. The
plates curve slightly upwards, and each slides backwards and
forwards in a groove sunk in another horny plate, which thus
serves both as a support and a guide. As the saw has to be
employed in cutting green wood, it cannot be made simply by a
Hat plate edged with teeth, like the saws with which dry timber
is cut. Each saw is rather thick, and the teeth are arranged
very much like those on the back of a sapper's sword. On a
closer examination with the microscope the teeth are seen to be
further elaborated, each separate tooth being a conical cutting
instrument with some eight or ten sharp edges. And in order to
secure a wide groove, or " kerf " as carpenters call it, the edges
of the saws are furnished with a sharp zigzag projection, some-
thing resembling a knife-blade that has been folded in this form ,
/\/\/\/\/\/, and fixed with its back against the side of
the saw.

When used the saws are worked alternately, so that a wide
groove is cut in a very short time. Having thus performed the
office of the saw, they then assume that of the ovipositor, the
blades diverging so as to permit the passage of an egg, which is
then placed in the groove. A small drop of some irritant fluid
follows the egg, and causes the edges of the groove to swell, and
so enclose the egg firmly between them. Here it is kept until
the time for hatching, when the young grub crawls out, and
betakes itself to the leaves for its subsistence. In our own
country these insects are often very injurious, the worst of them
all being the dreaded Turnip Fly (Athalia centifolice), whose
grey-black grubs are so well known under the name of Niggers.

We will take a few specimens of these curious insects, and
mention a few of their peculiarities as we proceed. The species
which is shown on the next page is found in the neighbourhood
of Hudson's Bay, and derives its specific name from the shape
of the clypeus, which is triangular in the male sex. The head
is black and shining, and the thorax and base of the abdomen
are also black, but covered with short grey hairs. The rest of
the abdomen is dark chestnut with a yellowish tinge. The
thighs are black, and the rest of the legs yellow, and the wings
are all yellow and glossy.

This is a very large genus, and in the British Museum are a

LARVA OF THE CIMBEX. 387

vast number of species, one of the most remarkable of which is
Cimhex variahilin, also found near Hudson's Bay. This insect
is so exceedingly variable that its definition as a species must
have been most difficult. Some specimens are black, with the
abdomen white, except a black stripe along the centre. Others
are coloured after the same fashion, excepting that mahogany
brown takes the place of the black. Others are almost wholly
white, while some are black, with white or yellow stripes along
the sides.

The larvae belonging to this genus have twenty-two feet ;
namely, six on the thorax, fourteen on the abdomen, and two
on the last segment. When touched they have the power of

Fig. 186.— Cimbextrianguhira.
(Black, last portion of the abdomen chestnut.)

spurting from little holes along their sides a greenish fluid, pro-
bably acting as a defence against enemies. Some allied species
have this secretion so abundant and so viscid that it perpetually
exudes, and when the creature is at rest makes it look just like
a lump of slime.

These larvse are found on the upper surface of the leaves.
When they have finished feeding, they spin an oval cocoon of
very tough and parchment-like material, in which they pass
through the pupal stage. This stage is a very brief one, but
that of the larva is very long, the creature retaining its larval
form for a considerable period after it has completed the cocoon.

As is the case with many insects, there is a considerable
distinction in the antennae of the two sexes in the genus of
which an example is given on the next page. It is a native of
c c 2

388

INSECTS ABliOAD.

Australia, and is a very beautiful insect. The head, thorax, and
upper part of the abdomen are shining blue, like the surface of a
watch-spring ; and the middle of the body, the scutellum, and a
small patch on either side in front of the wings, are bright,
shining yellow. In the male insect the antennse take the beau-
tiful form which is here
shown. Tliere are about
twenty joints, and each
joint is furnished with
an appendage, longest in
the middle of the an-
tennae, and shortening
gradually towards the tip.
As the light shifts about,
the shadows j^lay back-
wards and forwards along
the antenntB in a very
beautiful manner. A very
similar structure of the antenuse is seen in the Ehipidocera,
which has been described on page 168. This beautiful struc-
ture exists only in the male, the antenna of the female being
quite simple and thread-like.

One species, PterygojjJwnis cyaneus, is all blue, just like a
blue-bottle fly.

The insect which is here drawn is new to science, and is one

Fig. 187.— Pterygopliorus iiiterrm)tu.s.
(Shining blue and yellow.)

Flu. 188. — Tenthredo eoccinocems.
(Green and blue.)

(New species.)

of a great number of unnamed species of Tenthredo now in the
British Museum. It is a native of Darjeeling, in India.

THE PURPLE-HORN SAW FLY. 389

This is a really splendid insect. The head and thorax are
metallic green, just like green foil, and the abdomen is bur-
nished blue, glossed with green. The legs are of the same
colour as the abdomen, and the antennae are purple, for which
reason I have given it the specific name of cocdnocems, or
"purple-horn." The wings are brownish, but glossed with
green.

Our last example of the Saw Flies is the Derecyrta 2'>ictipcnnis.
The example which is here drawn is in the British Museum,
and was. brought from Ega, in the Amazons, by Mr. Bates.

It is a pretty though not a splendid insect, and derives its
beauty quite as much from the wings as from the body. The
head is shining and black, lookiufj ver^ nnich like a little black

FiG. 189. — Derecyrta plctippnnis.
(Yellow and brown.)

glass bead. The thorax is yellow, and so is the abdomen, with
the exception of a black tip. The wings are mostly brown, but
there is a broad yellow patch across the centre, and another, of
a similar colour, near the base. The lower wings are coloured
in a very similar manner, except that they are more translucent
than the upper pair.

Another group now comes before us, namely, the Uroceridfr.
This word literally signifies "horn-tailed," and is given to the
insects because the ovipositor projects from the end of the
abdomen like a short stout horn. At first sight no organs
appear to be more unlike each other than the ovipositor of the
Uroceridse and that of the Saw Flies. A careful examination,

390 INSECTS ABKOAD.

however, shows that uot ouly are they identical in their parts,
though the structure of those parts is modified, but that the
double saw of the Saw Flies, the horn-like projection of the
Uroceridse, the long hair -like ovipositor of the ichneumon flies,
and the envenomed sting of the bees and wasps, are but
slightly modified variations of the same organ.

It is impossible to give a full description of so complex
and beautifully-made a structure as the ovipositor of the
Hymenoptera without the aid of many illustrations, and I must
therefore only mention the salient points.

As the insects are not required to cut notches into soft wood,
as is the case with the Saw Flies, the powerful saws are not
needed, and are modified into two small spiculse, in which the
notches or teeth are still preserved, thongh they are too small
for actual use. The two horny plates which strengthen the
saws are soldered together, so as to support the central boring
instrument. This is a really wonderful piece of mechanism,
and I may as well here repeat the description given in my
" Insects at Home," and taken from the ovipositor of our fine
English species, Urocerus (or Sirex) gigas. It is scarcely needful
to observe that this organ is only possessed by the female
insect.

"I very strongly recommend any of my readers who may
obtain a female insect to disengage the actual borer from its
two-bladed sheath, and examine it with the aid of a microscope.
A half-inch object-glass will give quite sufiicient power. It is
straight and stiff, but elastic, as if made of steel, and, if bent, will
spring back to its proper form with the elasticity of a Toledo
rapier. In form it somewhat resembles the instrument known
technically as a 'rymer,' except that the edges are rounded, and
not square. But the borer possesses an auxiliary cutting appa-
ratus which places it far above the rymer in point of efficacy.

" Even with an ordinary magnifying lens, it is easy to see that
the end of the borer is developed into a sharp head very much
resembling that of a boarding-pike, and that the outline of the
shaft is broken into a series of notches. The half-inch glass,
however, discloses a marvellous example of mechanical excel-
lence. The head of the borer is then seen to be armed with
long sharp teeth, slightly curved inwards, and acting just as
docs the carpenter's ordinary centre-bit.

THE SIREX. 391

" So much for the head of the borer : we will now turn to the
shaft. It appears that in ordei to make a clean-cut hole for
the reception of the egg, tlie shaft of the borer has to finish the
task which the head begins. Accordingly, it is armed on each
of its sides with a series of hard sharp-edged ridges, running
diagonally across it, and acting exactly as do the sharp ridges of
a coffee-mill. A more effective implement could not have been
invented, and the various boring instruments of modern days,
however novel they may appear to be, are in reality formed on
exactly the same principle as the borer of the Sirex, though
perhaps they may not carry out their object with such
perfection."

The Uroceridse all deposit their eggs in trees, the ovipositor
first boring a tolerably deep hole, and then placing an egg at its
further extremity. As soon as the egg is hatched, the young
larva makes its way into the trunk of the tree, where it resides
for a considerable time, and causes much damage to the timber
by its perforations. Even in this country, where the Uroceridte
are comparatively scarce, whole plantations of fir-trees have
been very seriously injured, and in some cases the timber was
so filled with perforations that it was useless except for
firewood.

There is much doubt among entomologists whether any of
the Uroceridae are genuine inhabitants of this country. A vast
amount of fir timber is annually imported, and in that timber
great numbers of the larvae have been known to exist. Con-
sequently, when they emerge in the perfect state and fly into
the open air, they instinctively search for growing fir-trees, and
proceed to deposit their eggs upon them. Another doubt exists,
or rather has existed, respecting these insects, some ento-
mologists thinking that the larvae do not feed upon the wood,
but upon the larvae of wood-eating beetles that had taken pos-
session of the tree. This conjecture is now considered to be
groundless, and it is certain that the structure of the head and
jaws is exactly such as would be required by a wood-boring
insect. Indeed, the larva of this insect looks almost exactly like
that of a wood-eating beetle.

There is a curious point in the structure of the larval jaws.
Both are strong, horny, rather square in form, and armed with
several teeth and a large horny lobe. But one is compressed

392

INSECTS ABROAD.

and the other depressed, i.e. one is flattened as if pinched side-
ways, and the other as if pressed downwards, so that their mode
of action must be very remarkable.

The fine insect which is given as an example of this group of
Hymenoptera is a native of North America. It is not only con-
spicuous on account of its size, but for the beauty of its colour-
ing. The wings are brown glossed with blue, and the abdomen
is bright golden yellow, over which are drawn five bands of
purple, so deep that it looks black unless a strong light is
brought to bear upon it. The head and thorax are yellowish
brown, very much granulated, the colour being darker in the
middle of the thorax than on the sides. The under surface is
black, and the legs are yellow.

Pio. 190. -Tremex Cnlomb.i.
(Purple and yellow.)

As is the case with the British species, this is a most variable
insect in point of size, some specimens being not much more
than half the length of the others, the difference in size being
exactly that of a stout man of six feet high and a weazened
dwarf of three feet. In the collection of the British INIuseum
are great numbers of allied species, not differing materially from
those of our own country.

CHAPTER II.

ENTOMOPHAGA, OR ICFINEUMONS AND GALL FLLES.

The large group of Hymenoptera which comes next in order is
almost wholly parasitic in its character — most of the species
feeding, while in the larval state, on the bodies of other insects.
There are, however, many whicli obtain their subsistence from
plants, whicli are wounded by the mother insect and are deve-
loped into the curious growths which are popularly called galls.
The arrangement of these insects is singularly intricate, and in
many points still affords objects of controversy to systematic
entomologists. We will therefore content ourselves with a
general rather than a detailed view of those remarkable insects,
and place them under the comprehensive name of Ichneumonidfe.

Many of these insects deposit their eggs within the bodies of
larvae that are buried either in wood or in the earth. Anyone
would think that the grub of a wood-boring beetle, or the cater-
pillar of a wood-boring moth, would be quite safe from any
external enemies, so long as it remained concealed within the
timber. The Ichneumon Flies, however, are able, by some mys-
terious instinct, not only to discover the exact locality of the
hidden larva, but in spite of all obstacles to deposit their eggs
within it. Slight and delicate as is the ovipositor in many
species, the actual borer being scarcely thicker than a hair, it
can make its way even through thick wood, and thus act as
a channel through which the Qgg is conveyed to its destination.
The movement by which this operation is conducted is exactly
that which is employed by a carpenter when using a brad-awl.

Without going further into details, we will proceed to the
examination of the insects which have been selected as typical
examples of this vast group.

394

INSECTS ABROAD.

Australia possesses many remarkable species of Iclmeiimon
Flies, one of which is the Mcgalyra SJmckardi, which is here
shown of the natural size.

The general colour of this insect is black. The head and
thorax are deeply pitted or granulated, very much like the end
of a lady's thimble, and are variegated here and there by little
patches of short white hairs, the most conspicuous of which are
on the two lower angles of the thorax. The abdomen is smooth,
shining black, with the exception of the tufts of white hairs
which project from beneath the segments on each side, and are

Fig. 191.— Megalyra Shuckardi.
(Black, with patches of white hair.)

exceedingly conspicuous. The wings are dark brown in the
middle, and become rather paler towards the edges.

The ovipositor of the female insect is exceedingly long, and
is composed of three distinct parts ; namely, the actual borer,
which occupies the centre, and a pair of sheatlis which serve to
protect it when not in use. The colour of the borer is pale
brown, and that of the sheaths nearly black. Long as they are,
they are so slender that the three together are scarcely so thick
as a single horsehair. When the insect has been dead for some
little time, the parts of the ovipositor are apt to separate and
to fall into a lyre-like form ; and it is in consequence of this

OVIPOSITOR OF THE ICHNEUMON. :-'95

propensity that Mr. Westwood gave to the genus the name of
Megalyra, or " large lyre."

Formidable as this instrument looks, it is really quite harm-
less, and, though it can pierce through living timber, cannot
produce any injurious effect upon the human skin. Unlike the
sting of the bee or wasp, it is not connected with any reservoir
of poison, its only use being to introduce the egg into the body
of the hidden larva. Many of these insects will, when seized,
bend the abdomen and bring the end of the ovipositor against
the hand. The movement is, however, nothing more than a
menace, and the worst that the insect can do is that a slight
prick may be felt. Acting on a similar principle, our common
ringed snake will strike at an assailant as fiercely as if it were
armed with venomous fangs, and wear so threatening an aspect
that even those who know its harmless character cannot avoid a
momentary shock.

The male of this species is a very curious creature. Of course
he does not possess the ovipositor, but the strangest thing is
that he hardly possesses any wings. This is quite a reversal of
the usual system. All who have even a slight acquaintance
with entomology are aware that in many insects the male
possesses wings while the female is wingless.

The reason for this variation of structure is clearly shown by
Mr. Westwood : — " An exceedingly interesting species has been
communicated to me by M. Audouin, which he discovered to be
parasitic in the provisioned nests of Odynerus, Anthophora, and
Osmia. The male has most singular antennae, and minute rudi-
ments of wings, so that it does not quit the cell; but the female is
enabled, by means of her full-sized wings, to seek other cells for
her progeny. Mr. F. Smith pointed out to me that the nervures
of the wings are arranged somewhat differently in the two sexes,
the rudimental wings of the male possessing a petiolated cell
which does not exist in the fully developed wing of the female."

Another species, Megalyra fascipcnnis, also an Australian
insect, is much of the same size and colour, except that there
are no patches of white hairs, and that the wings are pale, with
a broad dark bar across the middle.

In the insects belonging to the genus Pelecinus, a very
singular structure will be observed. Instead of having a short

396

INSECTS ABROAD.

abdomen and a long ovipositor, the abdomen is exceedingly long,
and the ovipositor short. The abdomen, indeed, is lengthened
so greatly, that at a hasty glance the insect looks exactly like a
Dragon Fly. In this respect it bears a singular contrast to tlie
Evanias, which seem to be all thorax and hind-legs, the abdomen
being a mere insignificant little appendage to the large thorax.
The insects inhabit North America, and in some districts are
exceedingly common. The specimen which is here figured was
l)rought from Trenter Falls, New York, by Mr. Doubleday.

Fig 192— Poleijinus polyl,urator.
(Shining Ijlack.)

On looking at any of these insects, it is evident that the long
abdomen answers the same purpose as the long ovipositor, and
that it enables the insect to deposit its eggs in the body of some
larva which it could not otherwise reach. A visitor to the
British Museum lately said that in the pine forests of Canada
the Pelecini absolutely swarmed, and that hundreds of them
might be found on the trunks of the trees dead and stiff, with
their abdomen thrust deeply into the burrow made by some
wood-boring insect. In some places they were so numerous
that a dozen or so could be swept off by a single stroke of the
hand down the tree-trunk. This characteristic anecdote at once

VALUE OF THE ICHNEUMON FLIES.

397

establishes the exceeding value of the Pelecini in saving the
pine forests from insect destroyers, and shows how wonderfully
the balance of Nature is preserved as long as man does not
interfere.

The colour of the insect is shining black, and the wings are
generally translucent, though in some specimens a few dark
blotches are seen, varying exceedingly in depth of colour, size,
and position. The very remarkable hind-legs must not pass
unnoticed, the tibia swelling into a pear-like form, and the
whole limb being exceedingly long if contrasted with the head
and thorax, though short when compared with the abdomen. The
name Fehcinus literally means " a pelican," and why it should
be applied to the insect is more than I can understand.

One more point must be mentioned. Everything
has its uses. The female Megalyra has a long
because she is needed to lay ^
eggs in deeply hidden larvoe.
The male performs no such
task, and consequently lias no
ovipositor. In the present in-
stance, the greatly elongated
abdomen only belongs to the
female, that of the male being
short and club-shaped.

in Nature
ovipositor

As to the typical genus Ich-
neumon, it is so vast, and con-
tains such multitudes of species,
that the mere sight of the crea-
tures is enough to make anyone
recoil in despair from them.
Take, for example, the collec-
tion at the British Museum. A
positive army of Ichneumons
is already arranged, while there
are multitudes awaiting their
turn for being named and
classified. None are large, while some are exceedingly minute
— being so small that they are fixed on cardboard, the finest pin
being too coarse for their tiny bodies.

Fio. 193.— Ichneumon arrogator.
(Black and yellow.)

398

INSECTS ABROAD.

The species selected for illustration is on account of its being
one of the largest of the group, and so gives a good idea of the
general form and structure of these insects. Its colour is almost
entirely black, but the basal part of the abdomen is yellow, this
colour extending to some two-thirds of its length. The wings
are dark brown and rather shining. It is remarkable that,
although this genus is so enormous, there is scarcely any range
of colour, the hues being nothing but black, grey, and yellow ;
and even the last mentioned hue being of a dull nature.

The present species is a native of Albania.

The fine insect from which the accompanying illustration
was drawn is in the British Museum, and, as far as is known,
is an unique specimen. It was brought from Natal.

Fio. 194.— Scolobates (?).
(Black ; wings glossed with purple.)

Independent of its size, which is quite gigantic for one of the
Ichneumons, it is a singularly handsome insect. The head and

AN UNIQUE INSECT. 399

body are black, and so is the abdomen, the latter being clothed
with a coat of short, soft, dense pile, which makes it look exactly
as if it had been cut out of the finest black silk velvet. The
legs are black, with the exception of the tibia, which are pale
brown.

The chief beauty of the insect, however, lies in the wings,
which are ample, very shining, and, when viewed from above,
seem to be simply brown. When, however, a strong side-light
is thrown upon them, they flash out into the most brilliant
purple, as if they had been made of purple mother-of-pearl. The
ovipositor is exceedingly long, and much stouter than is gene-
rally the case, the two portions which form the sheath being
each of them as thick as the entire ovipositor of the Megalyra.

The reader will perceive that a note of interrogation is placed
after the generic name Scolohates. This is done because the
insect has not as yet been examined and its place in nature
settled. All that is known is, that it is at all events allied to
the genus Scolobates, even if it does not belong to it, and it has
therefore been provisionally attached to that genus.

The well-known genus Pimpla has many foreign representa-
tives, of which the species here figured is a conspicuous example.

>-- "v-.vtiv,^^:

Fig. 195. — Pimpla intricatoria.
(Black, with yellow spots.)

It is very simple in colouring, the body and abdomen being
shining black, with a few short streaks of bright yellow upon

400 INSECTS ABROAD.

the sides of the abdomen, and some spots of the same colour
on the thorax. The wings are quite transhicent, except that
on the top of the upper wings there are two black spots, as
shown in the illustration. It inhabits Australia.

All the Ichneumonidse are liable to great variation in point
of size, and in none of them is this variation so extreme as
in the genus Pimpla. Even in the present species, the variation
is so great that none but an entomologist would think that
insects so apparently distinct could possibly belong to the same
species.

The reason for this difference is simple enough. In its lan'al
stage the young Ichneumon feeds upon the larva of some other
insect, the victim not being visible to the mother Ichneumon,
and therefore permitting no choice. It may be that she happens
to hit upon a large and well-fed larva, in which the young one
finds ample nourishment, and is enabled to reach the fullest
development of which the species admits. But she may happen
to hit upon the larva of some small insect, and in that case it is
evident that the amount of nourishment must be circumscribed.

Now, it always happens with insects, that even though they
are stinted of food while larvee, they are not debarred from
attaining the perfect form, although in such cases they are not
half as large as those which have been more fortunate. In fact,
I believe that with insects, whether British or foreign, all varia-
tions in size are occasioned by the amount of food which they
obtain in the larval state.

On the next page we have another example of the Ichneumons
with long ovipositors.

Even in the present species the length of that organ is very
remarkable, but there are some species in which it is very much
longer in proportion to the size of its owner. The most astonish-
ing of these insects is one that has not yet been described, and
which is in the collection of the British Museum. In tliis
species the basal half of the abdomen is yellow, and the rest
black. Mr. E. Smith kindly measured it, and found that while
the length of the insect from the head to the end of the tail
is barely one inch, that of the ovipositor is six inches and a
half. I wish that I could have introduced a portrait of this
most remarkable insect, but, inasmuch as the illustration must

A LONG OAMPOSITOR.

401

have been at least eight inches in length, of which six and a
half are occupied by three hair-like lines, such an illustration
would have been nothing but a waste of the space which we can
so ill afford.

This insect was brought from Bogota, and has not yet been

named.

The present species has only recently found a place among the
arrano-ements of the British Museum. It was brought from the

f iG J 'Jo. — Rln hs I nobilitator
(black inil jello-n )

Celebes by ]\Ir. Wallace, who has done so much toward enrich-
ing our collections. Its colour is light yellow and shining black,
arranged in the peculiar pattern shown in the illustration.
There are some species of Ehyssa inhabiting China. They much
resemble the Celebes insect, except that chestnut has taken
the place of black. Another species, Bhyssa lunator, is well
known in Canada. It is about as large as Rhyssa notilitator,
but is paler in colour and has the ovipositor half as long
again.

D D

402 INSECTS ABROAD.

Thi-. genus Thyreodon extends over a considerable portion of
the globe.

The hue insect wliicli is here shown is a native of Brazil, and
is one of the largest as well as the most beautiful of the genus.
The head is black, and the thorax appears at first to be of the
same colour, but is in reality of the richest and deepest purple,
with a velvet-like surface. The abdomen is black. It is much
compressed, and is attached to the thorax by a curiously long

^. -

Fig. 197.— Thyreodon cyaneus.
(Black ; Avings glossed with purple.)

and curved footstalk. The wings are singularly lieautii'ul, luMug
dark brown glossed with purple, and shining like mother-of-
pearl.

There are many species of Thyreodon in the British Museum.
Another Brazilian species has the wings bi'own, with a large
pale yellow spot in the middle of each ; and one which inhabits
China has the wings glossed with a beautiful golden yellow.

Among all the larger Ichneumon Flies there are none that
surpass in beauty the species which is figured ou the next page,
and very few that even approach it.

There is nothing very remarkable about the body, which is
black, as are the head and thorax. The legs are also black,
except the basal half of the tibia, which is yellow. The chief
beauty of the insect lies in its wings, which are coloured in a
most gorgeous fashion. As is the case with so many oi' these
insects, the wings appear to l)e plain lnnwii when vit'.wed with

A NEW INSECT. 403

a direct and not very strong liglit; but when the liglit is allowed
to fall upon them sideways, they flash out into all sorts <A'
colours. So great, indeed, is the variety of colour, that it is
almost impossible to fix on any one here as predominating.
Perhaps a ruddy copper may be considered as the ground
colour, and upon it are patches of crimson, azure, purple, and
gold, each patch shifting its colour together with the direction
of the liglit.

These colours are rendered more intense by tlie structure (it
the wings, which are not flat and smooth like those of most
Ichneumons, but covered with little crumples. In fact, when
viewed with a magnifying-glass, the surface of the wings pre-
sents just the same appearance as does a sheet of paper when it
li;is been rolled into a ball and then flattened out arroin

C "-^V'W/J -i' ret-

Fig. 19S.— Ospryucliot.us o)ijurg.it(>r
(Black; winj;s inauy-coloured.)

This species comes from the Congo, and fortunately some of
its habits are known. It is parasitic upon the solitary bee
called Eumeiics tindor, one of the burrowing bees. In the
British Museum there is a fine group of these nests, the burrows
being sunk into a piece of clay. And from that group of nests
was hatched the specimen whose portrait is given above.

The remarkable insect which is shown on page 404 has not
been described, although the authorities of the British Museum
have placed it in its proper genus.

The body is shining black, with a few white marks on the
edges of the abdomen near the base. The wings are brown,
]) 1) 2

404

INSECTS ABROAD.

diversified with some white spots, arranged as shown in tlie
illustration. The large s})ot, however, on the upper edge of
the wing is not white, but rich golden yellow, for which reason

FiG. 190. — liracon aureoiiiaculatum. (New species.)
(Black; wings brown witli yellow spots.)

I have given to the insect the specific name of aureomaculatam,
i.e. " spotted with gold." The ovipositor is of enormous length.

All who have lived in the country and used their eyes must
be familiar with the curious excrescences called galls, which
appear upon the leaves, branches, and even roots of trees. These
galls are produced by a group of insects called, scientifically,
Cynipides, and popularly known as Gall Flies.

The process is almost exactly like that by which the Ichneu-
mon Flies deposit their eggs in the bodies of other insects. The
mother Gall Fly pierces with her ovipositor the leaf, twig, or
bark, inserts the egg, and injects at the same time a small drop
of a fluid which produces very extraordinary effects. That
portion of the plant which comes in contact with the liquid is

GROWTH OF THE GALLS. 405

forced into an abnormal growth, and rapidly encloses the egg.
Sometimes, especially on leaves, the galls are quite spherical,
and of about the same consistence as a green gooseberry. Other
leaf-galls are quite flat, like so many small coins stuck on the
leaf; while others hang by strings like bunches of currants.
Some are covered with leaf-like appendages, and look like
miniature artichokes ; while others, like the well-l^inovt'n bede-
guar of the rose, are clothed with a dense mass of long, soft
filaments.

In the midst of tlie gall lies the young larva, which feeds
upon the soft centre of the gall, and by continually eating
makes for itself a little cell, which increases in proportion to the
size of its body. It is evident that all locomotion is denied to
the larva, and that all it can do is to turn round and round in
its cell. Consequently it has no legs, and is only able to move
itself about by the edges of the rings or segments of its body.

As a general rule, the larva remains in the gall until it
assumes the perfect form, and then gnaws its way into the open
air. There are some species, however, which wriggle their way
out of the gall before they become pupse, fall to the ground,
burrow in it, and there undergo their changes. Generally there
is only one larva in each gall, but there are several species in
which a great number are found in the same gall, each larva
occupying its separate cell. The bedeguar of the rose and the
oak-root gall are familiar British examples of these compound
galls.

Even in England there are many species of Gall Flies, while
the foreign species seem to be without number. In the collec-
tion of the British Museum, besides a vast number of species
tliat have been named, described, and arranged, there are whole
drawers full of species that have as yet received no name. They
are all little insects, the species which is drawn on page 405
being one of the largest. The figure is magnified two and a half
diameters. It is one of the American insects, the. specimen
which is figured having been taken in Massachusetts. As is
the case with most of the genus, tlie colour is dark, being
simply shining black. The wings are translucent, with the
exception of the spot, which is black, fading into brown.

These insects are examples of the uses tliat lie hidden in
Nature. INlany thousands of years had the Gall Flies been making

406 INSECTS ABROAD.

their wonderful cells before anyone discovered that the galls
which disfigured the oak could be of any service to man. Yet,
within the gall lay the principal element of the ink which has
had as important a part to play in civilization as has the press
itself, the latter depending almost wholly on the former. Scarcely
laiger than average-sized hazel-nuts, the galls absolutely crowd
the branches of an oak which grows plentifully in the Levant,
and so it is to these insignificant insects that we owe one of the
most absolute necessities of modern existence. The galls are to
be procured at most chemists' shops ; and anyone who wishes
to procure the insect can do so by selecting those galls which
have no holes in them. On cutting them open, the insect will
generally be found inside. Such specimens are technically

Fig 200 — Cyniiis confluent.
(Black.)

called " green " galls, " blue " galls, or " black " galls, and are
thought to make better ink than the " white " galls, from which
the insects have escaped.

Asa general rule, the species which made any particular gall
can be identified by keeping the specimen until the insects are
hatched out. All rules, however, have exceptions, and such
is the case with the galls. Sometimes, although the specimen
has been kept in a box by itself, two distinct species of insects
will be hatched from it, or a single species which is clearly not
a Gall Fly at all. The fact is that there are certain Ichneumon
Flies, called Evanias, which are parasitic upon the larvre of the
Gall Flies ; and the consequence is, that in a compound gall both
the true Gall Flies and Evanias are hatched, while in single galls
the Evania takes the place of the Gall Fly.

The next illustration represents an insect called Scleroderma
dtfx. This genus has, until lately, been placed among the

TIIK SCLERODEEMA.

407

Scoliadpe, a grou]) of insects which will presently be descrilietl,
but has now been shifted to its present position.

The whole of the species belonging to this genus, of which
there are great numbers, are parasitic upon the larvse and pupa
of moths. They are __ \\ v v ^ ""'^^..--

little creatures, and =5^ass. ..-^.^ )'.

the present species,
which is among the
largest, has been mag-
nified two diameters,
so as to enable its real
form to be seen. It
is a native of Para,
and its colour is pale
yellow. The reader
will doubtless have noticed the curiously swollen thigh of the
hind leg. It is armed on the lower edge with a row of sliort
teeth, and when the curved tibia are closed upon it, the insect
looks as if it were one of the jumpers.

>A '

liul.-Scleixideniia dux
(Pale yellow )

Members of the genus Scleroderma are spread over a great
portion of the world. The curious little insect which is here
shown is a native of Albania. It is very small, as may be seen

J/..^N^..^V^

Fig. 202.— Sclerodeiina cjlmdnca.
(Reddish brown.)

by the line on the right of the illustration, which represents
the real length of the female. Tlie male is very much smaller
than his mate — so small, indeed, that it cannot be examined

408

INSECTS ABROAD.

without tlie aid of a tolerably powerful magnifying-giass. The
body of an ordiuary specimen is very much the same size as the
letter i ; and if an o be placed at either side of the i, they will
be about as large as the wings. The generic name of Sclero-
derma is formed from two Greek words signifying "hard-
skinned," and is given to these insects on account of the hard-
ness of the intecfuments.

The species which is here represented is one of a large and
very interesting group of insects. There are many of them,
and this particular species has been selected because it is one
of the largest of the group. As a rule they are very small,

Fig. 'Ji!:i. — Leucospis Aruera.
(Black, wiUi yellow marks.)

and the insects of this genus are absolute giants among pigmies
when compared with their relatives.

Their habits are rather remarkable. They are parasitic upon
various Hymenoptera, especially upon the Mason Bees. The mode
in which the female deposits her eggs is very curious. The ovi-
positor is very long, and when at rest is turned over the back, its
point passing over the thorax of tlie insect. On account of this
structure it was thought by some entomologists that the Leu-
cospis was obliged to attack its victim from behind. According,
however, to an account given to Mr. Westwood by an eye-
witness, this is not the case, and the insect proceeds as follows : —

Mason Bees always choose for tlicir building-place a hole in.
an old wall.. In this hole tliey (h'i)o.^it an egg, together with
u supply of food for the young Lirva, and then close it up.

MODK OF 1)EP(>SITIX(; EGGS. 4(19

The Leucospis liunt.s over the walls until .she has discovercil
a Mason Bee's nest, and then settles by it. Piaising herself as
high as possible on her tarsi, she slowly brings the ovipositor
i'rom the upper to the under side of the body, the point pro-
jecting beyond the head. She then carefully works the ovi-
positor into the nest until she has fairly buried it, and then,
passing an egg between the blades of the instrument, leaves it
in the nest. In course of time the egg is hatched, and the
larva eats not only the food which was intended for the Mason
Bee larva, but the larva itself. Here, then, we have another
example of the difficulty which is often found in determining
a species by hatching the insect out of the nest — a parasite
taking the place of the rightful inhabitant.

The specimen which is given in the illustration is a male, this
being known by the absence of the ovipositor and the form of
the abdomen, which has only three joints, or segments, that of
the female having five. Its colour is black, varied with golden
patches and .spots. The wings are yellowish brown. The genus
has a very wide range, and in the British Museum there are
specimens from Europe, Asia, and nearly the whole of America.
This species inhabits An'i, whence its specific name of Arucra.

Bi' referring to the illustration, the reader will see that the
two preceding insects are remarkable for the thickening of the
thigh of the hind legs. This thickening is carried out to a
much greater extent in the remarkal)le insect whi(di is here
shown, and M'hich is called
Phasganophora, or " blade-
bearer," because the thigh
is modified into a broad,
flat, blade-like shape.

In the female insect
the ovipositor is very con-
spicuous, the instrument
itself being black, and the
sheaths broad, triangular,

and of a bright yellow colour. This apparatus is shown just
above the flattened portion of the hind leg. The wings are
transparent, and tlie wliolc of the body of the insect is black,
the abdomen being polished and shining, and the thorax and

410

INSECTS ABROAD.

head dull and granulated. This species is a native of Java.
In order to show the peculiar structure of the hind leg and the
ovipositor, the figure has been drawn rather larger than the

insect.

In the very unpretending form of Lycisca Roiivxndi we ha'v'e
one of the most splendid insects that the earth produces. As
is tlie case with many insects which have already been described,
the colours are so exceedingly rich that they can hardly be seen
except in a brilliant light. When placed in a drawer with other
insects, the Lycisca might easily be passed over as one of no
greater beauty than those which surround it ; but when a gleam
of light darts across it, the sudden flash of emerald-green and
criniJ^on at once catches the eye.

Fig. 205.— I-ycisca Roinamli
(Green, critnson, and black.)

The abdomen of this species is divided boldly into two
colours, tlie basal half beiug vivid crimson and the rest shining
green. The whole of the abdomen has a metallic polish. Tlu^
thorax is deep black, covered vv^ith bars and dots of emerald-
green, and the wings are transparent, the upper pair having
two patches of deep velvety black. It is a Brazilian insect.
There are four species of Lycisca in the collection of the British
Museum, and this species is much the largest of the four.

The curiously shaped insect which is shown in the next
illustration is a very small one — barely one-third of an incli
in length, and the figure, therefore, has been magnified tln-ee
diameters larger than the insect itself.

RESEMBLANCE TO THE ANT. 411

It has a singularly ant-like appearance, and to an ordinary
observer is so exactly like a yellow ant with long legs, that he
would probably set it down as belonging to those insects. Its
colour is pale yellow.

The insect belongs to the family of the Proctotrupidre, a group
of Hymenoptera which has a very large range. The present
species is a native of the Celebes Islands, but others are found
spread over the greater part of the world. Even our own
country produces Gonatoims pedestris. This little insect frequents
hot, sandy places, and, where the sand is white and fine, can be
captured on account of its habit of falling into deep footprints
and other hollows in the sand, into which it rolls much after
the same manner that the victims of the Ant Lion are caught.
Mr. E. A. Smith tells me
that he has often taken it
at Lowestoft and Bourne-
mouth; and Mr. Westwood
mentions Yarmouth as a
favourite locality for tliis
insect. i '"-^^£^4^"5'^

The resemblance to an "^ "

, . . ^1 . . Fig. 206— GonatnpT.sCelebicus.

ant is in this species so (Pa.eyellow.)

singularly close, that none

but a practised entomologist \vould take it for anything but
a little ant running about with great speed. They are aU very
active insects, as indeed niiglit be inferred from the length and
structure of the legs. Some can even leap, but the generality
content themselves with running and flying. Mr. Westwood
remarks that some of the Proctotrupidae have a habit of
alternately raising and depressing the abdomen while resting
on hot sunny banks.

The reader will have noticed that the insect which is shown
in the figure has no wings. In the genus Gonatopus this pecu-
liarity belongs to the females. It was once thought that in the
wingless specimens of Proctotrupidffi the wings had been inten-
tionally broken off, as is done by the ants. This, however, is not
the case ; for even where the rudiments of the wings are seen,
the edges are quite smooth, and not jagged as they are when
they have been broken away. In the present genus, the hind
pair of wings of the male are lobed.

412 INSr.CTS ABROAD.

In all the Proctotrupidre the wings have either very few
nervures, or none at all. There is a very singular little insect
belonging to this group, Mymar pulcJiellus, in which the hind
pair of wings are reduced to two delicate hair-like projections,
and the fore-wings are shaped just like battledores — the ex-
panded portion being edged with hairs. The antennae of this
insect are of enormous length when compared with the body,
but all things are measured by comparison; and when it is
remembered that the insect, with its wings expanded, is scarcely
larger than the dot over the letter i, the word enormous seems
rather absurd. One species has been called by the specific name
of pundum, and another by that of atomos, in allusion to their
minute dimensions.

All tlie Proctotrupida3 are very small insects, some being so
tiny as to be scarcely visible, while the present species, which
is not the third of an inch in length, appears quite a giant
among them. There are many species in England, and when-
ever the entomologist employs the " sweep-net " he is sure to
find plenty of these tiny insects within it.

Probably on account of their very minute size, little is known
of the habits of the Proctotrupidte. As, however, those who
have been successfully watched are known to be parasitic, it
is inferred that all are of a similar nature. Several species are
known to deposit their eggs in those of other insects, especially
Lepidoptera: others live within the bodies of Aphides, and
others upon those mischievous little gnat-lilce insects which do
so much damage to the wheat, and are known by the scientific
name of Cecidomyia.

Others capture small larvie and bury them as provision for
the future young ; and this brings us to a peculiarity in the
structure of the female Gonatopus. Not only are all the legs
long and powerful, but the tarsi of the first pair of legs are
armed with large double claws, aptly compared by Mr. West-
wood to the claws of a lobster. This structure is supposed to
be for the purpose of enabling the mother insect to capture
her prey and drag it to the cell where it is to lie. The word
Gonatopus is Greek, and literally signifies "jointed foot." The
ovipositor has a very close resemblance to a sting.

THE RUBY-TAILS. 413

Now Ave come to a very remarkaLle group of Hymenoptera
called Clirysididee. This is a Greek word signifying "gilded,"
and is given to the insects on account of the brilliant colours
with which they are adorned. Several species of Chrysidida^
are inhabitants of our own country, and are popularly known
by the name of Paiby-tailed Flies.

If a female Euby-tail be carefully examined, the abdomen
will be seen to consist of only three segments, each being of
considerable size. Should the specimen be dry, it will not be
easy to find out what has become of the missing segments ;
but if it be fresli, there will be no great difficulty in finding
them. If the abdomen be carefully pressed, there will issue
from it a long telescopic tube, wliich will be found to be formed
from the other segments. At the end of this tube is the ovi-
positor, which is very short and looks much like a sting. It
can even be used for defence, and can give a tolerably sharp
prick; but as there is no poison-gland connected with it, no
real harm is done.

The object of this structure is evident. The insect is parasitic,
the eggs being deposited in the nests of other insects, generally
solitary bees. The egg of the Chrysis is hatched before that of the
real owner, and in consequence the larva eats up all the food
which was prepared for its unintentional host. It will be seen,
therefore, that the telescopic ovipositor is needed in order to
enable the Chrysis to deposit its egg at the bottom of the nest,
and yet to do so without disturbing the work of the insect
whose offspring is to be supplanted.

In the early spring, specimens of the Chrysis may often be
found in holes which were originally intended for other insects.
Near my house is a park fence which has recently been mended
with a number of pine slabs, tlie bark being still on them.
The bark has been pierced by holes, a^Dparently those of the
Sirex, and advantage has been taken of them by sundry small
solitary bees. One day, while examining the fence, on which
the sun was shining brightly, I caught a sudden flash of crimson
in one of the holes, and, on carefully cutting away the wood,
found a fine Chrysis quite perfect and ready to emerge when
the year should be sufficiently advanced.

On following up the investigation I found great numbers of
Ruby-tails similarly situated. They were all curled up after

414 INSECTS ABROAD.

their peculiar fashion, so that they were as round as uulls.
They are enabled to assume this attitude by means of the struc-
ture of the body. In the first place, the abdomen is attached
to the thorax by a short foot-stalk ; and in the next, its under
surface is hollowed. The insect, therefore, can bring the abdomen
completely forward, when the thorax and closed legs fit into the
hollow of the abdomen, and, the head being bent downwards,
the Euby-tail is rolled up as completely as a hedgehog.

There are numbers of species belonging to this splendid group,
and, on account of their insect-destroying habits, many of them
are extremely useful to agriculturists, as they feed not on the
food laid up for the larvae, but on the larvtie themselves. For
example, we have already seen that the larv?e of certain Saw
Flies pass the chief part of their larval state upon the plant on
which the eggs have been laid, and then, when they are full-fed,
leave the plant and burrow into the ground, where they pass
through their changes into pupa and perfect insect. Such is
the case with the well-known Saw Fly which infests the goose-
berry; and the services rendered by the Chrysis in thinning
the numbers of these troublesome insects, are thiis described
by M. St. Fargeau.

He remarks that after the larvte of the Saw Fly had burrowed
into the ground, he saw a female Chrysis make its way to the
burrows, bend her abdomen forward, and thrust the tubular
ovipositor into the holes and deposit an egg in each, the whole
operation occupying barely a second of time. In the following
year he witnessed a wonderful sight at the same spot. At least
a hundred males as well as many females had been hatched, and
were traversing in all directions the ground in wliich the Saw
Fly larvse had burrowed. As they ran backwards and forwards
in the sunbeams, their glittering bodies flashed like jewels, and
this beautiful scene was repeated for many days.

The insects always made their appearance from ten to twelve
in the morning, after which time they dispersed; and M. St.
Fargeau thinks that when they had once left the spot they did
not return, but that those which appeared on each successive
morning were merely hatched out of the cells of the Saw Flies
which they had supplanted.

As is often the case with insects, tlie two sexes dilfer much in
their colouring, so that the males and females of tlie same species

A SPLENDID SIGHT. 415

have been described and catalogued as belonging to two different
species. It is curious to see how analogies hold good in zoology.
The Euby-tails have been aptly compared to the Humming
Birds, and the rule holds good with the insects as with the birds,
namely, that the two sexes are so differently coloured that they
may readily be taken for distinct species.

As our British Chrysididie are tolerably numerous and are so
brilliant in colour, it is but natural to conclude tliat the foreign
Chrysididse — especially those within the tropical belt — would be
many in number and exceed our own species in point of beauty.
This however is not the case, for there are but few exotic
Chrysididpe, and scarcely any of them exceed our own lovely
Euby-tails in size or brilliancy of colour. Even iu tropical
America, whence come so many of the most dazzling insects
in the world, scarcely any Chrysididse have been discovered.
I have, therefore, only selected t^^•o species as types of foreign
Chrysididse.

Of course there may be yet undiscovered species, for, as we
have seen from M. St. Fargeau's interesting account, hundreds
of Euby-tails may be assembled Mdthin a few square feet at
10 A.M., and at noon not one will be seen on the very spot
wliicli was Init a short tinie before a blaze of living jewels.

The insect which is here represented belongs to the genus
Stilbum. This word is formed from the Greek, and signifies
" polished," or " glittering."

Just a hundred years ago Fabricius described the splendid
insect which is here figured,
mentioning it under the title
of Ghrysis siihndida. It is
an Australian insect, and is
remarkable not only for its
size but its beauty, whicli
fully deserves the name of
splendid. The head is eme-
rald-green, as is the thorax,
and both are washed with a
tinge of azure. The abdomen
is of the richest blue, glossed with green and purple ; iiud \\w
whole of the head, tliorax, and body is covered with bold and

416

INSECTS ABKOAD.

deep punctures which increase the ricli depth of colour. One
specimen in the British Museum has the abdomen green. The
abdomen is tipped with a horny phite cut deeply into four
bold teeth.

Besides the Australian specimens there are many others from
different parts of the world, such as Ceylon, China, the Eastern
Archipelago, Madagascar, Brazil, Southern Africa, &c. These
are smaller than the Australian specimens, and, as a rule, the
abdomen is green instead of blue. The Australian specimens
are much larger than any other of the ChrysididiB, and it is just
possible that they may prove to be a distinct species. As to
the prey of this insect, little if anything seems to be known
about it. But it is always difficult to identify the particular
species of insect on which any particular Chrysis is parasitic —
the latter seldom restricting itself to any one species, and being
at one time parasitic on a bee, and at another on a wasp. Mr.
F. Smith suggests that the reason for this indifference is that
the larva of the Chrysis always feeds upon some other larva,
and that there is little distinction between the larva of a bee
and that of a wasp.

The insect called Chrysis ocidata is also described by Fabricius.

It is an Asiatic species, and is subject to great variation of

, I colour — some specimens being

wholly green, while others
are entirely blue ; and in
either case the surface has
a gloss of the second colour,
green being glossed with blue,
and blue with green. On
either side of the abdomen
is a single eye-like spot of
glowing, ruddy gold, redder
in the middle, and with an

outer ring of yellow. Tliis eye-like spot has gained for the

insect the specific title of ocvlata. The abdomen is tipped with

six teeth.

^"3.

Fig. 208.— Chrysis oculata.
(Emerald green.)

CHAPTER III.

ACULEATA.—MUTILLAS AND SCOLIAS.

Ii-i the preceding insects the ovipositor is so formed as to serve
only its primary purpose; namely, the deposition of the eggs. In
those ci-eatures, however, which will now be described, the ovi-
positor is used as a weapon, and is connected with a poison-
gland by means of which a venomous fluid is injected into any
wound which is made by the sting, as this modified ovipositor
is called. In the social Hymenoptera, such as certain ants, bees,
wasps, &c., there is always a great proportion of undeveloped
females, called neuters, or workers. These insects do not lay eggs,
but they notwithstanding possess the sting, which is employed
solely as a weapon of offence. This group of insects is techni-
cally called Aculcata, from a Latin word signifying " a sting."

The first group of Aculeata is called ]\Iutillidae, and the
insects which compose it are popularly known by the name of
Solitary Ants. As the latter name implies, they do not live
in communities as do most of the true ants, and therefore no
neuters or workers are required. There is, indeed, one genus,
Dorylus, in which males and neuters have been discovered, but
no females. Probably because of the existence of the neuter insect,
several practical entomologists are disposed to consider that
Dorylus ought by rights to be placed among the true ants, and
not among the Mutillas. A species of Dorylus will be described
presently. The females are wdngless, and are armed with stings.
No insect seems to be so venomous in proportion to its size as
the female Mutilla ; and in the case of one of our own species,
Mat ilia Europma, the sting is scarcely less to be dreaded than
that of the hornet itself.

One foreign species, Muiilla coccinea, of North America, is

E E

418 INSECTS ABROAD.

said to possess so venomous a sting that a person who was stung
Ly one of these insects became insensible in a few minutes, and
very nearly lost his life.

So unlike are the males and females of these insects, that the
two sexes have more than once been catalogued not only as
different species, but as belonging to different genera.

The accompanying illustration represents a species from Bahia,
bearing the specific name of cerhera, in allusion to the legendary
dog which guarded the portals of Hades. As may be seen by
the figure, it bears a curious resemblance to our well-known

Fig. 209.— Mutilla cerViera.
(Black and white.)

liunting spider. Its colours are very simple, being only black
and white — the latter being of a peculiar dull, dead character
that is very difficult to express. The insect looks indeed as if
it had been originally black, and that a pattern had been drawn
on it with white paint. It is thickly covered with hair, as is
the case with most of the Mutillas, though in this species the
hair is not so long as in ma\iy others.

The really fine insect called Mutilla occidenfalis belongs to
North America.

This is a very hairy species, and is most splendidly coloured

THE BIG-HEADED MUTILLA.

419

with black and scarlet. In the male the head and a large patch
upon the thorax are scarlet. The abdomen is black, but is
adorned with a number of scarlet rings, of exactly the same hue
as that upon the thorax. The wings are brown. The wingless
female is also black and scarlet, though the colours are dif-
ferently arranged. In this sex the whole of the insect is scarlet
except a single chevron-shaped bar of black across the middle of
the abdomen. Seeing that the difference in colour is so great,
it is really no wonder that the two sexes may have been thought
to belong to separate species.

Fio. 210. — Mutilla occidentalis.
(Scarlet and black.)

There are several hundred species of Mutilla in the British
Museum, many of which have not as yet been described.
Among those that have received names I will briefly mention
three. First is Mutilla Klugii, of Mexico, a very strange look-
ing insect. Its head and thorax are black and covered with
short hairs, while its abdomen is thickly covered with very long
yellow hairs, so long and so thick that they make the insect
look like a yellow brush with a black handle.

Mutilla ccphalotcs, i.e. the Big-headed Mutilla, is very rightly
named. It has a head of enormous size in proportion to the
body, and looking exactly as if it had been covered with black
E E 2

420 INSECTS ABROAD.

silk velvet. The thorax and abdomen are also black, but upon
the middle of the latter is a large patch of orange, and beneath
it the abdomen is crossed by several bright yellow bars. This
insect is a native of Brazil. Another of the large-headed
Mutillas is one named Mutilla capitata, of Mexico. This insect
is coloured almost exactly like our common wasp, and might be
taken for a wasp were it not for its very large head.

An idea of the general appearance presented by the large-
headed Mutilla may be obtained by inspecting the accompany-
ing illustration, which represents Mutilla armata, a Brazilian

'^^^_.,.

Pig. 211. — Mutilla aruiata.
(Black and yellow.)

insect. The ground colour of this species is black, and tlie
light- coloured marks are white, taking a greyish hue on the
head and thorax.

Now comes the remarkable genus Dorylus, to which a
reference has already been made. The species which is here •
represented comes from Java. In this genus the abdomen is
long and almost cylindrical, not in the least resembling that of
Mutilla.

Menibers of the genus Dorylus are found in vaiious parts of
the world ; and in the British Museum are very many species,
some from Africa, som.e from New Guinea, some from Ceylon,
and some from Palestine. Several specimens were taken at
Eamoth-gilead. None of them have any brilliancy of colour-
ing, the usual hues being brown, black, and dull yellow\

Although one of the largest of all the genus, the present
species is in no way conspicuous, and presents no attractions

THE Dt)EYLUS.

421

except to the entomologist. Its colour is browii-yellow, and the
wings are trausparent, but clouded with brown. The first of the
two figures represents the winged male. Both in Africa and
Java the male Doryli are known to be nocturnal in their
habits, and, like many of our English insects, fly into houses
at night, immediately making their way towards the lamp or
candle which attracted them. The worker is very small in pro-
portion to the male, as may be seen by reference to the line
on the right of the illustration, which represents the average
lenu'th of the worker. Its colour is nothincr but brown, and

idJ^' A

Male. Fig. 212.— Dorylus longiooriiis. Worker.

(Brownish yellow.)

only the peculiarly shaped head indicates its relationship to
the Mutillas.

It is a very strange thing that the ma](i should be quite a
familiar insect, the worker tolerably plentiful, and not a female
to be found anywhere. This difficulty probably arises from the
great dissimilarity between the sexes, a phenomenon which is
very common in the Mutillas. It is conjectured that the real
female of this species may be an odd-looking creature which has
been called Dichthadia glaberrima. This is a flatfish, grub-like
creature, about half as long again as the male insect, and having
its tail curiously forked, something like the tail of a fish. Indeed,
the whole creature looks very much like one of those mother-
of-pearl fishes made in China and used as card-markers or
counters. The name Diclitliadia, which signifies something
which is cleft or split in two, refers to this form of the tail ; and

422

INSECTS ABROAD.

the word glaberrima, which signifies " very smooth," is given to
it on account of the glossy and polished surface of the body.

Many systematic entomologists have formed the insects of
which the Thynnns Australis is an example into a separate
family under the name of Thynnidse.

Why this name should he given to the insect, or indeed to
any insect at all, is more than I can understand, inasmuch as
the word Thynnus signifies the tunny fish, and ought never to
have been foisted upon an insect. In this genus the male and
female are so distinct that they have been described as two

iN

^'^A,

i^s

Fig. 213.— Thynnus Australis. Miik.
(Black and yellow.)

distinct species — the one as Thynnus, and the other as Myrme-
coda. Indeed, had it not been for an opportune discovery by
Mr. Lewis, the identity of the two insects would not even have
been suspected. It is rather curious that another so-called
Myrmecoda has turned out to be nothing but the female of a
Scotsena.

The genus Thynnus appears to be exclusively Australian, and
all of them have a very wasp-like look about them. The present
species almost exactly resembles our common hornet, except
that the dark portions are black instead of deep chestnut. They
are all parasitic insects, feeding on the sul^terranean larvae and

HABITS OF THE THYNNUS.

42:

'pup* of certain moths. One si)ecies, lliynnus Wallisii, is
most curiously coloured. The male is plain yellow-brown, but
the female is covered with a tracery of fine black lines exactly
resembling that heraldic bearing termed " vairy."

To judge from analogy, the sting of the female Thynnus must
he really terrible. There is a little British species allied to
Thynnus, and known as 3fethoca ichn&iimonoides. Mr. F. Smith
has described and figured this insect in his " British Fossorial
Hymenoptera," in which a minute and detailed description may
be seen. He tells me that he has taken both sexes on the sands
in several parts of our southern shores. It prefers the hottest
part of the day for action, and the female runs about rapidly
over the sands in a very ant-like fashion. If incautiously
handled she uses her sting, and the effect has been likened to a
red-hot needle piercing the
hand. So, if so tiny an in-
sect can inflict real pain, the
sting of the comparatively
gigantic must be even danger-
ous to life.

Mr. Westwood says that
when touched or alarmed, the
Methoca acts after the fashion
of the Chrysis, and rolls itself
into a ball, the abdomen being
bent upon the thorax, and the
head droox)ing downwards.
Here, aga,in, the two sexes are
so different that they have been described as separate insects,
the female retaining the name of Methoca, and the male being
placed in the genus Tengyra, one of the Scolia group. It is
no wonder that such a mistake should have been made, for
no two insects can seem more dissimilar than the wingless
and ant-like female which runs about on the sand, and the
male which flies above her in the air. The female has short
antennae, a pear-shaped abdomen, and the thorax formed into
three knots, just as if strings had been tied round it when
soft. The male, on the contrary, is slender, long-bodied, has
very long antenna3, and his thorax is continuous and not
broken up into knots.

424 INSECTS ABROAD.

Next comes a small group of Hymenoptera called Scoliiclie.
These insects are cliiefly found in the hottest parts of the world,
and the warmer the temperature the more plentiful are the
Scoliidse. In some of the genera which belong to this group,
the females are without wings, like those of the Mutillas which
have just been described. Two examples of the typical genus
will be briefly described.

The first of these insects is called Scolia flavifrons, and in-
habits the warmer parts of Europe. Its colour is black, diversified
with four bold yellow patches on the abdomen. Tlie front of
the head is also yellow — a fact which has gained for the insect
the specific name oi flavifrons, i.e. having a yellow forehead.

As the habits of this species are very well known, thoy will
be described as an example of the entire genus.

Fin 215.— Seolia flavifrons.
(Black ami yellow.)

When the female is about to prepare for a future brood, she
begins by seeking some dry, sandy spot, and there digging a hole
which is of considerable depth. There is one species, Scolia
bicinda, which makes a hole at least eighteen inches deep. The
hole being dug, the Scolia goes off in search of prey, and soon
returns with a large larva, mostly that of a lamellicorn beetle.
This she places at the bottom of tlie hole, and then lays an egg
close to it.

The egg is soon hatched, and the young larva at once begins
to devour the beetle-grub which has been placed there as food.
The grub is always large enough to last the Scolia larva through-
out its first stage of existence. When the larva has eaten the
wliole of its food, it prepares f(U' its next change by spinning an

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SC'OLIA.

42£

oval cocoon, in wliicli it passes to tlie pnpal and afterwards to
the perfect state. This cocoon is a long oval in shape, tolerably
alike at each end, but having at the upper end a sort of lid,
which is pushed open by the newly-developed insect when it
makes its way into the open air. Any of my readers who
would wish to see these curious objects, can do so by visiting
the Nest Eoom in the British Museum, where is a fine series of
cocoons brought from Florence, most of them being cut open so
as to show the method in wliich the inhabitant is packed up
within them.

I believe that each species of Scolia chooses some particular
insect as the food for its young, or at all events that it selects
insects that are closely allied. The Scolia hicincta, for example,
places a single large locust at the bottom of its cell ; and some
entomologists think that several species of this group do not dig
l)urro\\s, but place their egus in the nest of some Solitary Bee.

--- ^i^'ife

Fitr. L'U;. — Scolia proecra.
(lilack and yellow.)

Many of the Scoliidse are large insects, and the species which
is shown in the above illustration is one of the giants of the

42n INSECTS ABROAD.

Hymenoptera. Indeed, its specific name, procera, whicli signifies
something which is very mnch elongated, refers to its great
size. It is drawn of its proper dimensions.

Even independent of its size, this is a really handsome insect.
The body is black, with some patches of yellow arranged as
shown in the illustration, and the bold and ample wings are
rich shining black, glossed with dark and almost metallic green.
The body is thickly clothed with dense furry hair.

CHAPTER IV.

FORMICID.E, OR JNTS.

The wonderful insects which are known by the popular name
of Ants are essentially creatures of the sun, even though, as in
many cases, they are unable not only to endure his direct beams,
but even to bear the ordinary light of day. Wherever on the
face of the earth the sun shines strongest, there are the Ants in
greatest force. In fact, they form a broad belt round the earth,
thickest towards the equator, and thinning gradually towards
the poles.

Take, for example, the northern parts of the world, and
scarcely an Ant is to be seen. Take our own country, and
there we have a few species — none large, most small, and some
of the very minutest dimensions. But in the tropical parts of
the earth the Ants are masters of the soil, and no living crea-
ture can stand in tlieir path. Not only do they absolutely
swarm in point of numbers, but they attain no small size — many
species being as large as the common English wasp, and in-
finitely more formidable.

As even a slight sketch of the Ant tribes would occupy
several volumes, it is necessary to select those species which
afford the most salient examples of this vast group. The first
example is the largest of all the Ant tribe, and is appropriately
called Componotus (or Formica) gigas.

This is an insect which has a very large range of country, the
specimens in the British Museum having been brought from
India, Singapore, and Borneo. As the figures which are here
given are drawn from measurement, the reader will easily see
that the insect is a most formidable creature. It is distributed
over a considera,ble part of the world, the specimens in the

428

INSF.CTS ABKOAD.

British Museum having been ])roiight from India, Singapore,

and Borneo.

The three illustrations represent three of the forms of tlie

perfect insect. Tlie first is the winged male. The thorax is

black and the abdomen brown,
and in this, as in the female,
the legs are slender and very
long in proportion to the body.
The second figure represents
the winged female, which is
very much larger than her
mate, and has a much stouter
and more rounded body. As is
the case with our English Ants,
the M'inged specimens only re-
tain their wings for a very short
time, breaking them off close to
the body when they are about
to settle down in life,
the Soldier. This is nearly as

— Coiiiponotus gigas.
(Dliickisli-brown.)

The third figure represent?

Fig. 21S.— Coinpoiiotus gigas. Female.
(Blfickish-browii.)

large as the female. Tlie abdomen, it is true, is smaller, but
this is compensated by the head, which is squared, and of

HABITS OF THE COMPONOTUS. 429

enormous relative size. This development of the head is neces-
sary in order to afford attachment to the muscles which work
the formidable jaws. A good idea of these weapons can be
formed by inspecting the illustration, but their real power cannot

Fig. 219.— Componotus gigas. Soldier.
(Blackish-brown.)

be appreciated without the aid of a magnifying glass. They
are flattened, and on their inner edge are covered with teeth,
one long and sharp tooth projecting from the middle. The
edges are yellow in all the sexes, and in the Soldier are ex-
ceedingly conspicuous.

There are many species of this genus, and all seem to possess
similar habits. There is, for example, Componotus compressus, so
called on account of the shape of the body, which is rather
flattened. Respecting this insect, Mr. F. Smith gives me the
following information : —

It is much smaller than the preceding species, and lives
underground. It is one of the commonest of insects, and indeed
is more plentiful than welcome in inhabited places. The workers
act very much like those of our common Wood Ant, and are
perpetually ascending and descending trees.

The soldiers are wonderfully combative in their nature, and
fight so constantly and so fiercely, that an entomologist finds
great difficulty in capturing a specimen which has not been
more or less mutilated in battle. Indeed, it seems that two
soldiers can hardly meet without having a single combat, when

43(1

INSECTS ABROAD.

a certain code of rules is as strictly observed as in the prize-
ring of our own country. It often happens that one of the
combatants kills the other, and in that case the body is at
once seized by a number of little Ants belonging to the genus
Myrmica, which run in and drag the dead body to their nests.
This species begins to swarm somewhere towards the end of
May, and the females fly with a loud whirring sound.

Another species of Componotus has been selected because it
has some claims to beauty. Its body is black, but across the
middle of the abdomen runs a broad band of greyish white hairs

KiG. ;J2ii. — Comiionotus
(Bhiek, with wliite baml

having a peculiar silken sheen, which has earned for the insect
the specific name of scricciventris, or " silver-belly."

In the various accounts of Ant life which have been narrated
by observers, there is often an absolutely startling resemblance
to the conduct of human beings. We have heard of Ants which
make regular slave-hunting expeditions into the territory of less
powerful Ants, carry off their captives, and make them their
servants. We know of Ants which build walls and domed roofs,
as if they had been taught by an architect. We know of Ants
which have their milch kine, and which tend and guard them as
carefully as any dairyman tends his cows. We know of Ants
which cultivate the ground, keep it clear of weeds, sow the

FUNERAL ANTS. 431

future crop, and, when the harvest has come to maturity, get it
in, just like human beings. In the history which now follows,
a new and unexpected phase of human life is found to exist
among Ants ; namely, funeral honours paid to the dead, and
burial in the earth.

In the " Journal of the Linnaean Society," vol. v, p. 217, is
a singularly interesting communication by Mrs. Lewis Hutton,
of Sydney, New South Wales : —

" One very hot and cloudless day, when not a breath of air
stirred the leaves, my eldest boy (four years old), coming up
from the beach fatigued and hot, threw himself on a grassy
mound near where I was sitting, and remained quietly enjoying
the rest and the pleasure he would have in showing to his sister
the pretty shells and corals he had found. I was startled by a
sudden scream, such as one only gives when in terrible pain.
A snake was my first thought, and in horror I went to the child,
but was at once reassured by seeing him covered with ' Soldier
Ants,' on whose nest he had unwittingly laid down. Some of
the insects still clung on with their forceps and stung my poor
boy, who roared with pu,m at every fresh attack, while I killed
them as fast as I could, assisted by the nurse. At length all
were removed, about twenty being left dead on the ground.

" Going to see the little fellow bathed with something to ease
the pain, I was absent about half-an-hour, and then returned to
the same place, when I saw a number of the Ants surrounding
the dead ones. Being fond of natural history, and having read
much concerning the instinct of Ants, I determined to watch
them closely. At last, four ran off very quickly, and I followed
them until I saw them enter a hillock containing an ants' nest,
which we had in vain tried to get rid of on account of the
annoyance caused by their close vicinity to our sitting tent.

" They remained here about five minutes, when a number
more came out two by two and proceeded slowly to the place
where their dead companions lay. Here they seemed to wait
for something, and presently we saw coming from the other side
near the creek, a number surpassing those I had followed, and
halting at the same place. Then two Ants took up one of the
dead ones and marched off, followed by two others as mourners ;
then two others entered the procession with a second dead Ant,
succeeded in the same way by another pair, and so on until

432 INSECTS ABROAD.

all the dead were taken up ; a Dumber of, I should thmk, two
hundred bringing up the rear.

" Following the train, I found that the two empty-handed
followers relieved their fellows in advance, the latter following
behind in the place of those who relieved them, and thus con-
tinuing to alternate from time to time. They had now gone a
considerable distance towards the seaside, when they stopped at
a sandy hillock, where those who marched in the rear of the
procession commenced operations by making holes ; but I soon
observed that only about half the number took part in this
employment.

" When a sufficient number of graves had been dug, the dead
bodies were laid in them, and I found that those Ants which
had hitherto stood idle were deputed to cover them in. About
six would not stir from their places, and on these the others fell
and killed them, whereupon they made a single large pit at a
distance from the other graves, into which all the six were put
and duly covered up. The Ants then all paired off, and marched
back to the scene of slaughter, where they remained together for
a few minutes, when each company left for their own habitation.

•' The observation of this curious proceeding gave me great
pleasure, and I had frequent opportunities afterwards of seeing
the insects act much in the same way. If one of the workers,
however (who are much smaller than the rest), were killed, it
was buried where it fell, and no friends attended the funeral."

The almost human aspects of Ant life are well known to
entomologists. We have seen the rules of single combat strictly
observed, and the still more remarkable fact that Ants bury
the bodies of their comrades and attend the funeral. Another
phase of humanity is to be found among those most remarkable
insects, — namely, the power of utilizing other Ants to do their
work for them ; in fact, keeping domestic servants. And, as
is the case with primitive civilization, these servants are slaves,
yet are happy and devoted to the masters who stole them
from their own homes. Not that they ever saw the home which
was theirs by rights, for they are captured while still in the
pupal state, and therefore know no other home than that of
their masters.

The latter insects depend entirely on the slaves, and are

SLAVE-MAKING ANTS.

433

absolutely helpless without them. Those who have observed
the manners and customs of these Ants say that the relative
behaviour of the two species is most curious. The masters can
scarcely even feed themselves, much less go in search of food.
The experiment has been made of putting into a glass case a
number of the master Ants, together with a portion of the nest,
with food and all needful requisites. The Ants were ludicrously
helpless, running about in a purposeless sort of manner, and not
having the least idea what to do. After their incapacity had
been proved, a single slave was admitted, when the whole state
of things was changed. The slave — a mere dwarf among giants
— treated the master Ants as a nurse would treat a number of
children, fed them, and then began to rebuild the damaged nest.

The accompanying illustration depicts one of these slave-
making species, Polycrgus tnifescens, one of the Ants being shown
as carrying in its jaws the
pupa of a slave. The rela-
tive size of master and ser-
vant is thus shown, the slave
being scarcely larger than
our common Eed Ant. It is
a European species, and is
common in France. The
jaws of this species are very
slight and feeble, so that the
insect is physically incapable
of doing the work which
generally falls to the lot of
Ants who have to make
their own nest, find their
own food, and nurse their
much use of this phenomenon
" Origin of Species."

The following account of a slave-making Ant is contributed
by Mr. W. H. Dale to the "American Naturalist," and is valu-
able both as showing that division of labour is employed among
Ants, and that the slaves can be sent from one place to another
by the order of their masters : —

"It was growing rather dark in the dense thicket, and I
retraced my steps towards the beach. On my way I added

own
in

youiK

Mr. Darwin makes

bis well-known work on the

434 INSECTS ABROAD.

several other interesting l)irds (Momoti) to my collection, and
one — a dark-coloured, sad-looking bird, whicli proved the greatest
prize of all — being a new species, afterwards described by Mr.
Lawrence as Spermophila hadiiventris. Keaching the edge of
the wood, I found a small brook between me and the sand.
The banks, being low, were covered for several rods on the
farther side with a succulent plant of the order Portulacacse,
with round leaves about half an inch in diameter. I noticed little
well-beaten paths, about one inch wide, running all through this
bed of green, and stopped to discover if possible what made them.
" Some were wider than others, and on one of these I soon
discovered a foraging party of Ants. They were of two species,
one being a rather small black Ant with weak jaws or nippers,
and the other nearly twice the size, each bearing a formidable
pair of prolonged mandibles of jaws ; and as near as I could see
there were no two with jaws exactly the same size or shape.
The small ones were evidently slaves. They were marched
between two rows of scouts, and if a slave attempted to pass the
line, he was speedily seized and put back, not very gently, into
his place. I watched their motions with a great deal of interest.
The ' soldiers,' after searching till satisfied for a rich succulent
leaf, bit it off and gave it to a slave, who immediately marched
off with it in a contrary direction to the main body. Following
the train for a rod or two, I came to the brook just where it had
made an abrupt bend, with an eddy in it. Here the banks
were rather high; a moderately brisk sea-breeze was coming
from the shore, and just here a small tree about two inches in
diameter had fallen across the brook. On this pole were myriads
of Ants going in different directions.

" Those above, each with a leaf in his mouth, were crossing
to the wooded side ; those on the under-side were empty-handed
(or mouthed) and were coming from the woods. Here I noticed
a curious thing — the leaf, being larger by far than its bearer,
acted as a sort of sail to catch the wind ; and I saw many an
unfortunate slave-ant, after struggling with all its might to save
its precious load, finally let it go in self-defence, and immediately
join the excursionists on the lower side of the pole, going back
for another leaf. In the eddy before mentioned there was at least
p, bushel of leaves which had been blown from their bearers."

J.t is worthy of notice that in their s]a,ve-huntiug raids the

CURIOUS ai;matuke.

435

master Ants always select the pupre of the worker slaves. The
slaves are not always of the same species, for the master Ant,
which has been taken as an example, takes indifferently the
pupa, of Formica fusca and Formica cunicularia,.

The very curious nest which is shown below is drawn of its
natural size, and is the work of an insect called Polyrachis
textor, a native of Malacca.

The nest looks exactly as if it were made of coarse hair, and
is of so open a texture that the inmates may be seen through
the walls. Although the workers are tolerably common, the
males are hardly ever to be seen, and the females are compara-
tively rare. The colour of the insect is black.

Fjg. 222.— Polyrachis textor.
(Black.)

There are many species of this genus in different parts of the
world. The generic name PolyracMs signifies " many-ridged,"
and is given to the insects on account of the projections which
appear on various parts of their bodies. Perhaps the most
remarkable species in this respect is Polyrachis hihamata, an
insect which is found both in India and Borneo. The name
bihamata signifies "double-backed," and is very appropriate.
Upon the upper surface of the thorax are set two hooks, sharply
pointed, curved backwards, and sloped almost exactly like the
horns of the chamois. These are long and conspicuous, but are
far surpassed by two other hooks which rise from the centre
of the footstalk which connects the abdomen with the thorax.

436

INSECTS ABROAD.

These hooks are of enormous comparative size, each of them, if
straightened, being about half as long as the entire body.

There are many species of Polyrachis, nearly all of which are
black. There is, however, an exception in one of the species
from Sarawak, which has the thorax and abdomen banded
with yellow.

Kic. 223. — M jTmecocystus Mexicanus.
(Reddish brown.)

Until lately it was thought that the only honey-makers
were tlie bees, and no one would have been bold enough to

say that honey could be ob-
tained from any other in-
sects. Yet we now know
that there are honey-mak-
ing wasps, building cells
which are as capable of
holding the liquid sweets as
those of the bee ; and here
we have an example of an
Ant, which not only makes
honey, but stores it in a
way which I believe to be
unique. The bee and the
wasp store the honey in
cells composed of materials
which will resist its action, but the Ants actually store the
honey in their own bodies. This is done in a very remarkable
manner.

Certain of the workers are set aside for this purpose, and are
bitten at the end of the abdomen. The bite causes an inflam-
mation, the result of which is that the passages of the body are
entirely closed. These insects are then perpetually fed with
honey, none of which can escape, and the result is that their
bodies swell to an enormous extent, assuming the shape which
is shown in the illustration. This form is caused by the
distension of the membrane between the segments. How great
is the distension may be seen by reference to the illustration,
the dark portions representing the segments, and the remainder
the membrane.

These Ants are natives of Mexico, where they are very
common, being popularly known either as "hormigas raieleras,"

THE HONEY-POT ANT.

437

i.e. honey-ants, or " liormigas mochileras," i.e. pouch-auts.
They are in great request, and are sold by measure. One of
the princijjal uses to which they are put is the manufacture of
a sort of mead, the Ants being first pressed so as to squeeze
the honey out of them. There is a bottle full of these strange
insects in the British Museum.

The colour is like that of the common burrowing Ant, being
reddish brown on the thorax, and darker on the abdomen. The
honey-pot insects have a most curious look, the membrane of the
abdomen being so thin and transparent that the honey can be
plainly seen within the body. The generic name Myrmccocystus
is formed from two Greek words, the one signifying an ant,
and the other a bag or pouch.

The insect which is here shown, although not quite the largest
of the Ant tribe, is among the giants of the group. It is an in-
habitant of tropical America,
and is tolerably common.

It is by no means a pre-
possessing insect in appear-
ance, being of a dull, dead
black in colour, and slow
and sluggish in its move-
ments. It lives in very
small colonies, consisting of
some six or seven individuals
only, and the inhabitants of
each colony do not seem to
have any idea of working
in concert. Their nest is
generally under a stone.

Both the females and neuters possess stings, and the venom
with which their weapons are armed causes such excruciating
pain that the name Diiioponera is very appropriate. This
name is formed from two Greek words, the former signifying
"terrible" and the latter "wicked." In consequence of the
virulent character of the poison, the Macoushie Indians employ
the Ant in the manufacture of their celebrated Wourali poison.
I do not believe that it has the least effect on the poison, the
active part of which is purely vegetable. The body of this Ant

438 INSECTS ABROAD.

is nearly bare, only a few short hairs being scattered over it.
The description is taken from a fine specimen in my collection,
presented to me by the Eev. J. H. Bernau.

An allied species, Ponera contracta, has been discovered in
England. It is widely spread, though not very plentiful. It
is a very tiny insect, but yet has many of the habits of its
gigantic relative, living under stones in small communities and
not working in concert. The nest, like that of the Dinoponera,
is found under stones or at the roots of plants.

The insect which is here shown belongs to a group of insects
which are popularly called Foraging Ants, on account of their
singular habits.

Fig. 2i5.— Ecito-,1 liamata.
(Reddish brown.)

They live in vast communities, and sally out in large armies
in search of food. They are marshalled as regularly as if they
were soldiers, and, as is the case with human soldiers, are com-
manded by officers. These officers are the large-headed neuters,
one of which is shown in the illustration. Their legs are long
and active, their bodies are slender, but their heads are of enor-
mous comparative size, each side of the head being swollen into
a semi-globular form. The jaws with which the head is armed
are exceedingly formidable. Each jaw is nearly half as long as
the body, is very sharply pointed, and is curved into a hook-
like shape both inwards and downwards. Mr. F. Smith was
kind enough to present me with a good series of these insects,

FOKAGING ANTS. 439

varying in size from, the largest soldier to tlie smallest worker,
which is no larger than our Red Ant.

Mr. Bates gives a very graphic account of this insect and its
predatory excursions. He states that a column of Foraging
Ants is of very great length. One column that he saw must
have been at least a hundred yards in length, because the
portion that was visible was from sixty to seventy yards in
length, and neither end of the column could be seen.

" The large-headed individuals were in proportion of about
five in one hundred to the small individuals, but not one of
them carried anything in its mandibles ; they were all trotting
along outside the column, and distributed in regular proportions
throughout the whole line of array, their globular white heads
rendering them very conspicuous among the rest, bobbing up
and down as they traversed the inequalities of the road.

" The progress of these Ants is not in one simple line when
on a foraging expedition, but a line with many branches ; a
column is occasionally pushed out in the direction of some
promising locality. I once observed one of these terminating
at a decayed fallen tree. The Ants were busy about it, a few
having seized some large Formicidse, and also some soft-bodied
wasps. These they tore in pieces and divided the load; the
whole party then retired, and re-entered the main line. A
branch column is not a party separated from the rest — there
is no break in the lines of the Ants — but there is always
a number passing and re-passing, keeping up the line of
communication."

Mr. Bates gives also an account of another species, Eciton
froedator :■ — ■

"This species of Eciton differs from all the others in its
habits : instead of foraging in narrow columns, it hunts iii
dense masses of myriads of individuals. Nothing in ento-
mology is more curious than to watch the vast compact body
moving rapidly along ; when they pass, all the rest of the insect
world is in agitation and alarm. They stream along the ground,
and climb to the summit of all the lower trees, searching every
leaf to its apex. When they come to a mass of decaying vege-
table matter, they cover it with a living crowd, penetrating
every chink and cranny ; then leave it, and rapidly move on.

"All apterous insects, especially fat spiders and larvje of

440 INSECTS ABROAD.

Blattae, which hitter are excessively numerous about the fallen
foliage, scamper off before the rapidly moving mass in quite a
ridiculous manner. The smaller larvae of Lepidoptera and
Diptera fall an easy prey to them, as well as some of the large
obese species of the genus Formica.

"The phalanx altogether, when passing over a tract of open
ground, occupies a space of from six to ten square yards. On
examining them closely, they are seen to move not altogether
in one uniform direction, but in variously spreading dense
columns, now separating a little from the general mass, now
re-nniting with it. The margins of the phalanx spread out at
times, like a cloud of skirmishers from the vast army."

The Ecitons do not restrict themselves to the open air, but
penetrate into houses, where they exterminate every living
thing. My brother has had much experience of these visi-
tations, and the following passage is an extract from one of
his letters : —

" You mention what I told you in relation to the Ants and
cockroaches. The time when I wrote to you on the subject
was my first experience of the Ant, but since then I have seen
the same game every year since I have lived in this country.
The performance always takes place just before the commence-
ment of the rainy season, at which time the Travelling Ants
commence their marches. "Wherever they make their appear-
ance, every living thing bolts (not that they are frightened, but
that their business engagements carry them elsewhere in a
hurry) as fast as the number of legs given them will permit.

"The first sign of the approach of the Ants is a peculiar
rustling, which sounds like a few dead leaves in an eddy of
wind. Then a big cockroach, in size and colour like a large
date, scuttles across the floor, and about a yard behind him
comes one little Ant about a sixth of an inch in length. One's
first impression is that the cockroach is a great coward, but
his conduct is soon explained, for from every hole and crevice
on all sides of the house pour continuous streams of Ants, until
the whole floor is black with them.

" Then our friend's fate is sealed. It is no avail to him that
he is many hundred times bigger than his enemies ; they fasten
on him in a body, and in a few minutes no sign of a cockroach
is visible. As a rule, these Ants go tlirough every part of a

UMBRELLA ANT.

441

house ; and when they leave it, which is in one or two hours
after their first appearance, no vermin of any description remain
in the house. Eats, snakes, cockroaches, spiders, scorjiions, and
even fleas, all are gone, and for a month or two there is peace
in the house."

These Ants not only devour the insects that go by tlie popular
name of vermin, but attack every insect that may come in their
way. They have been seen to capture the nests of the large and
formidable wasp which hangs its nest from the Brazilian trees ;
and once Mr. Bates saw a column of Ecitons deliberately attack
a nest of a great burrowing Ant, sink a shaft into it, and then
pour into it by thousands. They tore out the inhabitants from
their home, and were so fierce and bold that when Mr. Bates
tried to catch some of the burrowing Ants for his collection, the
Ecitons tried to pull them out of his fingers. This species was
Eciton legionis, which always forms in a broad column when on
the march, and not in a long narrow column.

Although the iusect which is scientifically termed Atta cejyha-
lotes looks even more formidable than the Ecitons, it is not to be

-^^.v

'MK^-rf'^ ^

!• I 2 J —Atta ceplw'utes
(Reddish brown.)

dreaded as a foe. As we shall presently see, it is a most annoy-
ing insect, and often does great damage to the property of man,
if not to his person. Tlie native name of this insect is Saliba,
and it is popularly known by the name of Umbrella or Parasol
Ant, on account of a curious habit which it has of carrying

442 INSECTS ABROAD.

pieces of leaves in its mouth. Whole columns of the Saiiba
Ant march deliberately along, each with its leaf held over its
head like Malcolm's soldiers at the wood of Dunsinane. These
leaves are employed in house-building, and are used after a
very curious manner.

The nest of the Saiiba is partly above ground, though the
greatest portion of it, including all the tunnels, is below the
surface of the earth. The visible part of the nest consists of a
dome, seldom more than two feet in height, but often reaching
forty feet in diameter. This dome is really formed of the leaves,
the superincumbent earth being of slight thickness. It is a
curious fact that the workers who fetch the leaves do not build
with them, but merely lay them down and go off for more. In
fact they are to the real nest-builders exactly what labourers
are to bricklayers. Two figures of the Umbrella Ant are given
in the illustration, one showing the front of the head, and the
other the entire insect. The latter figure is a. portrait of a
specimen in the British Museum, which has preferred to die
rather than loosen its hold of the leaf.

Large as the nest is, the dome forms but an inconsiderable
portion of it. Vast tunnels radiate from it in all directions, and
are carried to distances that seem almost incredible. The Ants
work away underground, leaving no signs of their passage, and
have a way of suddenly coming to the surface when least
expected. My brother has sent me an account of a serious
damage that was done to a gold-mine by the Travelling Ant, as
he calls it. In mines where the gold is extracted from quartz-
rock, the ore is obtained by driving galleries which are nearly
horizontal. These galleries are supported by timber both at
the sides and on the roof, and a tramway runs along the floor
for the purpose of conveying the ore to the stamps. Last year
(1872), during the wet season, the mine was suddenly flooded
in spite of all the precautions that had been taken, a torrent of
water pouring through the galleries with such force that the
supporting timbers gave way, and the sides closed in so much
that the cars could not pass over the tram.

On examination it was found that this misfortune was caused
by the Saiiba Ant, which had driven one of its tunnels conir
pletely into the gallery, and so diverted a large amount of
surface drainage into the mine. A professional ant-killer was

AKT-KILLING. 443

sent for from a considerable distance, and the extirpation of the
nest decreed. It may seem strange that there should be such a
profession, but the local circumstances make it needful.

The process of extermination is a very curious one. In the
first place, the ant-killer has to find the nest itself — a task
which requires the greatest knowledge of the subject. Having
found the dome which has been already mentioned, he builds
round it a sort of large vaulted edifice, something like the snow
hut of an Esquimaux. This oven is then filled with charcoal,
sulphur, capsicum, and wood, both dry and green, through an
opening at the top of the dome. The oven is then finally closed,
with the exception of several small apertures which are made
around it.

Fire is then introduced, and a number of negroes are set to
work, each with a large pair of bellows, the nozzles of which
are thrust into the apertures already mentioned. They never
cease from blowing night or day, and on an average the opera-
tion is not complete until they have laboured for four days and
as many nights. Meanwhile, the ant-killer is on the watch for
smoke escaping from the ground, and wherever he sees this he
knows that he has come upon one of the galleries. The place
is at once marked and the aperture stopped with clay. In the
present instance the nest was found upwards of eighty yards
from the mine.

After the four days' work the negroes cease their labour, the
oven is taken down, and the nest opened. Guided by the
marks which he has made, the ant-killer lays open the whole
of the tunnels, and, after taking care that not a living creature
remains in them, he fills them as well as the nest with clay,
which is well stamped down and left to harden in the sun.
Then, and not until then, is the place considered safe.

It will now be seen how detrimental a neighbour the Umbrella
Ant may be, even though it does not attack man personally.
Here is a case where a mine was thrown out of work for many
days, the whole of the timbering had to be replaced at no small
expense, and the ant-killer paid very highly for his trouble. I
have heard of another instance where the Saiiba Ant drove its
tunnel through the bank of a reservoir and let out all the water.
The sizes of the insects belonging to the same nest vaiy
greatly, some being nearly as large as our common wasp,

444 INSECTS ABROAD.

while others are scarcely as large as the common Eed Ant of
our garden. There are two distinct kinds of the large-headed
neuters, one with smooth and the other with hairy heads. These
latter insects seldom make their appearance in the open air,
and the only way to evoke them is to break a hole in the dome
and push a stick down the hole as far as possible. In a few
minutes a few of these creatures will come slowly up, looking,
as Mr. Bates says, like Cyciops, with their big head and the
eye in the middle of the forehead. Why they should make
their appearance is not very evident, for they seem to have
no connection with or control over the workers. Neither do
they fight, for Mr. Bates found no difficulty in securing several
of them with his fingers.

The general colour of the Saiiba is reddish brown, the colour
being brightest on the head and dullest on the abdomen, where
it is obscured by a coat of dull brown hairs. The wings of the
perfect male and female are very much like those of the hornet,
being firm, transparent, shining, and of a reddish brown, fading
to yellow towards the tips. There are very few nervures.

We are all familiar with the passage —

" Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and be wise : which
having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and
gathereth her food in the harvest."- — Prov. vi. 6 — 8.

Many a time have we heard it said that Solomon was entirely
wrong, and that the Ants, being essentially carnivorous, lay up
no store for the winter, but become torpid until the same weather
comes round again. Now this is all very true as regards the
Ants of our own climate, but it is not true of Ants belonging
to other countries. At the date of this book, at least nineteen
species of Harvesting Ants have been discovered, some of which
inhabit Palestine, I believe that no English Ant has been
known to lay up seeds. The Black Ant was once seen to carry
some fresh violet seeds into the nest, but they were all ejected
on the following day.

The history of the present species lias been admirably given
by Mr. J. T. Moggridge, and for nearly all of the information
here given I am indebted to his most interesting work on Ants
and Trapdoor Spiders.

THE HARVESTING ANT.

445

This species is spread largely over the world, and is well
known at Mentone. It gathers seeds of various kinds and takes
them to its subterranean treasure-houses. The burrows run to
a considerable depth, sometLuies passing even through sandstone
rock, and at intervals are placed the granaries, which are about
as large as a gentleman's watch. They vary in point of depth
from the surface, some being fully thirteen inches deep, and
others barely two inches. Among the seeds which the INIentone
Ants take into their granaries
are those of the oat, nettle,
speedwell, goosefoot,calaminth,
duckweed, amaranth, and shep-
herd's purse. They even take
the green seed-vessels of the
last-mentioned plant, twisting
them off neatly with their jaws.

They are very fastidious as to
the quality of the seeds which
are brought. A w^orker, which
was evidently but a young one,
was seen to bring in some rub-
bish instead of the proper seed,
and was at once sent back.
Mr. Moggridge played a trick
upon them by placing little
beads in their way ; at first

they took them for seeds and carried them into their nests,
but they soon found out their error, and never touched them
again.

With regard to the condition of the seeds, Mr. Moggridge has
the following remarks : —

"It is extremely rare to find other than sound and intact
seeds in the granaries, and we must conclude that the Ants
exercise some mysterious power over them which checks the
tendency to germinate.

" Apparently, it is not that moisture or warmth or the in-
fluence of atmospheric air is denied to the seeds, for we find
them in damp soil, in genial weather, and often but a trifling
distance below the surface of the grotmd, and I have proved
that the vitality of the seeds is not affected, by having raised

-Aphenogaster barbate.
(Black.)

446 INSECTS ABROAD.

crops of young plants, such as fumitory, pellitory, Polygonum
aviculare, and grasses, from seeds taken out of granaries.

" I have frequently remarked that it is the seeds last collected
before a fall of rain which are brought out in a sprouting con-
dition from the nest ; for I have observed that it is these which
are cai-ried out from the nest and placed to dry after a wet
night. And so, in the case of a nest which I kept in captivity,
when a variety of different seeds had been successively supplied
to the Ants, it was the cabbage, lettuce, and chicory seeds given
the day before the nest was watered, that reappeared after being
carried below, and not tlie hemp, canary, and mixed seeds of
wild plants previously strewed on the nest.

" It seems possible that the process, whatever it may be, to
which the Ants submit the seeds which are to remain dormant,
may require some time, and the construction of the granary
chambers is doubtless a long affair ; so that when unusually
large supplies of grain, &c., are brought in by the w^orkers, some
part of them may not find the necessary accommodation and
attention.

"When the seeds do germinate in the nests — and it is my
belief that they are usually softened and made to sprout before
they are consumed by the Ants — it is very curious to see how
the growth is checked in its earliest stage, and how, after the
rudicle or fibril — the first growing root of dicotyledonous and
monocotyledonous seeds — has been gnawed off, they are brought
out from the nest and placed in the sun to dry, and then, after
a sufficient exposure, carried below into the nest.

"The seeds are thus in effect malted, the starch being
changed into sugar ; and I have myself witnessed the avidity
with which the contents of seeds thus treated are devoured by
the Ants."

It seems almost a pity that creatures possessing such excel-
lent qualities should be thieves, but thieves they are — robbing
not only the nests of other insects, but those of their own species.
In the course of these raids there are always severe combats,
often terminating with loss of life. The antennae being the most
sensitive portion of the Ant, each combatant uses its utmost
endeavours to seize one of the antennte of the opponent, and
when that is done the enemy always succumbs. Should, how-
ever, both parties succeed in evading tlie fatal grasp, they fight

A DEATH-STRUGGLE. 447

until one or the other is killed. They are not at all particular
as to their food, eating grasshoppers, flies, bees, wasps, and even
lizards when they can assemble in sufficient numbers. Mr.
Moggridge gives an interesting account of a struggle between
the Harvesting Ants and a caterpillar : —

" I was once a witness of a singular contest between a soft-
bodied, smooth, greyish caterpillar, about an inch in length,
and two medium-sized harhara Ants. The Ants were mere
pigmies in comparison M'ith their prey, for as such I believe
they regarded the caterpillar, but they gripped its body with
set mandibles, showing the most savage determination not to
lose their hold.

" When I first discovered the group, the war was being waged
in a tuft of grass over one of the entrances to the Ants' nest,
and the caterpillar was striding along the leaves, and thrusting
itself between the culms in the hope to shake off or brush away
its little perseciitors. From time to time the caterpillar would
turn viciously round and endeavour to pluck away its assailants ;
but though it actually succeeded in stripping, by means of fore-
legs and mouth, five of the six legs of one of the Ants, which
was within its reach, they never loosened their hold.

" At length, a chance movement of mine shook the grass-leaf
on which they were, and Ants and caterpillars rolled together
down a steep and rocky slope to about four feet distant. They
tumbled over and over several times, but still the Ants gripped
their prey as firmly as ever.

" The last endeavour of the giant victim was to rub off tlie
Ants by burrowing into the soil ; but on uncovering its retreat I
saw that their position was still the same. After watching this
struggle for twenty minutes, time failed me, and I returned home,
carrying with me, however, the combatants. When on my
return I opened the box in which they were imprisoned, these
bull-dog Ants were clinging with mandibles locked as firmly as
ever ; and now as I write, in death they are clinging still,
drowned in a sea of spirits of wine."

From the observations of Mr. C. Home, it appears that an
Indian species of Ant, Podomyrma rufonigra, has a similar habit
of storing up grain, carefully removing the husks. The grain is
called by the natives yarroo?i, or sweepings; and it is stored in
such quantities that in time of famine the granaries of the Ants

448

INSECTS ABROAD.

are ransacked, and both the grain and the husks ground together
into a coarse meaL

The fine Ant which is here shown was first described by Mr.
F. Smith, of the British Museum, in 1858. As may be seen, it
is almost equal in size to Com2JonoUis gigas, the wings being
ample and the body thick and rounded. The head is small in
proportion to the rest of the body. The colour is shining black,

■^1 .

m^

^ ^Vvl

lim

^\\A^;ij

tic 22b — Caieljaiadu\
(Black.)

the polish being especially conspicuous in a broad belt round the
abdomen. It is a native of Southern Africa.

We have already seen that the Ants partake of many human
characteristics, —how they make war with duly officered armies,
take captives, employ slaves, fight single combats by rule, gather
grain and harvest it. We have now to deal with an Ant that
possesses another characteristic of humanity, and that is, the
power of agriculture. Scientifically the insect is known as
Myrmica harhata, and popularly as the Agricultural Ant of
Texas. The habits of this wonderful insect have been carefully
watched by Dr. Lincecum, who has recorded them in a paper
read before the Linnaan Society in 1861.

The insect begins by digging a hole in the ground, by way of a
wicket-gate or entrance, and around this hole it raises a mound,
generally about five or six inches in height, and from six to
eight feet in diameter. Sometimes, if the nest be made on low
ground, where there is a probability of inundation, the Ant

THE AGRICULTURAL ANT.

449

29.— Myrmica barbata.
(Yellowish brown.)

raises the mound to a lieiglit of tiiteeii or twenty inches, and in
any case gives the surface a sliglit slope from the centre to the
circumference. Around this
mound the Ant clears the
earth from stones and weeds,
so as to make a perfectly
smooth belt of a foot or two
in breadth.

Within this space the
Ants plant the seeds of a
peculiar grass, and tend
them as carefully as any
human agriculturist could
do, cutting down every weed
'that may make its appear-
ance, and watching it until
the seed is matured. When
ripe, the grain is small,

white, and very hard. Tlie Ants then cut it down, and cany
it into the subterranean galleries, where it is separated from
the husks, which are thrown outside till cultivated anew.
Sometimes when the rainy season has been more than usually

long, the grain becomes

damp, and in that case the
Ants take advantage of the
first fine day, carry the seed
into the open air, and spread
it to dry in the sunbeams.
When dry it is taken back
to the granaries ; but those
seeds which have sprouted
are rejected, and thrown
away among the husks.

Dr. Lincecum watched
these Ants for more than
twelve years, and never saw
them plant any seed except
tliat vrhich has been men-
curious instance of instinct.

bavbata.
(Yellowish brown.)

tioned. He also records another

or, perhaps, of reason. At first the nests were made freely

G G

450

INSECTS ABROAD.

witliin an orchard. T>ut after a while the orchard was opened
to cattle, who naturally ate the succulent grass-grain which
the Ants had planted. Finding this to be the case, the Ants
abandoned the orchard, and took to making their plantation in
the garden and other spots where the cattle could not disturb
them. The crops generally spring up about the beginning of
November.

There are many specimens of these Ants in the British Mu-
seum. Their colour is yellowish brown. The first of the illus-

-M) 111 It a bail) it I WoiKti^.
(Yillowish 111 )wn )

trations represents a fully developed male on the wing. The
second shows one of the fully developed females taking a flight
at their swarming-time, while another is leaving the burrow.
The third illustration represents the workers carrying seeds to
the granary.

CHAPTER V.

FOMPILTD^,, SPHEGIDJ^, AND BEMBECIDJi

The insects which are placed under the titles which are at the
head of this chapter are popularly known under the general title
of Sand Wasps. They are so called because the females dig
holes in any earth, generally of a sandy nature, and place therein
the insects on which their future young are to be fed. We have
plenty of them in this country ; and any observer of Nature
must have seen and admired their industrious energy as they
pursue the task which is the one object of their lives.

The Pompilidoe are among the very fiercest of insects, and
have among them some of the largest of the Hymenoptera. I
have not the least idea why this name should be given to insects,
as it rightly belongs to a fish which follows ships, probably the
" rudder-fish" of the sailors. The word liternlly signifies "au es-
cort," whence our word "pomp,"'
on account of the number of
attendants required by a person
of high rank when on a journey
of state. All the Pompilida?
have the legs very long and the
abdomen oval and attached to
the thorax by a short footstalk.

The fine insect which is
called Pompilus atrox has long
been known to be a native of
North America, but specimens
have lately been discovered in

Japan. The colour of the head, thorax, and abdomen is shining

black, but towards the base of the abdomen there is a bold

G a 2

■rciiniiilus atriix.
ige patch on nbd.

452

INSECTS ABKOAD.

patch of orauge. The wings are brown, firm, and with a higlily
polished surface. Formerly, this insect was called by the
specific name of tropicus, but it is now known that this name
belonfTs rightly to a smaller species also i'rom North America.

In all insects there is a very great difference between good
and bad specimens, and sometimes the difference is so great
that they hardly seem to belong to the same species. This is
peculiarly the case with the insect which is called Po7npilus
Gravcsii. A specimen in bad condition betrays no beauty of
colour, but looks simply of a dull yellow brown, with a few
spots of a golden hue when the light shines upon the more pro-
jecting portions. But a speci-
men in really good condition
is a splendid insect, looking
just as if it had been cut out
of pure gold. Mr. F. Smith
tells me that the late Mr.
Cuming had some thirty
specimens, and their appear-
ance as they were massed to-
gether in the box was simply
gorgeous.

This golden lustre is given
by the hairs with which the
whole body, including the head, is thickly covered. The hairs lie
very flat to the body and are nearly parallel, all the points being
directed backwards. Even in the imperfect specimens a good
magnifying glass will, with the assistance of a strong light, bring
out the golden lustre which the unaided eye cannot detect. The
wings are yellow, and each of the upper pair is marked with
two squared black spots. This insect is exceedingly variable
in form. It is never larger than the figure, but is often much
smaller — some specimens scarcely exceeding the common house-
fly in size.

In the British Museum the insect appears under the generic
name of Parapompilus, INIr. F. Smith having comprised under
that title all the short-winged Pompili. The name Gravcsii is
rather an unfortunate one, because it expresses nothing of the
characteristics of the insect. The name speciosus had been

233. — Poinpilus Gravesii.
(Shilling gold.)

TWO SPLENDID INSECTS.

453

suggested, but in the meanwhile the insect hud been described
under the name of Gravesii in honour of tlie name of the cap-
tain of the ship in which the insects were brouglit to England.

Before the discovery of the Last-mentioned insect, Pompilus
nohilis was by far the most beautiful of the family, and, just as
that insect glitters with gold, so does this one shine with silver.
A good specimen looks, indeed, just as if silver leaf had been
laid upon it and rubbed smooth with a burnishing tool. This
silvery gloss is produced by a coating of very fine silvery hairs,
set like the pile of velvet, and therefore called " pile " to distin-
guish it from ordinary hair.

There is scarcely any insect which shows so plainly the dis-
tinction between a specimen in good condition and one that is
damaged or has suffered by
careless handling. There are
several specimens in the British
Museum, and of them all oidy
one shows the silvery surface
perfectly, the rest looking
almost black, with a faint
silvery patch here and there.
It is astonishing how easily
the beauty of a specimen may
be marred. One very fertile
source of damage is re-setting.
When an insect has been
badly set or not set at all,
it is necessary to relax the

stiffened joints by damp, and then to place the wings and limbs
in their proper position. Sometimes too much moisture is used,
and then the surface of an insect is often damaged. Hairy
insects suffer most in this respect, as the hairs become matted
together and so lose their lustre. In such an insect as this,
therefore, where the w-hole of the silvery sheen depends upon
the way in which the light is reflected by each individual hair,
it is evident that the least undue amount of moisture must do
very great injury, and in all probability destroy the lustre for
ever. Perhaps the sheen might be restored by soaking the
insect completely in spirits of wine, and then drying it by

Fig. 234,— Poiiipilus nobilis.
(Black, silver-glossed.)

454 INSECTS ABROAD.

means of a strong current of air directed against the set of the
hairs. In this way I have succeeded in restoring the beauti-
ful downy softness . of oui' Goat Moth, and the furry richness of
the humble-bees and similarly adorned insects. In the British
Museum insects are relaxed by placing them in a closed earthen-
ware vessel containing about half an inch in depth of damp
sand ; and the late Mr. Doiibleday used to attain the same
object by placing the insects in a large flower-pot sunk into
the ground.

The wings of this species are very much like those of the
Ant Lion in colour, being firm, shining, and transparent, with
two patches of dark brown on the upper pair and two similar
patches of very pale brown on the lower pair.

This genus is spread over a very large portion of the world,
and there are specimens in the British Museum from Europe,
Australia, 'New Zealand, and America. One species which in-
habits Para is remarkable for the beauty of its wings, which are
exceedingly glossy, and are gorgeous with the most brilliant
crimson, azure, and gold.

As is often the case with insects, the sexes of this genus are so
unlike each other in appearance that they might easily be taken
for two distinct species. The chief
difference lies in the antennae,
which in the female are simple,
long, and boldly curved at the
ends. Those of the male, how-
ever, one of which is drawai in the
illustration, are nearly straight
and most elaborately formed, each
joint looking very much like the
head of a trident. Indeed, if

Vi.o.-A'io. — Cteiiocurus niiiiosus. i • i -\t

(liiack ; wings yeiio\y, «iged with br.,\v.i.) WO take the Conventional JN'ep-
tune's trident with its spear-
headed point, and cut away three-fourths of the central prong,
we shall have a very good idea of a single joint of Ctenocerus.

Each prong, so to speak, is slightly bent downwards, and they
are so arranged that when the antenna is seen sideways it looks
like a flattened strip of yellow horn, covered with an embossed
pattern and pierced vath a tlouble row of holes, the holes being

BEAUTIFUL ANTENNAE.

455

in fact the spaces left between the snccessivc joints, tlie prongs
being so long that tlie point of one would be nearly three-
fourths of the length of the one immediately above it. Both
names of this insect are very appropriate. Ctcnurervs is formed
from two Greek words, and signifies " comb-horned ; " ^\■hile
ramosus is Latin, and signifies "branched."

The wings of this species are sliiniiig yellow, edged with a
dark brown band, which is wide at the tips, and narrovvs rapidly
towards tlie liase. The body and wings are quite black, and on
tlie thotax there is a dense covering of thick black hau's. There
are three species in the British Museum, and this, which comes
from Southern Africa, is by far the handsomest and largest. The
antt'iime of the male are much yellower than those of the
female.

The fine insect which goes by the scientific name of Mygnimia
avkula comes from Java, and is closely allied to Mygnimia

Fig. 2.S6. — Mygnimia avicula.
(BUiL-l< : wings with u silvery white .spot.)

ducal I •i, a native of Penaug and India. It is shown of tlie
natur d size, and probably derives its name of avicula, or " little

456

INSECTS ABKOAD.

bird," from its great size. The colour of the head, thorax,
abdomen, and legs is dead black, with a slight scattering of
white like hoar-frost. The wings are also black, and in the
npper pair there is a large white spot with a silvery lustre when
viewed by a side light. The lower wings are not of so deep a
black as the upper pair, and they have no spot.

The reader will notice the structure of the claws, each of
which has a bold tooth-like projection in the midst of the
inner side. It has been suggested that this tooth is intended
to aid the Mygnimia in catching its prey ; I can, however,
scarcely accept this theory, because the Pompilidse do not
seize their prey by the claws, but by clasping it in their
legs, and so holding it while the sting is brought to bear. The
wounded insects are also carried off in the clasped legs, and are
never grasped by the claw itself, which is comparatively feeble.

Another species of tlie same genus, Mygnimia aspasia, has
derived its sDecific title from its beauty, the name of Aspasia

Fig. 237.— Mygnimia aspasia.
(Black, glossed with blue.)

being that of the very beautiful but not at all moral lady who
taught eloquence at Athens and numbered Socrates among her
pupils. This species has been found in Dory, Amboyna, Arix,
and one or two other localities.

DEPTH OF COLOUR..

457

Though not so large as the preceding insect, it is a
handsome species, for whereas the former species is entirely
black with a single spot of white on each wing, the present
species is strongly glossed with blue. This effect is obtained
by means of a soft, velvet-like pile, which even extends to the
head. The wings are transparent and yellow, while the nervures
are rust-red, becoming black at the base. There is a slight pale
brown border to the wings. The legs, especially the hind pair,
are armed witli a number of bold tooth-like spines, thereby
contrasting with those of the previous species, which are
unarmed.

The magnificent insect whicli is here shown is one of tlie
largest of the Hymenoptera, and is very handsome, not only

'Fig. 238.— Pepsis elevata.
(Blacl: gi-een.)

on account of its size, but by reason of its splendid colouring.
Like many insects, the colouring is so deep that a very strong
light is required in order to bring out its beauties, and, if the

i'jS INSECTS ABROAD.

liglit be insufficient, tlie wliole of he tissues appear to be dull
velvety black. In point of fact, the eal colour of the head,
thorax, abdomen, and legs is Prussian green, so deep and
rich that at first sight the insect will probably be set down
as a black one. The wings are shining brown, and the
antennre are black for half tlieir length, and yellow for the
remainder.

The reason for giving the name of Pepsis to these insects
is to me one of the many insoluble mysteries in connection
with insect nomenclature. The word Pepsis is Greek, and
primarily signifies " digestion " or "concoction," and when used
in reference to wine it signifies " fermentation." The term is
familiar to most persons in forming part of the word " dys-
peptic," i.e. difficult digestion. I very much wish that all
persons who give a name to any new species, whether it be
animal or vegetable, should be bound at the same time to
explain that name and state their reasons for giving it ; and I
should like to abolish, once and for all, the custom of giving
to a new species the name of any human being. Every name
ought to designate some characteristic, and that can never be
done under the system that is so largely foliuwed.

On Plate IX. Pig. 1 is shown a Brazilian species, called, on
account of its size and strength, Pejjsis heron.

Like the preceding insect, it looks at first sight as if it were
black, the colour being in fact the deepest blue, with a sort of
velvet- like lustre. The wings are brown and glossy, and the
leo'S black.

The insect which is here given is, 1 believe, a new species and
hitherto undescribed. On account of the general richness of
its colour, Mr. Smith has given it the specific title of nigresccns,
i.e. " blackish." It is a native of Demerara. The colour of the
insect is black, with a thick velvet-like fur on the head and
thorax. The legs are long;, and without spines. The reader
will notice that the tibiae of the hind legs are much flattened,
this being a peculiarity common to the male sex throughout
the whole genus. The wings are very beautiful. Their gene-
ral colour is black, but they are adorned with many bold

PLATE IX.

^^■>^

r

^Sl^gliSrf=§lt:SII---^^-"

THE SPHEGID^.

459

streaks of steely blue, each streak having a narrow edge of
purple.

FiG. 239.— Pepsis uigirscens. (New specit-s. )
(Black ; wings streaked with lilue and purple.)

With this insect we end tlie Pompilidad, and now proceed to
the next group.

The Sphegidse are at ouce known by the shape of the abdomen.
This is attached to tlie thorax by a long footstalk, composed
of the first segment of the abdomen greatly elongated, just

Fig 240 — Ainnioplnla nielanai
(lUvk)

as a thin wire is drawn from a thick bar. Sometimes a portion
of the second segment is included in the footstalk.

Some species have this footstalk wonderfully elongated,

460 INSECTS ABEOAD.

especially in the genus Ammopliila. This word is formed
from the Greek, and literally signifies "sand-lover," because
the insects always select sandy spots for the purpose of forming
their burrows. All the Ammophiles have similar habits, and
our own familiar species, Ammopliila sabulosa, affords a very ex-
cellent example of the manner in which insects of this genus
prepare the homes for their future young. The mother insect
selects a suitable spot, and then digs a tolerably deep burrow,
rather narrow in diameter, except at the bottom, where it is
widened into a chamber. She never drops the excavated soil
near the mouth of the burrow, but canies it out between the
jaws, flies to a little distance, and then, with a peculiar jerk,
scatters the sand in a shower. Mr. Westwood has given a
detailed account of this process in the " Transactions of the
Entomological Society," vol. i.

The burrow being made, the Sand Wasp, as the creature is
popularly termed, goes off in search of a spider, or caterpillar,
or an insect of some kind, which is destined to serve as food for
the future young. The prey is seized firmly in the grasp of the
long legs, and is at once disabled by the sting, which, however,
does not kill it at once, but paralyses it and prevents its escape.
She then drags the disabled prey towards the burrow, her wings
buzzing loudly and her whole movements full of fiery energy.
Having reached the burrow, she transfers the insect to her
jaws, and begins to descend the burrow backwards, dragging
the insect after her.

Now comes the use of the enlarged chamber. Were the
burrow to be of the same size throughout, the Sand Wasp
would not be able to get out again, but the chamber allows
space for her to walk round the insect, when she deposits an Q^g.
Sometimes she goes off and fetches more insects, but this
depends entirely upon the size of the prey which she at first'
brought in. I very much doubt whather the Ammophila
restricts herself to one kind of victim, and think that she wUl
take either spider or caterpillar, as may be most convenient at
the time. Thus she proceeds until she has deposited her whole
stock of eggs, when she dies, the labour of her life being over.

The larva is a white, footless grub, with small head, armed
with strong teeth, and generally bent in a double curve, like the
letter S. When it is full fed it spins a double cocoon, the outer

HABITS OF THE SAND WASPS. 461

one being wliite, and looking something like paper, while the
second or inner cocoon is made of similar material, but has a
dark, smooth lining.

Our first example of these insects, AmmopMla melanaria, is a
native of Brazil. The head is rather small and rounded, and
the jaws are long, sharply pointed, curved in a sickle-like form,
and are armed with a boldly projecting -tooth in the middle of
the inner margin. This structure enables the insect to grasp its
prey firmly, as it drags it into the narrow tunnel. The wings
are transparent, and the colour of the head, thorax, and abdomen
is black, as is shown by the specific name, mdanaria, which is
formed from the Greek, and signifies " blackish." The footstalk
of the abdomen is very long
and slender, being, indeed,
scarcely thicker than a fine
pin.

Our second species of Am-
mophila is a native of Para.
Like the preceding species,
it is black, but its tarsi are
armed with long spikes, which ^t-*' _-

is not the case with its Bra- '- ' ^ - . .-'-"^"-r^'- -__

zilian relative. The jaws are i^^^-";;^^^?^- '

very powerful, toothed, and

, , , p ,. Fig. -il.— Ammophila opulenta.

remarkable tor a narrow Inie (Biacu.)

of long curved hairs along

their outer edge. There are great numbers of insects belonging

to this genus in the British Museum, and it is remarkable that

among that large and varied collection there is not one single

specimen which is not dull-coloured.

Scarcely any of the genus Pelopa3us are known to exist
except in the warmest portions of the earth. Their generic
name is taken from a Greek word signifying " mud," and is given
to them because they make their nests of sand ; it is very finely
worked and kneaded, and then left to dry in the heated air.
The nest is generally composed of a series of cells, each being
closed as it is completed, and the entrance being always from
beneath. The Pelopffii store their nests with various insects,

462

INSECTS ABROAD.

mostly caterpillars, but they often employ caterpillars, just like
the Sand Wasps of our own land.

It has been said that the Pelopaus not only places a disabled
insect in the cell occupied by its offspring, but continually adds
fresh insects as those which are already within are devoured.
Mr Westwood however, totally dissents from this opinion, on
1 the ground that none but the
social Hymennptera feed the young
larvae.

The accompanying illustration

depicts a South African species, Pe-

lopcBus chahjheics. The specific name,

which signifies " blue," is given to

it because its wliole body is of a

deep rich blue, very much like that

of the blue-bottle fly. The whole

of the head, thorax, and abdomen

are thickly and deeply punctured,

which gives additional richness to

the colouring. The wings are dark,

with a slight but decided blue gloss. The insect is shov/n as

standing upon its mud-built nest, the aperture which serves as

entrance into the last cell being seen towards the bottom.

(Sliiuing bine.)

On Plate IX. Fig. 2 is seen the figure of an Australian
species, called PclojJceus Icetus, flying towards the nest, which is
placed on the trunk of a tree.

Although not so brilliant a species as the last, it is boldly
and prettily coloured. The general hue of the body is black, as
far as the end of the thorax, in the middle of which is a bold
oblong patch of yellow. From the end of the thorax to the
middle of the abdomen the colour is j^ellow. Then comes a
broad band of black, and the rest of tlie abdomen is yellow.
Tlie antennas are also yellow, and there is a collar of the same
colour on the neck.

It has been discovered that some species of the Peloposus are
parasitic creatures, affecting the nests of a solitary bee called
Eumenes. That this is the fact has been proved by finding in
the nests of the Eumenes the cocoons'of tlie Pelopaius, wliich
are almost exactly like those of the Annnophila which have
been already described.

A JAMAICAN SAND WASP,

463

We now come to tlie typical ^enus of the Sphegidte, an
example of wliicli is the beautiful S'phex argentata, so called
from the broad silvery band which encircles the middle of the
abdomen. There is a peculiarity about this silvery band. It
is very conspicuous, and yet, when examined closely, it disap-
pears. This effect is produced by the very short and fine
silvery pile which exists upon that part of the abdomen, and

::S^

Fig. 243. — Spliex argentata.
(Black, with silver belt on nTidomen.)

sometimes extends to the metathorax. The rest of the insect ia
black, and the wings are transparent.

Few insects have so great a range as this, specimens having
been brought from India, Sumatra, Java, Celebes, Ceram, and
many parts of Africa and Europe.

A VERY graphic account of the proceedings of a Jamaican
species of Sphex is given by Mr. Gosse in his " Naturalist's
Sojourn in Jamaica " : —

" On the earthen floor of the building, formerly used as the
boiling-house on Bluefields Estate, but now dilapidated and par-
tially unroofed, where twine-like roots depend from the rafters,
and elegant ferns spring out of the crevices of the crumbling
walls, a good many large wasp-like flies may be observed in the

464 INSECTS ABROAD.

hottest pai't of Llie day, briskly flying to and fro. It is a species
of Sphex, closely allied to >S'. ichneumonea, Liit with the abdomen
wholly rufous. On closer examination we discover numerous
holes entering diagonally into the dry and dusty ground, into
which some of these bright-coloured flies are crawling, and from
which others are emerging.

" From some of the holes proceeds a shrill, but intermitted,
buzzing ; and if we watch one of these, w^e perceive the Sphex at
work therein. .At first we cannot see what she is doing, for she
crawls in head foremost, and in a second or two comes out tail
foremost, recedes a few inches, and then advances again, again
emerges in the same manner, and again enters; and continues thus
to crawl backward and forward with bustling activity, and with
much flirting of the purple wings. She is almost white with dust,
and is evidently very busy, if we can but comprehend her motions.

'' On stooping down and bringing our face very near the scene
of labour, we discover, by narrow watching, that she is digging
the hole ; and hence the negro children have given her the ap-
propriate title of gravedigger. Every time that she comes forth,
she brings a load of the powdery earth, much larger than her
head, tightly held between the shanks of her two fore-feet, her
breast, and her chin, and this she drops an inch or two from the
cave's mouth. Sometimes she brings a stone still larger, and
this is grasped in the jaws, and dragged to tlie distance of four
or five inches, for fear it should roll in again. I have seen her
bring two stones together, one grasped beneath the chin, the
other in the jaws. Each time she has dropped the load, she
never fails, as she advances, to keep the road clear by scraping
with the fore shanks, throwing the dust behind her. But for
this, the earth brought out would soon accumulate in a heap, and
roll back. If a dry leaf or small stick happen to drop against
the mouth of the hole, she seizes it with her curved jaws and
carries it to a safe distance.

"I observed one filling up a hole. No doubt she had de-
posited her Qgg at the bottom, and stored sufticient provision
(caterpillars or spiders, disabled but not killed, according to the
custom of these interesting insects) to last the young grub, when
hatched, until its maturity, ' baud ignara ac non incauta futuri.'
With her tail towards the hole, she scraped back a little heap of
vlust; then turned, and with her head moved it about, that it

INSECT INDUSTRY.

465

niigiit fall to the Ijottoiii. Then she turned again and did the
like, repeating this procedure several times in' succession. At
length no more earth would go down, for the hole was full ; she
then rammed it two or three times with her head, and flew
away, leaving still, however, the situation of the orifice obvious
enough.

" These insects work very fast in the soft dusty earth, for they
are indefatigable in their exertions. The bee is the recognised
symbol of industry, but the labour of the bee is play compared
with the efibrts of the grave-digging Sphex."

The rare and very remarkable insect which is here shown is
a native of South America, and was captured by Mr. T. P. G
Smith at Pernauil)uco. Two sj^ecimens, male and female, are in

Fig. 244. — Stetliorect.us iugens.
(Shiuiug black.)

the British Museum, and I believe that they are unique. The
illustration represents the male. There is a full and detailed
description of the insect by Mr. F. Smith, in the " Annals and
Magazine of Natural History," vol. xx. p. 394.

The chief characteristic of this species is the enormous length
of the thorax, which is rounded in front and cut off abruptly

H H

46G

INSECTS ABROAD

behind. It is covered with a moderately thick coatiug of long
hairs. The abdomen is quite small, and is joined to the thorax
by a rather short and very slender footstalk. The head is large,
and carries a pair of very powerful jaws, jetty black and
shining. The legs are long and spiny, and in the male the end
of the thigh is thickened into a knob, which is curiously bent
inwards, and armed with several strong but blunt teeth. The
name Stetlioredus, which signifies " lengthened breast," is given
to the insect in consequence of the great length of the thorax.
The wings are shining brown, glossed with blue, and are singu-
larly beautiful.

The female Stethorectus feeds her young upon spiders of
various kinds, and so fierce and powerful is she that she will even
attack the enormous Mygale, or Bird Spider, and carry it off to
her nest. This is a most remarkable feat, for the Mygale, when
its legs are spread, covers as much space as a man's extended
hand, and it is powerful enough to attack and destroy the
humming-birds. It is not, however, a match for the Stetho-
rectus, which darts upon it and paralyzes it with its sting, so
that it can offer no resistance. The Mygale does not die at once
from the sting, but lingers for five or six days, thus giving time
for the egg of its captor to be hatched. If it cannot obtain a

suitable spider, the Stetho-
rectus makes use of cater-
pillars or grasshoppers.

The genus Chlorion de-
rives its name from the pre-
vailing colour of the insects
belonging to it. Chlorion
is a Greek word, signifying
" green," and shining green is
the colour of nearly all the
species. There are several
blue species, but even in
them there is a decided gloss
of green.
The species which is here represented is an Asiatic insect, and
is spread throughout India and China. It is a very pretty
insect, the body being always polished and shining, and mostly

24o. — Chlorion lobatuin.
(Shining green.)

IN.

Male.

THE AMPULEX. 467

of a brilliant emerald green. Some specimens, however, are en-
tirely blue, sometimes the thorax is half blue and half green, and
in a few specimens the colour is so vague that it is impossible to
decide whether the real colour be blue or green. The wings are
yellow and shining, and in most instances those of the female

"% '%^- '>!-%-,

" # /

Fig. 24G.— Ch'.orion lobatura. Female.
(Shining green.)

are clouded with brown at the tips. It is one of the spider-
eating species, and displays great powers of perseverance in cap-
turing and dragging its prey to the burrow.

The two sexes are very dissimilar in appearance, and both are
therefore represented, the small specimen being the male, and
the larger the female. ..

The genus Ampulex is a very large one, and is spread over
the warmer portions of the world. There are in the British
Museum specimens from India, China, the Celebes, Africa, and
tropical America. The present species comes from Borneo, and
there is only a single specimen in the British Museum.

The commonest species is AmjJidcx coiwprcssa, a native of
China. This is a very brightly coloured insect. The head,
thorax, and abdomen are rich shining purple, and the wings are
pale brown. The legs are bright blue, except the thighs, which
are red. All the species belonging to this genus stock their
H H 2^

468

INSECTS ABKOAD.

burrows with large insects, preferring for this purpose the fiehl

cockroaches, one of which is shown in the ilhistration. In all

the species the abdomen is
much compressed, but in the
Chinese species which has
just been mentioned the ab-
domen looks exactly as if it
had been squeezed between
the finger and thumb. The
reader will probably recol-
lect that in entomological
language, "compressed " sig-
nifies flattened sideways, and
" depressed " flattened down-
w^ards as if by a weight. As
th(} insects on which the
Ampulex preys are large and

strong, it is necessary that the jaws should be very powerful,

and this is the case in every species.

The Larridffi, although rather a small family, are spread
widely over the world, and in the British Museum there are
examples of the genus Larrada. taken not only from Europe,

Fig. 248. — Larrada ihioalis.
(Black, with blue wings.)

Asia, Africa, and Australia, but both from North and South
America. The present species is found in Java and the Celebes.
Only two specimens are in the Museum.

This species was called ducalis by Mr. F. Smith, on account

HABITS OF THE TACHYTES. 469

of its size, wliicli is very niucli greater than that of any-
other species. At first sight it is not a very handsome insect,
but a careful inspection shows beauties, which do not appear at
first. The whole of the body is black, but each segment of the
abdomen is marked by a slight edging of very short silvery pile,
looking as if a fine line of silver had been drawn round it. The
eyes are large, and round them is drawn a line of short hairs of
a rich golden lustre. There is also a patch of similar hair in the
front of the face, between the eyes. The wings are brown, with a
very strong blue gloss.

Of all the species, I think that Larrada hmmorrlioidalis of
Australia is by far the handsomest. The golden pile, which in
the preceding species is confined to the head, is spread over the
entire body, and the effect is singularly beautiful, the play
of light and shade being just like that of the richest velvet. The
thorax has apparently two brown stripes, but when the light is
changed the stripes become golden, and the rest of the thorax
brown. The wings are shining yellow, tipped with brown.

The name Tacliytes is taken from a Greek word signifying
" rapidity," and is given to the insects of the genus on account of
their exceeding swiftness both on the ground and in the air, and
their constant restlessness.
There is a British species,
Tacliytes unicolor, which is
so swift that it can hardly
be captured.

As its name imports, the
present species inhabits
China. Tt is the largest of
all the known species, and
is coloured very much like
our hive bee, except that a
fine line of silvery pile grows
on the edges of the segments '-■ ^^'^7^^ ^^vnT"^

of the abdomen. The wings

are pale yellow. It is a very large genus, and, like Larrada,
extends over all parts of the world. All the species of whose
life-history anything is known have very similar habits.
They make burrows in the ground, lay their eggs in them, and

470 INSECTS ABROAD.

stock tliem with insects as food for the future young. They
seem to prefer grasshoppers, or at all events Orthoptera, to any
other insects, though they sometimes take caterpillars, if they
can get nothing better. The British species, Tachytes pompili-
formis, almost invariably stocks its nest with grasshoppers,
having previously deprived them of life, or at all events of
motion, by the sting. Yet, Mr. Shuckard has seen the insect
engaged in the capture of green caterpillars, possibly because it
could find no grasshoppers.

On Plate VIIT., Fig. 2 is shown an insect that is rather
insignificant in appearance, though it is very interesting in its
habits. Its name is Parapison rufi.pes, and it is one of a number
of insects that were brought from India by Mr. 0. Home, and
described by Mr. F. Smith. Its colour is very simple, being
nearly brown, with a sprinkling of silvery down. Attached to
the flower-stem in the lower corner of the plate is seen a group
of its curious cells, the construction of which is thus described
by Mr. Home : —

" It constructs a wall of loosely-arranged cells of earth
attached to some hanging object, such as a creeper, tendril, or
pendent straw, or even a curled dry leaf. The interior of the
cell is strengthened by a very fine glutinous silky-looking sub-
stance, and this is the more necessary as the least damp would
otherwise destroy the whole fabric.

"I believe the insect to apply some kind of gluten, while the
pupa secures its safety by spinning a very slight silken web
within its abode. The cells are very globular, and are filled
with the smallest spiders, of which I counted eighteen in two
chambers. These are generally of a pale green colour, and their
plumpness is curious. Sometimes, however, it builds a wall
with more or less regularity. The pellets used in construction
are, comparatively with the size of the insect, very large, and
loosely attached to one another : very little smoothing is effected
exteriorly, and were it not for the interior binding together of
the particles, the wall would apparently fall to pieces of itself.

" The earth brought is prepared by water, as is the case with
all clay-building insects which I have observed ; and the insect
affects the vicinity of water, and hence, probably, is seldom
found far from wells. It builds in September and October, and

THE I5EMBEX.

471

tlie perfect insect sometimes emerges early, though it often
delays its appearance until the spring (viz. March or April) of
the following year, when the heat sets in.

" A small Pemphredon, or another even smaller species, often
takes possession of the cells of this insect, rendering the identi-
fication of the pupa very difficult. The chrysalis is more ovate
in form than that of Pemphredon. I have no drawing of the
grub." In another part of his paper Mr. Home mentions that
a hymenopterous insect belonging to another family, namely
Trypoxylon intrudens, was hatched from cells made by the
Parapison, the former insect having taken possession of the
cells made by the latter.

The next family is that of the Bembecidse, in which the
tongue is often so long that it resembles the same organ in the
hive bee. The name is Greek, signifying " a humming-top," and

f'A ^^>
(^,

Fig. 250.— Bembex rostrata.
(Black, with greenish yellow bars.)

is given to the insects on account of their quick, fussy move-
ments, and the buzzing sound which they produce when on
the wing.

As far as is yet known, no species of the genus Bembex is an
inhabitant of England, though this species extends throughout
the greater part of Europe, and is even found in Northern Africa.
It is nearly, though not quite, the largest species belonging to
the genus, and is rather prettily coloured, the greenish yellow
bands contrasting well with the black which forms the ground
hue.

The habits of this insect are much like those which have
already been mentioned. The female digs deep burrows in the
sand, using her fore-feet just as a terrier scratches at a rat-hole,

472 IXSECTS ABKOAU.

and working with wonderful speed and activity. She then
catches flies of various kinds, and places them in the burrow for
the use of the future young. She is so active that she can even
catch the swift-winged Hoverer Flies {Syrphidce), pouncing on
them during flight, just as a falcon swoops on a partridge.
Having stocked the nest with a sufficient quantity of flies, she
closes the entrance with earth, and leaves the eggs to be hatched
in their own time.

It is rather remarkable that so fierce and active an insect
should itself be the victim of another insect, but such is the
case. The gorgeous Euby-tail Fly, called Stilhum sjylendiduin,
and described on page 415, haunts the burrows of the Bembex,
crawls into them during the absence of the real owner, and
surreptitiously deposits its eggs there. As the egg of the
Stilbum is hatched before that of the Bembex, it naturally
happens that the former not only eats the flies, but the Bembex
larva itself

In the generic name of the present insect there is another
of those curious, not to say inexcusable, confusions in nomen-
clature which have been more than once mentioned. The word
is Latin, and is used by Ovid to signify " a jackdaw," so that it
clearly ought not to be used as a name for a genus of insects,

especially as it is anti-
cipated in the scientific
name of the jackdaw,
Corvus monedula.

This is altogether a

South American genus,

and a good description

of the manner in which

2ji _Ainn lUiia iierc s the iusccts dig their

(Chik 111(1 \ello« ) 1 i. 1 x1

liui rows and stock them
with tlies may be found in '\\v. I'.ates' well-known book on the
Amazons River.

This is one of the largest of the genus, and is a really fine
insect. The colour of the head, thorax, and abdomen is velvety
black, while on each side are five patches of brilliant yellow.
There are also some yellow marks on the thorax, as shown in
the illustration. The legs are black, covered witli a greyish down.

THE NYSSONID^. 473

The two colours of black and yellow run through the genus,
and it is on account of their pied appearance that the name of
Monedula has been given to the insects. The colour is, liow-
ever, very differently arranged in the various species. One of
them, Monedula magnifica, of Brazil, has the ground colour
velvet-black, while at each side of the base of the abdomen
there is a large patch of deep orange, and an interrupted band
about the middle. Perhaps the most curiously marked species
is one in which the body is shining black, and has on the
abdomen four rows of circular greenish yellow spots arranged
with curious regularity.

The family of the Nyssonidse, which comes next in order,
derives its name from a Greek word signifying " something that
pricks or goads," and is given to the insects on account of the
power of their stings. In none of those insects is the abdomen
attached to the thorax by a foot-stalk.

Fig. 252.— Stizus speeinsiis. Male.
(P.lack and yellow.)

The name Stizus is taken from the Greek, and signifies " a
point," in allusion to the sharp points which arm the end of
the abdomen in the male. The colour of Stiztis sjjeciosvs is
nearly the same as that of the Monedula. The abdomen is
shining black, diversified with patches of bright yellow,
arranged as shoM'n in the illustration. The shape and size of

474

INSECTS ABROA.D.

these marks are somewhat variable. The thorax is round, with
a beautifully rich pile like dark brown velvet.

Mr. Walsh gives a curious account of this insect, which is a
North American species. It usually stocks its burrows with
grasshoppers, and is called by the name of the Digger Wasp.
A correspondent, however, who sent him specimens of the
Digger Wasp, states that the insect is known in Texas as the
Horse Guard, because it is always flying about the horses.

Fig. 253.— Stiras specio.sus. Female.
(Black and yelluw.)

seizing upon the flies that annoy them, and carrying them off
to the burrow. Mr. Walsh thinks that there may be some error
in this account, and that the insect which really does catch and
store up the horse-flies is a species of Bembex which much
resembles the Stizus.

Six species of Stizus are found in America, one of which,
Stizus grandis, stocks its burrows with Cicadce instead of
grasshoppers.

Our last example of the Nyssonidse is Exeirus lateritus, a fine
insect from Australia, This was first described by ]\Ir. Shuckard
in 183(3, and the whole account maybe found in the Transactions
of the Entomological Society for that year. The general colour
of the insect is black, but the head is yellowish red, sprinkled

CAKKYING PKEY.

475

■with silvery down. The thorax is l^lack and very hairy, and
tlie middle of the abdomen is red. The legs are black, except
the tibise, which axe light red. They are of great proportionate
length, and have given rise to the generic name Exeirus, whicli
is formed from a Greek word signifying to "stretch out," or
"elongate."

There is considerable difference in the sexes. The male is
smaller than the female, and tlie end of the abdomen, instead of

254. — Exeirus lateiitus.
(Black and red.)

being long and pointed, is short, Idnnt, and rounded. Moreover,
the male has one more joint in the antennse than the female, he
liaving thirteen joints, and she only twelve.

Of the Crabronid® we have many examples in our own
country, there being some forty species of the one genus Crabro.
They are all burrowers, most of our own species preferring
decayed wood for that purpose. It has been remarked by Mr.
Shuckard that there is a difference in the mode in which the
various burrowing wasps carry their prey. Oxybelus conveys
it by means of the hind legs, Pompilus and Ammophila seize it
in their jaws and drag it backwards ; while all, if not nearly all
the others grasp it in their jaws, hold it with their fore-legs, and
so laden fly to their nest.s.

476

INSECTS ABROAD.

Mr. Westwood has successfully watched the development of
several species of Crabro, and has noticed that while burrowing
in wood the insect bites off small splinters with its teeth, passes
them under its body by the first and second pairs of legs, and then
kicks them out of the burrow with the hind pair. The strong

spines with which the tibia3
of the hind legs are armed
assist the insect in propelling
the fragments well out of the
burrow. The burrow is stocked
with insects, varying accord-
ing to the species of Crabro,
and when the larva is full fed
it spins for itself a silken
cocoon of a reddish brown
colour. As the silken threads
of which the cocoon is formed
are of a viscid nature when
first spun, the wings and
other dehris of the flies on
which the larva had fed are sure to adhere to the exterior and
so give the cocoon a very singular aspect.

The species which is given as our example of this genus is an
inhabitant of Southern Europe, and is rather prettily coloured,
the general hue being black, and the abdomen marked with
interrupted bands of greenish yellow, arranged as shown in the
illustration.

F'iG. '255.— Crabro subterrnneus.
(Blank and yellow.)

On Plate VIII. Fig. 1 is shown a pretty insect of Northern
India, called Tnjpoxylon rejector.

The generic name is formed from two Greek words, and
signifies " a wood-borer.'' As may be inferred from that name
the generality of the insects belonging to this genus bore lioles
in wood. Several species of Trypoxylon inhabit England, and
have been noticed to enter the burrows of other insects. INIr.
Westwood, having seen this done several times, naturally thought
that the insect was a parasitic one. Afterwards, however, he
found that the only object was to save itself trouble, and that
the Trypoxylon merely enlarged the burrows and then lined them
with sand. One species makes a number of successive cells

INSECT USUliPEKS. 477

ill each burrow, placing a single egg in every cell, and accom-
panying it witli spiders, more or less iu number according to
their size.

One small species, Trypoxyloii alternatum, may often be
found in the dead and broken stems of roses and brambles, the
insect boring away the soft pith and constructing a series of
cells, each separated from its neighbour by a wall of sand. The
cells are stocked with small spiders, and if the stem be carefully
cut open, the cocoons may be seen all in a row, each cocoon
filling as exactly as possible the cell in wdiich the larva has
been reared.

Whatever may be the case with the British species, it is
evident that some of the foreign Trypoxylons are parasitic upon
other insects, or at all events that they take possession of their
nests in order to avoid the trouble of making burrows for them-
selves. The reader will remember that in the account of Para-
pison rufipes Mr. Home mentioned that he had bred from it
specimens of Trypoxylon intrucUns. The same observer states
that although Trypoxylon rejector builds cells of its own, it is
in the habit of appropriating those of other insects. In Plato
VIII. the elongated cells in the nests of the illustration are
those of the Trypoxylon. Tliis is Mr. Home's account of the
insect as given in the Transactions of the Zoological Society,
vol. vii. part 3 : —

" This curious little insect, when first hatched from the deli-
cate little Serpularia-like cells, was taken by me for some para-
site allied to the Ichneumonidae, in consequence of my having
often observed it hovering at the mouths of the cells of the
smaller cell-building insects in my verandah. I found, how-
ever, that it brought mud and worked for itself, as well as
appropriated the cells of other insects which it found ready
to its hand.

" I have nowhere found recorded its habits ; but I think I
have seen it carrying minute green spiders wherewith to fill its
cells. It certainly does not feed its young, but stores food ; for
it closes its cells directly they are ready, which uone of the
Vespidae do.

"The construction of tliese is very curious ; and the pellets
of earth used appear of a sandy character, which gives to the
structure great delicacy and fragility. At the same time the

478

INSECTS ABKOAD.

interior of the cell is lined with some glutinous ejection which
binds it together.

" The specimens of cells figured (the originals of which are now
all in England) show how strongly this cementing Huid acts.

" The nests are extremely diiScult to find, being small, and
many straws hanging in the places where they are usually con-
structed, such as under a thatch of coarse grass.

"As might have been expected, they remain a very shoit
time in the pupa state ; and the month of September is their
favourite season of construction, although they continue to build
in October.

" I have often watched them as I sat in my thatched summer-
house at Mainpuri ; and the rapidity with which they came and
went was surprising. I know of no other special peculiarity
which calls for remark, excepting that all the cells I have found
liave been under cover."

The general colour of this insect is black, but the second and
third segments of the abdomen are red.

Some systematic entomologists have formed a family called
Philanthidas, but there seems to be no need for it, the Crabro-
nida3 being quite comprehensive enough One species, Philan-
thus triangidum, is tolerably common
_v-^^,-pi on the Continent, but very rare in

^ l\M .7^ England. Mr. Shuckard predicted,

some years ago, that when its me-
tropolis was discovered, it would
prove to be plentiful though very
local, and therefore rare except in
its own peculiar home. Mr. F. Smith
discovered the metropolis of this
insect at Sandown, Isle of Wight,
and so Mr. Shuckard's prophecy was
fulfilled.

The insects were in considerable
numbers, burrowing into the sand,
and flying about with great activity.
Their strength and boldness may be
inferred from the fact that they pro-
vision their oests with tlie hive bee, an insect nearly twice as large

L'lO. 256.— PhJlairflnis corouatus.
i^Black and yellow.)

CUKIULS NEbTS. 479

as the Philantlius, and armed with a stiug which even man fears
to meet. Some preyed upon Andrena bees, and Mr. Smith tells
me that the choice of prey seemed to depend very much on
locality, the Andrena being preferred where it v/as plentiful,
and the hive bee taken when Andrenas are scarce. On the
Continent this Philanthus is said to do great harm to apiarians,
each female making on an average live cells, and depositing a
bee in each.

Although so bold, strong, and active, and possessing a sting'
which is venomous enough to disable even the hive bee, the
Philanthus is curiously averse to using its sting except for the
purpose of securing its prey. Mr. Smith found that he absolutely
could not provoke the insects to use their stings, even though he
held them in the bare hand.

The species which is represented in the illustration is a native
of Southern Europe. Its colour is black, with yellow marks ou
the abdomen and thorax, as shown in the illustration. Pound
the head there is a radiating fringe of yellow hair, which has
earned for the species the name of coronata, or " crowned." The
name Philanthus is formed from two words signifying " a lover
of flowers," and is given to the insects because they are fond of
haunting the wild flowers when they are not forced by resistless
iustinct to dig their burrows and search for prey. In order
to show the peculiar markings, the figure is enlarged about
one-thiid.

We now come to a great group of Hymenoptera in which tlie
wings are folded longitudinally throughout their length when at
rest. Anyone can see this peculiar structure by looking at a
common wasp. Both sexes have wings, and so have the neuters.

The first family in this group is the Eumenidae, which com-
prise the solitary species, and which may be known at once by
their double claws. We have in England one species of the
typical genus, Eumenes coardata, which is a local insect, but
tolerably common in those districts which suit it. Sandy ground
well covered with heather seems to be its favourite locality. It
makes a curious vase-shaped nest, forming it of sand, fastening
it to a heather spray, and then provisioning it with little cater-
pillars after it has deposited an egg. I may here mention that
the name Eumenidte has been appropriate! v, if somewhat lanoi-

480

INSECTS ABROAD.

fully, given to these insects on account ot the havoc which they
work among sundry larvffi, spiders, &c. The Eumenides were
the furies of the Greek classics, the ministers of vengeance
appointed by the greater gods to inflict punishment on offend-
ing mankind.

The present species derives its nan\e of xanthura, or " yellow
tail," from its colour. The head and abdomen are black, except

that a considerable portion
of the end of the abdomen
is ruddy chestnut. The tho-
rax is also chestnut, but on
its upper surface is a large
patch of deep brown. The
abdomen has a soft velvet
look, on account of the deep
punctures with which it is
perfectly covered. The wings
are shining, and yellowish
in colour. It is an Indian
insect. Closely allied to it
is another Indian species,
Eumenes fdiolata, which
very much resembles it in form, but may be distinguished
by a single broad bar of yellow across the middle of the
abdomen. This insect makes a large nest of nmd, about the
size of a pigeon's egg, and affixes it under some projection,
probably for the sake of sheltering it from the rain. An
egg is placed in each nest, which is then well stored with cater-
pillars. Sometimes, in a favourable position, a whole row of
these nests may be seen, set side by side. The insect builds
them in all kinds of places ; and in a paper in the Transactions
of the Entomological Society it is stated that in one case a key-
hole was chosen as a locality for the nest, and in another, the
interior of a disused flute.

25V. — Eirnencs xanthura.
{Black and yellow )

On Plate VIII. Fig 3 is drawn a beautiful species from
Northern India, called Eumenes esuriens. In his paper on tlie
Indian Hymenoptera, Mr. Home observes that the insect has a
habit of choosing doors and posts as localities for its nest,
which, like that of any Eumenes, is always made with an

HISTORY OF THE EUMENES. 481

opening having a recurved lip. As a rule, the insect nianageri
to preserve the spherical form of its nest, no matter what may
be the exigencies of the locality. The nest is stocked with
caterpillars, mostly belonging to the Geometridse, and almo.'>t
invariably green in colour.

As is often the case with solitary wasps and bees, the
Eumenes is liable to the attacks of parasites, of which the
ubiquitous Euby-tail (Chnjsis) is sure to be one. ]\Ir. Home
mentions one very remarkable instance of parasitic develop-
ment. From a single cell of Eumenes esuriens the insect was
hatched in due course of time. But there was also hatched a
beetle belonging to the genus Emanadia. This insect is allied
to our Sitaris muralis, which is so well known to entomologists
as being parasitic on various solitary bees. Besides this, a fly,
apparently belonging to the genus Anthrax, was hatched from
the same nest. Now, the wonder is, how all these insects con-
trived to obtain sufficient food when packed within so narrow a
compass, especially as the fly is not a small one, and the beetle
is fully three-quarters of an inch in length. Had the beetle or
the fly appeared instead of the Eumenes, there would have been
nothing strange ; but that all these should appear, and be fully
developed, is an absolute mystery.

The Anthrax, by the way, is a very troublesome insect to the
Eumenes, as well as to other solita.ry Hymenoptera. Generally,
after a cell is closed it is tolerably safe, but the Anthrax con-
trives to pierce through the covering of the cell, and so to
deposit an egg. The reader will therefore understand how
difiicult is the task of identifying the builder of a nest when,
instead of an Eumenes or Pelopteus, an Anthrax, a Chrysis,
or an Emanadia may emerge, and sometimes two or three
at once.

Mr. Home further remarks that it is very rare to find a nest
from which the Eumenes has escaped, unless it be perfectly
empty and affording no clue as to the habits of the occupant.
This is due to the ants, who swarm in India and are ever rest-
less in search of food. As long as the mud-nest of the Eumenes
is closed, the ants cannot touch it, but no sooner does the newly
developed Eumenes leave its nest, than the ants pour into it
and carry off everything in it, not only the unconsumed cater-
pillars if there should be any, but the skins of those that have
I I

482

INSECTS ABROAD.

been eaten by the Eumenes larva, and the cast hirval and pupal
skins of the Eumenes itself. Just below the figure of the insect
on Plate VIII. is shown a small group of the nests.

Another species, Eumenes conica, builds a very delicate cell,
always using a wall or beam for one side of it, so that the most
skilful workman can scarcely remove the nest without breaking
it. Owing to the thinness of the cell-wall, the larva is very liable
to be attacked by parasites, Mr. Home having found that out of
five cells only two produced the rightful Eumenes. The colour
of the insect is rather curious. The head and thorax are nearly
black, but the footstalk and the basal portion of the abdomen are

orange. Then comes an inter-
rupted black bar, and beyond this
bar the abdomen is pale yellow
and highly polished.

The preceding insects being
Indian, we have here a species
from Australia, called Eumenes
arcuata. The latter name signi-
fies something that is bent like a
bow, and refers to the outline of
the insect when seen in profile.
The wings are pale yellow and
polished, and the body is black,
smooth, and shining, the black

being relieved by sundry spots, streaks, and patches of vivid

yellow, arranged as seen in the illustration.

258. — Eumeues arcuata
(lilack and yellow.)

Here is a strange being indeed! A hymenopterous insect
with jaws just like those of a stag beetle ! Had the insect been
unknown, no entomologist would have dared to say that such a
form could be possible.

This is the most striking of a large genus of Hymenoptera, in
all of which the males have exceptionally large jaws. In none,
however, is the jaw so enormously developed as in the present
species.

As is the case with many insects (for example, our own stag
beetle), the jaws of the female are comparatively small, and show
jio sirnis of the enormous development which is found in the

USE OF THE JAWS. 483

male. The use of these jaws is at present problematical, for the
male Synagris does not use them for labour, the whole of that
business devolving on the female. Neither would they serve the
purpose of weapons. Even the male stag beetles, who really do
fight when urged by jealousy, do very little harm to each other,
the result of a battle being very much like that of a duel be-
tween two ironclads, neither of which can penetrate the armour
of the other. Some entomologists think that they are used in
detaining the female in case she should prove coy, but as the
greater bulk of male insects have feeble jaws, and many have
no jaws at all, this theory cannot be maintained. Perhaps, when
we know the use of a man's beard, a lion's mane, or a turkey's
wattles, we shall learn the object of these r^normous jaws.

As to the name Synagris, it is utterly absurd when applied to
an insect. It is a name employed by Aristotle in his " History

\ ii;iL,Tis cornuta
ish yellow.)

of Animals " to designate some marine fish, and why it should
now be transferred to a terrestrial insect is more than I can
understand.

This species is a native of Southern Africa, which is the great
home of these curious insects. Its general colour is black, but
the thorax is yellowish brown, with the exception of a large
black patch in the centre ; and its wings are also brown, with a
decided glossy surface. The enormous jaws of the male are
yellow in colour, and not only are they very large, sickle-shaped,
and sharply pointed, but they each throw out a large horn or
tooth near the base, the horn being large enough to make half a
dozen ordinary jaws. There is also a blunt tooth on the outer
I I 2

484

INSECTS ABROAD.

edge of each jaw, placed about midway between the base and the
tip. When the jaws are closed, the points cross each other
boldly, while the two lower teeth are pressed tightly together.

There are many African species of this extraordinary genus.
Synagris mirabilis is a native of Abyssinia, and is a really hand-
some insect, its body being black, the end of the abdomen white,
and the wings glossed with a shining blue. Synagris analis
would look exactly like the preceding insect if drawn in plain
black and white, but in this species the end of the abdomen is
red, and not white. In all these insects the head is large and
squared, this structure being needful in order to give support to
the powerful muscles which move the enormous jaws.

The next genus, jMonobia, is so called on account of the soli-
tary habit of the insects. The name is formed from two Greek
words which signify " living alone."

This genus is in reality little more than a division of the great
and intricate genus Odynerus, the systematic entomologists

having found that genus be-
coming unwieldy and capable
of subdivision. In all proba-
bility, then, the Monobia act as
does the Odynerus, i.e., the
female digs holes, lays her eggs
in them, and stores them with
caterpillars.

The species is a North
American one, and is rather
striking to the eye. The head
and thorax are black and pro-
fusely punctated, and the abdo-
men is also black, but of a
velvety texture, owing to the
short and thick pile with which it is covered. On the base of
the abdomen there is a broad band of bright yellow, and some
streaks of the same colour are seen on the thorax. The wings
are yellow and shining.

2G0. - Mouobia qu;i
(Black aurl ycllo^

On Plate VIII. Fig. 4 is shown the figure of an insect
called Ehynchimri niiidulum. Like the last insect, this is

A CUNNING USUIIPER. 485

one of the many that were formerly included in the genus
Odynerus.

Several species of these insects inhabit India, and Mr. Home
has described the habits of three of them, showing that there are
considerable differences in their modes of building. One of
them, Rhynchium carnaticum, inliabits the interior of small hol-
low bamboos. \ nest which Mr. Home found was constructed
in a very singular manner, the insect having taken possession
of a bamboo which had been previously occupied by one of
the solitary bees, Megacliile Icmata, and in which two cells
had already been formed. The Ehynchium did not try to eject
the original occupant, but simply built it in.

" It first built over the cells of the Megachile a floor, which was
constructed of mud, very finely worked, stout at the edges and
thinner in the middle. It then left a space empty and made an-
other floor, after which it commenced its breeding cells. In these
it stored caterpillars of many colours, and it finished off with an
empty spare cell, which it covered with a heavy mass of pellets.
The clay is kneaded very finely, and, although there are no sides
to be made to the cell, the cap is most carefully constructed."

There seems to be more than instinct in this proceeding.
As the Ehynchium is much slower than the Megachile in under-
going its changes, the latter would be developed first, and so
break through all the cells of the former in trying to make
its escape. So, first the Ehynchium begins by shutting off the
Megachile with a strong clay wall, and then, in order to guard
against the possibility of one of the insects breaking through
this wall, it takes the precaution to leave a clear space, and
then to build a second wall, before it proceeds to form its cells.
I have noticed that all insects which have to break through
obstacles before they reach the open air have sufficient strength
to do so, and a little to spare besides. But the amount of strength
is not much in excess of the work to be done with it, and there
is no insect with which I am acquainted which would not perish
before it could break through two obstacles of equal strength.

I should much like to present the reader with an illus-
tration of this remarkable nest, but as the nest, or rather the
series of cells, is half as long again as the page, and would not
bear reduction, it cannot be done. The colour of the insect
is ruddy brown.

486 INSECTS ABROAD.

Theu there is Rlujnchium hrunncum, which is capable of
boring holes for itself, though it prefers to take possession of
those that are ready made. Mr. Home remarks of this species,
that its body is so flexible that it is almost impossible to
hold the insect without being stung by it.

Lastly comes the species which is figured in the plate. In
colour it is very simple, being merely greyish black. Mr.
Home's account is as follows : —

" This extremely interesting insect constructs cells of exceed-
ing strength, mostly upon timber. The clay is very finely
worked with water and some kind of gum — not only viscid
ejection being employed, but also the juices of the ' Peepul '
{Ficus religiosa), birdlime in fact, and the gum of the acacia,
catechu, and other trees. Hence there is no need of thickness,
and we accordingly find the walls of the chambers very thin,
whilst their tenacity is so great that the portion of the hard
wood on wdiich the series of cells was fixed I have cut out with
a chisel and hammer without in any way injuring the structure.
One pair of insects does not usually make more than three cells ;
but it muat be remembered that they take a much longer time
in making them than does the rapid, rough-working IVIegachile.

" The food stored consists of caterpillars ; and I have not yet
succeeded in hatching a parasite from one of their nests,
which are strong enough to resist all ordinary attacks. Until
compjleted, either one or the other of the insects appears to
remain at home ; and hence parasites have no opportunity of
effecting an entrance before the cell is closed over. The cover-
ing, though thin, is ver}^ tough, so tough that I doubt the power
of a parasite to pierce it. In the figure it will be observed that
six cells have been built one on another, only one being affixed
to the door. This one was attached to a smoothly plane
surface of ' Sal wood ' (Shorea robusta), so that the cementing gum
must have possessed great strength to allow me to cut it out
with a hammer and chisel, as before alluded to.

" These insects build on roof-beams, so that their nests gene-
rally escape notice ; besides which they are far from common.
They are externally of a rich brown colour, glistening with
gum."

In the plate, the nests of tliis species are seen just aliove the
insect.

SOCIAL wAsrs.

487

The very fine insect which is here represented belongs to
Australia. The colour of the species is principally black, aud of
a beautiful velvet-like richness. The rest of the insect is briglit
yellow, also soft and velvety, and the arrangement of the colours

Fig 201 — Aliisi)a spleniliUa.
(Velvety black and yellow.)

can easily be seen by reference to the illustration, the dark
portions being black, and the light portions yellow. The genus
to which this insect belongs is an offshoot of the great genus
Odynerus, and shares in the habits of its relatives.

The Wasps which have hitherto been described are of the
solitary kind, and there are, in consequence, no neuters. We
now come to those Wasps which construct more than one cell,
and, when the number is considerable, the greater part of the
architecture is performed l)y neuters. Our common Wasp or
Hornet affords a perfect example of the Social Wasps. In
England we have but few examples of the Social Wasps, and
their nests are of three kinds, i.e., pensile, such as that of the
Tree Wasp ; subterranean, like that of the common Wasp ; or
made under shelter of some kind, such as that of the Hornet.
Abroad, however, there is a vast variety of Social Wasps, and
the modes in which they form their nests are wonderfully varied,
the same species often constructing its nest in different ways
according to surrounding conditions.

The insect which is here given is a native of Africa, the
specimens in the British Museum having been brought both
from Congo and Abvssinia. Its general colour is brown, but

488

INSECTS ABROAD.

^

the whole of the body is covered with a short ashen pile, which
makes it look in some lights as if it were grey instead of brown.

There is a slight reddish

tinge upon the head.

In the British Museum

there are eight species,

all of which are African

with the exception of

one which comes from

India, and is accordingly

called Belonogaster In-

dicus. They are all

dull coloured, the wings

and body being equally

brown.

The name Belonogaster

is constructed from two Greek words signifying " a pointed belly,"

and is given to the insects because the abdomen terminates in

a sharp point.

Fio. 262.— Belonogaster juncei
(Brown, with ashen pile.)

In general form the Miscliocyttarus lahiatus bears a close
resemblance to the preceding in-
sect, and is coloured in almost
exactly the same manner, being
brown covered with grey down.
It is a Brazilian insect.

The reader will see that the
structure of the nest is very
different from that of any nest
or cell which we have hitherto
seen. It is constructed of vege-
table fibre torn off and masti-
cated by the wasp, so as to form
a sort of coarse paper. In fact,
the wasps are the earliest paper-
makers in the world, and utilize
for that purpose a great variety
of material, so long as it be a
vegetable fibre.

This nest consists of three distinct portions. First there is

Pio. 263.— Mischocyttarus labiatus
(Brown, with grey pile.)

THE ICARIA.

489

the cell-group, all the cells having their mouths downwards.
Above the cells comes the pent-house, by which the rain or any
falling substance is warded off the cells ; and, lastly, comes the
footstalk, by which the entire nest is suspended. The footstalk
itself is very hard and tough, but is notwithstanding composed
of the same material as the cells, except that the fibres are
closely pressed together, instead of being spread out in flakes.
The reader may find examples of such footstalks in any English
wasp's nest, the successive layers of cells being supported, or
rather suspended, by a number of short footstalks constructed
in exactly the same manner.

This long and slender footstalk gives the name to the genus.
The name Mischocyttarus is formed from two Greek words, the
first of which signifies a stem or stalk, and the latter a cell.

The form of nest which is here given is that which is usually
fou.nd, but there are cases where the insect has built two, or
even three layers of cells, one above another, and all hanging
by the same stalk. Whenever this is the case, the central
layer always seems to be the largest.

It is not very easy to describe the insect which is here shown,
so exceedingly variable is it. In fact, out of the six specimens
in the British Museum, al- ' ;

though the colours are the same,
no two have them arranged in
the same manner. The speci-
men which has been selected for
the illustration is black, with a
rust-red belt round the centre of
the abdomen; while another has
this colouring exactly reversed,
and the others have the black
and red distributed in various
modes. The specific name, fcr-
Tuginea, i.e. " made of iron," re-
fers to the rust-red of the body.

As may be seen by the iUustration, the cell-group, like that
of the Mischocyttarus, hangs by a single footstalk, but the ceUs
are very differently arranged. In the former case they are
placed somewhat symmetrically around the first cell, but in

2u4— icana ferrugiuea.
(Black and rust-red.)

490 INSECTS ABROAD.

this case the second cell is fastened to one side of the first, and
so in a series of pairs until the group is completed.

Wherever the Icarias take a fancy to some spot, the nests
are very numerous. There is a very curious example in the
British Museum, where a number of nests have been fixed to
the footstalk of a leaf, and a number more to the mid-rib of the
same leaf.

The genus extends through all the warmer parts of the globe ;
and there are in the British Museum specimens from Africa
and Madagascar, the Celebes, New Guinea and Australia, India,
China, Burmah, Borneo, the Philippines, &c.

The habits of the Icarias are well shown by Mr. Home in
his essay upon the Hymenoptera of North- western India : —

" This pretty little insect lives in smaU communities, and
builds an elegant nest of paper prepared by itself, which is very
tough, and attached to leaves, stalks, &c., by thin but strong
pedicles. It frequents flowers, and appears to feed on poUen.
The posterior segments of the body are very retractile, causing
the abdomen to assume a curious truncated appearance. In
the example figured on a stalk, the ceU-mouths are aU upwards,
which is strange, as the young grubs, the mouths of whose cells
are open to the weather, must need some protection. The same
was in a great measure the case with the cells on the mango leaf,

" The cells are beautifully regular, being perfect hexagons ;
and the strength with which the footstalk is fastened is surprising.
There appears to be used for this portion of the work some kind
of gum, with which they cover their plaster; and this much
resembles varnish in appearance. It is probably derived from
the babool or mango tree, both of which abound near Benares,
where these nests were found,

" On one occasion I found a group of these little series of cells
hanging in a covered tomb ; they were attached to a stone slab,
and all, of course, face downwards. Unfortunately they were
old nests and quite empty. They consisted of a series of combs,
and the number of cells in each averaged sixteen only. In this
case shelter had evidently been sought, and in the two cases
formerly noted, the insects were in a measure shielded from the
direct influence of the rain by the thickness of the foliage of
the mango tree above them ; for the habit of this Icaria is, as
a rule, to build under shelter.

NESTS OF THE ICARIA. 491

" lu tlieir disposition like the rest of the Vesfjidas, they fly
with one accord to attack the intruder ; although their sting was
not very sharp, and nearly resembled the prick of a fine pin,
and was in a great measure deficient in the burning feeling
experienced when stung by their brethren the Polistidte."

The reader will doubtless notice the remark made in the
second paragraph, namely, that the cells are beautifully regular,
being perfect hexagons. This one fact entirely disposes of two
theories which at one time were generally entertained respecting
the hexagonal form of the bee-cell. One theory was, that the
cells were originally cylindrical and became hexagonal by mutual
pressure ; and the other, that they were made nearly solid at
first, and were scooped out so as to assume the hexagonal form.
In the case of the Icaria, however, neither mutual pressure nor
scooping is possible, and yet we find the cells as perfect hexa-
gons as those of the bee, or the common wasp, or the hornet.

Eegarding the species which is represented in the illustration,
Mr. Horne writes as follows : —

"This insect in its habits resembles Icaria varicgata. It
feeds its larvse with ejected juices; hence one never finds any-
thing but the egg slightly attached to the bottom of the cell,
or the more matured grub, which spins itself a silken cocoon
over its cell with which to change to a perfect insect. It asso-
ciates in very large parties, and is extremely vicious when
disturbed, and flies at the party interfering with it, hardly ever
failing to sting him. The pain of the sting resembles burniDg ;
and in one case of my taking a nest, when I was severely stung,
the pain lasted for four days. I mention this, as it is curious
to observe the different degree of virulence of the poison of the
various small insects of this class.

" The cells extend in masses of great size, and are placed in
the midst and amongst the twigs of thick garden bushes. I
also believe, from -what I have seen, that the comb of one season
is not used in another ; perhaps it becomes weather-worn and
incapable of proper repair. This insect also has, like the Icaria
variegata, a retractile body, and its cells are beautifully regular
hexagons. It is much molested by a small class of moths
(Tineidae), and also by an Anthrax. In fact, the nest lies very
open to the attacks of parasites, wlio. as a rule, care nothing fur
the sharpest stings.

492

INSECTS ABROAD.

" The grubs, which I found in abundance and in all stages of
growth in October, have rather a singular shape— being almost
conical. The perfect insects are much plagued with a species
of Stylops, the females of which lie under the scales of the
abdomen. I found one piece of comb nearly one foot across
each way ; but generally the combs are only one-half or two-
thirds of this size."

The great genus Polistes well deserves its name, which is
Greek, and signifies " the builder of a city." Species belonging

Fig. 265.— Polistes Tasmaniensis.
(Rust-red.)

to this genus are found in various parts of the world ; and in
the British Museum there are specimens from Australia, North
and South America, and Vancouver's Island. They are all dull
coloured, Polistes Tasmaniensis being one of the brightest. The
thorax is chestnut, the abdomen is rust-red, and the wings are
pale brown. One species, Polistes gallica, affords some exception
to the general rule, being banded with black and yellow, and
looking like a very little wasp.

The nests of the Polistes are exceedingly variable in shape.
That of the present species is very much like the nest of the
common tree wasp of England without its cover, though the
material is stronger and of closer texture than that of the wasp.
The nests of other species are, however, arranged very differently,

NESTS OF THE POLISTES.

493

as may be seen by the accompanying illustration, which is taken
from my " Homes without Hands." On the right hand is the
pendent nest of Polistcs aterrivia, the latter name being given to
the insect on account of its black colour. On the left is a
triple nest group, made by a Polistes whose species is not yet
identified. It is suspended by a single footstalk like that of
the Icaria, but the cells, instead of being arranged side by side,
are placed in a tolerably straight line and set alternately, the
mouth of each being rather lower than that of its predecessor.
In order to suit the exigencies of space, the figure is very much

(■Jj TuHstes ate

.(Black.)

reduced, the cells being nearly as large as those of Polistcs
aterrima. Strength combined with lightness is obtained by the
way in which the upper part of the nest is formed into folds
very much like corrugated iron.

Sometimes a totally different structure is employed, the insect
seeking for shelter. In the British Museum there is a piece of
wood, apparently a part of a tamarind tree, in which a large
tunnel has been driven by one of the great wood-boring bees
called Xylocopa. A species of Polistes, however, has taken
possession of the tunnel, and has made its nest therein.

Although the Polistes is essentially an exotic genus, specimens
have been taken in England, and in every case they were close

494 INSECTS ABROAD.

to shipping. One was taken in a house at Penzance, and traced
to a ship which had just come from Brazil. The captain said
that great numbers of the " flies " had appeared on board, and
annoyed the sailors by their stings. Another specimen was
taken in the docks at Liverpool, and all the specimens were
Bent to Mr. F. Smith, in whose collection they now are. Tliis
species is Polistcs higuttatus.

The following account of an Indian species, Polistcs Hehrccus,
is given by Mr. Home : —

" This insect, which is generally known to residents in India
as the ' Yellow Wasp,' is a great nuisance. It is very partial to
verandahs, and builds its cells on a roof-beam. More often,
however, it selects trees near houses, and, if not disturbed, builds
enormous nests, continuing year after year in the same place,
deserting great parts of its comb as they become useless from
age, and building others near to the old ones. The food of this
insect is of a very general character, and it dearly loves sugar
in any form.

" It has an unpleasant habit of either flying at you if irritated,
stinging you as it touches, and then flying on without stopping,
or falling from above upon you and performing the same trick,
I am told by a friend that the English hornet does the same
thing. In the case of the Indian Polistcs, however, the sting is
not very severe.

" They sometimes select the oddest places for their combs.
On one occasion I was moving some tin boxes, when about
thirty flew out of one of them at me ; and I found their comb in
a corner inside. They had obtained access through the open
window of the store-room. I have often observed the commence-
ment of a comb.

" In the month of November the females newly hatched sit
out on sunny days on the tops of Venetian doors and similar
situations, and buzz for males. Nor do they wait long ; for at
this season the whole verandah swarms with these Polistcs, and
I have had thousands of them killed in a morning. Having
met with a suitable partner, the ova appear to be impregnated ;
and not long after, the queen, fully prepared, sets to and builds
a single cell on a stout footstalk, lays an egg in it, and proceeds
to build three or four more around it, in each of which she lays

HISTORY OF THE POLTSTES. 495

" The young grow very fast, especially at first, when so few
have to be fed ; and thus in a short time there is a well-peopled
colony, in which there will be a few males and workers of
every size.

" The tops of the cells of the queen wasps are much elongated
with silk ; and -these insects use some species of gluten where-
with to temper the paper of which the cells are constructed, as
well as to solidify the silken cell coverings.

" They are in the habit of seizing insects and sucking out
their juices, wherewith they again feed the voracious young
grubs, who are always clamouring for food with open mouths.

" They are extremely troubled with Sty lops — every fifth or
sixth taken having a female of one nnder one of the segments
of the abdomen ; and I have sometimes seen two or three on
one specimen. I have often tried to breed these Stylops, but
invariably failed, the male Stylops being very scarce, and the
female, Mr. Smith tells me, never leaving the body of the
Polistes.

" This species is so well known that I do not think any
further remarks are needed, excepting a short account of the
method by which these troublesome insects are easily got
rid of: —

"There is a yellow ant {CEcopliylla smaragdina) which lives a
social life chiefly upon trees, drawing leaves together in a curious
manner with silk, and making in this manner large nests in the
mango trees. These insects sting severely, and they seem to
have a great antipathy to the Polistes, who are very fond of
feeding on their poorly-protected juicy young grubs. If, there-
fore, you cut off a bough with a nest of these ants upon it, tie
it to a long bamboo, and put it very near to the nest of the
Polistes, there will be a general attack by the former upon the
latter. An ant will seize upon a wasp and bite and sting him,
others also coming up to help. They will together fall to the
ground, when the Polistes dies, and the ant {(J^cophylla smarag-
dina), having taken a sip of his blood and juices, runs up again
to his nest by a string always left hanging down from the
bamboo near to the nest for this purpose. They will also attack
hornets. Their native name is " Mata," and they are used by
all classes for this purpose.

" No heat is too great for tlie Polistes, and in the hottest-

49 G INSECTS ABROAD.

weather they may be found sitting in large parties by water,
evidently enjoying the season."

It has been already mentioned that the name Polistes signifies
" a builder of a city," and has been given to a genus of insects
in allusion to the character of their nests. For a similar reason

the name Apoica, which signi-
fies a " colony," has been given
to another genus of nest-
builders, one of which, to-
gether with a cell-group, is
here shown. The specific
name of pallida has been
given to it on account of the
very pale yellow brown which
constitutes its only colouring.
The only attempt at variation
of colour is in a narrow stripe

Fig 267.-Apoica pallid.v. ^f j,j^^|^gj. (j^^ker brOWU, which

(Very pale yellow.) '

is drawn upon the outer edge
of the upper wings. The usual shape of the nest is given in
the illustration, and it is impossible to look at one of these nests
without being reminded of the remarkable compound nests built
by the sociable weaver-bird of Africa.

In the British Museum there are a number of nests made by
this species, which are not only curious, but reaUy valuable in
an entomological point of view. Not only are the cells them-
selves hexagonal, but the nest masses themselves are hexagons,
the six sides being as regular, and the angles as true, as if they
had been drawn with rule and compass. How this result is
attained is at present an absolute mystery, and it is evident that
neither the sculpture nor the mutual pressure theory can lie
brought to bear on these nests. These nests are of various
sizes, so that the insects have evidently started with the idea of
making the structure hexagonal, and have adhered to the same
principle throughout. The hexagonal form is not adhered to in
all instances, for some nests are entirely circular, while in others
the hexagonal idea is but slightly indicated. These nests some-
times attain a diameter of eleven or twelve inches. A number
of these nests are shown in my " Homes without Hands," p. 585.

DEVELOPMENT OF A PARASITE. 497

The insect which is here shown is called Trigonalys comprcssi/s,
and is a native of tropical America. The following account of
its mode of development is given by Mr. F. Sndth : —

"John Macgillivray, Esq., Naturalist to her Majesty's ship
Rattlesnake, lately presented to the British Museum the nest of
a South American species of Polistes, which he says is very
abundant at St. Salvador, where even in the street it attaches
its nest under the eaves of houses ; this species is the Polistes
lanio of Fabricius, and in all probability the Vespa Canadensis
of Linnaeus ; a specimen of the species is preserved in the
Banksian Cabinet.

" On examining the nest, I found it consisted as usual of a
single comb of cells, having in the centre, at the back, a small
footstalk, by which the nests are attached in their position ; tlie

■/; -^^^

Fn;. ■JiJS. — Trigonalys coiiifiri'ssus.
(Black )

comb contained sixty-tive cells, the outer ones being in an un-
finished state, whilst twenty-two of the central ones had remains
of exuviffi in them, and one or two closed ones contained perfect
insects in them ready to emerge. About half a dozen of the
wasps had the anterior portion of their bodies buried in the
cells, in the manner in which these insects are said to repose.

" In one cell I observed the head of an insect evidently of a
different species, it being black and shining. On extricating it
I discovered it to be a species of Trigonalys; I subsequently
carefully expanded the insect, and it proved to be the Trir/onali/s

408

INSECTS ABROAD.

hipuslulafiis, descrilieJ by myself in the "Ann. aucl Mag. of
Natural History," vol. vii., Second Series, 1851, from a specimen
captured at Para by Mr. Bates, now in the possession of William
Wilson Saunders, Esq. The insect was not enveloped in any
pellicle, nor had the cell been closed in any way; the wings
were crumpled at fts side, as is usual in Hymenopterous insects
which have not expanded them, proving satisfactorily that it
Iiad never quitted the cell, and that Trigonalys is the parasite
of Polistes.

" This discovery is one of much interest, proving the relation-
ship of the insect to be amongst the pupivora — to which family
it had been previously assigned by Mr. Westwood. (See vol. iii.
Ent. Trans., p. 270.) The specimen is seven lines in length,
entirely black, the head shining, the thorax and abdomen opaque,
and having two white maculae touching the apical margin of the
basal segment above; the wings are smoky, the antennae broken off.
Of one of them I found subsequently seventeen joints— the perfect
insect in the possession of Mr. Saunders having twenty joints."

The specific name of hipu&tulatus, or " two-spotted," has been
given to the insect on account of the two M^iite spots on the
base of the abdomen, but its original name of compressus, as
given to it by De Geer, is now allowed to stand.

The figure which is here given represents the neuter of the
sjjlendid Chinese Wasp, which is appropriately called Vcspa

'■mmi

Pig
(O)

mandarinia. The female is shown on Plate IX., Fig. 3. This

Pig 269— Vcsiiaraandai nil
(0icUij(> aiul (laik blown )

ASIATIC WASPS.

499

fine insect is found throughout China and Japan. It is coloured
very much like our common hornet, but is much richer in appear-
ance, owing to the very broad and ample head, and the amount
of bright yellow upon it. The colours are rich dark brown,
banded, striped, and marked profusely with " king's " yellow.
The jaws are enormously powerful. The wings are yellow,
darker at the base, and becoming lighter towards the tips.

The species which is represented in the accompanying illus-
tration is a native of Asia, and is spread over a very large tract

Fig. 270. — Vespa eincta.
(Dark brown and yelluw.)

of country. There are several Asiatic species of Vespa which
are almost exactly similar in their habits, and this may safely
be taken as the t}q3ical species. The head and thorax of Vespa
cincta are dark brown, covered with a moderately thick grey
down, and the abdomen is very dark brown, crossed with a bold
band of bright yellow, whence is derived the specific name of
cincta, or " banded."

500

INSECTS ABROAD.

In the accompanying illustration, the upper and smaller
figure represents the male, and the lower figure the perfect
female. The single figure represents the neuter, or worker wasp.

The habits of this wasp are admirably described by Mr.
Home in the essay to which reference has so often been made.
In this account Mr. Home seems to have some doubt as to the
truth of the report that horses have been stung to death by
these wasps. I think it very likely to be true. Some years
ago I saw, only a few miles from my house, a wasp's nest, the
inmates of whieh had actually killed a carriage-horse on tlie
preceding day.

Fig. 271. — Vespa ciiicta.
(Dark brown and yellow.)

" They build their nests of prepared earth, strongly impreg-
nated with some viscid substance, probably derived from the
gums of trees.

" In confirmation of the above, I may remark that I have
often seen them sitting, apparently eating the gum of the
Acacia {Catecku), and also the flowing juice of the Peepul-tree
(Ficus Indica), and as they are in general carnivorous, it must
have been for some such purpose. At the same time there
appears to be some woody, or at least vegetable fibre, mixed
with the earth.

" The cells are regular hexagons, and built from an hexagonal
grouml-plan — a fact which confirms Mr. Smith's observations to
the same effect — and the whole structure often assumes a large,
size. One found by me was 10" x 0" x 0", in the centre of a
wall composiMl of sunlmrnt brick.s, in a liollnw which had been

WASPS AND ANTS. 501

originally excavated by Termites, and afterwards enlarged by
the ' hornets,' as they are popularly called.

"I have often seen these insects pounce on a sitting fly, just
as a hawk would do on a small bird ; and they are also very fond
of ripe fruit, such as peaches, grapes, and apples. The Ves]ja
velv-tma also indulges in these luxuries, and is especially fond
of the hill apricot.

" The stings of four or five of these insects are said to be
sufficiently powerful to kill a child, but, as in all such cas'es,
much must depend on the circumstances.

" The outside of the nests is, as is usual with wasps, covered
with a coating of loose paper.

" It is highly dangerous to disturb a colony of these insects ;
and, as they work in gangs at night, it is somewhat hazardous
even then to take their nests. As, however, they greatly affect
outhouses, it is most necessary to destroy them, as horses have
been said to have been stung to death by them ; but for this I
cannot vouch.

" I will here quote in extcnso from my note-book, tlie notes
which refer to Indian 'hornets,' by which term both Vcspa
ciiicta and Vespa Orientalis are designated.

"'August 15, 1863. — These insects are very abundant at
Benares, but not generally spiteful. One may see hundreds of
them flying about the sweetmeat stalls, like wasps in the fruit-
shops in England ; and the vendor drives them away with a
whisk — a piece of palm-leaf in a cloth — and is very rarely
stung. . If one, however, be incautiously touched, the sting is
very suddenly given and very sharp ; its pain is intense, and it
induces considerable inflammation. They make their nests in
the mud walls, and the form of these is just like that of the
English hornet.

" ' Yesterday I was drying some sugar in tlie sun, and this
attracted a large number of them. My man killed many, throw-
ing down their bodies on the spot, when the ants appeared to
carry off the carcases; but not only did the ants so employ
themselves, for the hornets also alighted and carried off their
dead brethren as food. The ants {CEcophylla smaragdina) appear
to be naturally very destructive to these insects. These ants
live both in the ground and in nests made of leaves of trees
dra^^•n together.

502 INSECTS ABROAD.

•' ' T have seen tlie liornets trying to carry off their tiny
tormentors. Again and again have they darted at them ; but
it invariab]y ended either in the hornet quietly sitting down
among his enemies to be bitten or stung to death, and then
carried off in triumph to be eaten by them, or in his falling to
the ground with two or three ants hanging on, when his fate
was equally certain.

" ' One of these insects stung me on the thumb, but by sucking
the place for about a quarter of an hour, I drew out the poison,
and the pain and swelling were afterwards very slight.'

" ' August 20, 1863. — This evening, having prepared two large
squibs filled with damp gunpowder, I proceeded to take two
nests, one of Vespa Orientalis and one of Vespa cincta, both in
similar situations. Having lighted the touch-paper, the end
was placed at the mouth of the hole, and wet clay was plastered
around. The dense smoke and intense heat thus killed every
perfect insect in the nest, which I shortly dug out for the pur-
pose of examination. One nest was buried forthwith in a hole
previously prepared, and the one taken to be set up was that of
Vcspa Orientalis, to which all the succeeding remarks will refer.

" ' Both nests were constructed of earth tempered with water,
and I could trace no sign of gluten of any kind in them. In
the nest prepared by me were seven ranges of cells, and at
the time of taking it from 400 to 500 hornets were at home.
Although I took out every perfect insect, there were from forty
to fifty nearly hatched by 5 a.m. next morning, showing with
what enormous rapidity they increase. The nest was. placed
under a large wire dish-cover, and a nest of the Yellow Ant
before referred to was placed with them, so that every young
hornet was destroyed as soon as born.'

"'July 1, 1864. Benares. — As a boy, when in England, I have
watched a hornet carry off a fly sitting on a door-handle, and
to-day I saw one pounce on a small honey-bee deep in the
pollen of a flower, and, taking him off, sit down and eat him
quietly, and, from the number hovering about flowers, this would
seem to be a favourite food.'

"'Jw/^/ 19, 1864. Benares. — Watched hornets catching and
eating the workers of Termites, whose galleries I had just
destroyed on the bark of a tree, when, in consequence, the blind
in.'^ccts were running wildly about.'

NESTS OF THE SYNtECA.

50;^

"'August 19, 1864.— Watched them more narrowly and care-
fully. Saw that one caught at lease ten Termites, one after the
other, and made them all up into a ball with its jaws, when the
said ball was taken away, evidently to feed the young larvre
with a rich and juicy morsel, which, however, Avould be strongly
tinctured with acid/"

This very interesting history requires, in order to make it
thoroughly intelligible, the account of the Yellow Ant (CEcojjhijlla
smaragdma), to which several allusions have been made, and
whose exploits will be remembered in connection with the
fiercely-stinging Polistes.

Like the generic name of Polistes and Apoica, that of Sgnceca
is given on account of the mode of nest-building. The term is
composed of two Greek words,
and literally signifies an assem-
blage of persons living under
the same roof.

There is rather a peculiarity
about the nests of the Synoecas.
They are not suspended by foot-
stalks, but are affixed through-
out their whole length to a
branch, a tree-trunk, or similar
object, and have the entrance
below. The month of one of
these nests is shown in the
illustration.

The outer shell, or covering of
the nests, is exceedingly thin

— scarcely thicker indeed than the paper on which this account
is printed, and yet is quite strong enough to resist the weather.
Within the nest the combs are placed in regular layers, like
those of the common wasp, and the shell is so thin that
the edges of each successive layer is distinctly marked on the
exterior. In consequence of this peculiar surface, added to the
dark brown of the paper covering, the nest bears so close a
resemblance to the bark of the tree or branch to which it if-
fastened, that a very quick ey3 is needed in order to discover
it. As is the case with most of the Social Wasps, the nest is

(Blue )

504

INSECTS ABROAD.

begun on a small scale, and gradually enlarged in order to
accommodate the increasing population. There are many speci-
mens of Synoeca nests in the British Museum, the largest of
which is rather more than two feet in length.

The colour of the present species is blue, even the head having
a slight gloss of the same colour. The wings are brown. The
handsomest of all the species is perhaps Synoeca ci/anea, in which
the blue is exceedingly vivid. All the Syncecas are Brazilian
insects.

The last of the Wasp tribe which will be described is that
which is represented in the accompanying illustration. It is

FiQ. 273. — Polybia sencea.
(Reddish brown.)

called Polyhia scricca, both of wdiich names are appropriate. The
generic name, Polyhia, signifies " sociality," and the specific
term, sericea, or " silken," is applied to the insect in consequence
of the silken down which is spread profusely over the thorax.
Most of the Polybias are South American insects, though there
are some which come from the Celebes, and a few from New
Guinea and Borneo.

The mode in which these insects make their nests is very
remarkable. Choosing a tolerably flat surface, mostly that of
a leaf, the little wasp begins by laying the foundation of a
number of hexagonal cells, sometimes as many as thirty or
forty in number. She then deposits an egg in each cell, and
proceeds to make some more. As the larvse are hatched ami

NESTS OF THE POLYBIA. 505

increase in size, the Wasp builds ujd the walls of the cells, so
as to accommodate them, and then places over them a covering
of thin paper. Scarcely has she done this than she proceeds
to place another layer of cells upon the cover, and, as the
vk^orker wasps are hatched, they build cells at such a rate that
layer after layer may be seen in one nest, each being placed on
the cover of the preceding layer.

The Polybia does not seem to be very particular as to the
material on which it supports its nest, though a large leaf is
generally a favourite locality. There are numbers of these
curious habitations in the " Nest Koom " of the British Museum,
and very variable they are. One of them looks just like a huge
brown sausage, round which a series of strings had been tied
about an inch apart. These represent the layers of combs which
are placed regularly inside the protecting cover. It is remark-
able, by the way, that some of the large wasps called Chartergus,
which hang their nests to the branches of trees, act in a very
similar manner.

CHAPTER VT.

SOLITARY AND SOCIAL BEES.

The next great group of the Hymenoptera may be summed up in
the words which head this chapter. Just as there are Solitary and
Social Wasps, so there are Solitary and Social Bees. The habits
of these creatures are curiously similar, the Solitary Bees placing
their eggs in burrows which they stock with food for the future
young, and the Social Bees forming a number of cells in which
the young larvae are hatched, and tending them until they are
full-fed. The chief distinction is that, whereas the Solitary
Wasps store their burrows with insects as food for the future
young, the Solitary Bees empty the pollen of various plants.
Most of them, as well as the Social Bees, procure the pollen for
themselves, and for this purpose are furnished with a develop-
ment of the hind-legs, technically called the " basket." Some
species, however, do not possess the basket, and are therefore
unable to carry the pollen. Consequently, they are forced to
make use of the stores collected by other bees, and treat them
exactly as do the parasitic wasps which have already been de-
scribed. In the different genera of pollen-carrying bees there
is great variety of form in the structure of the basket, but the
general principle is the same in all.

The Solitary Bees begin with the great family of Andrenid;e,
which are spread over all the insect-producing parts of the world.
There are many species in England, so that their habits can be
easily watched. Putting aside those that are parasitic, the habits
of all the species are tolerably alike. They make burrows, mostly
in the ground, and deposit therein a quantity of pollen mixed
with honey, technically called " bee-])read." Upon this they
place an egg, and thus protect it with a cover. Upon this first
cell a second is made, and so the bee proceeds, until it has nearly

SOLITARY BEES.

507

filled the burrow with its cells. Having thus completed its
labours, the bee closes the biurow with a stout cover of earth.

Of the genus to which Halictus quadristrigatns belongs, there
are many English species, Mr. F. Smith having described twenty-
six species, one of which is the smallest species of bee that is
found in this country. As the habits of all the British species
are alike, it may be inferred that the life history of the genus
is tolerably similar all over the
world. The present species
inhabits the warmer parts of
Europe, but has never been
seen in England.

Mr. Smith found that in the
spring the females appeared,
and abounded until midsum-
mer, not a single male being
seen. In the autumn the males
began to appear, and a week or
two afterwards a second brood
of females succeeded the males,
immediately setting about their
tunnels. Each burrow had
several others running into it,
all being reached by the one
common entrance. In each of
these burrows vi'as placed a little ball of pollen and a single
egg, and the larva was full-fed in some ten or twelve days.

The colour of this species is black, and there are four narrow
bands of yellow on the abdomen. The specific name quadristri-
(jatus, or four-striped, refers to this colouring.

Ji — IlllutUs (llldilu^tl

(BUiLk and jellou )

The history of the genus Andrena is a very remarkable one,
not so much on account of the labours of the bee, but of the
perseciition which it endures from other insects. In his Cata-
logue of British Bees, Mr. F. Smith has worked out this branch
of the subject exhaustively, though briefly. After remarking
upon the various hyraenopterous parasites which attack the
Andrenas, he refers to the extraordinary parasitic beetle called
i:>tyloiJS, Avliich was first discovered by Mr. Ivirby upon an

5U8 INSECTS ABROAD.

Andrena bee. Mr. Smith's description of these singular parasites
is very interesting : —

" These insects are diminutive in size, the largest known
species not exceeding a quarter of an inch in length. We are
now speaking of the winged males, the females being apterous,
grub-like insects, which never leave the bodies of the bees. If
the abdomens of a number of Andrenida3 be examined, it is
most probable that the female of Sty lops wall be foimd. Her
presence is known by the protrusion of her head, and a portion
of the thorax between the abdominal segments on their superior
surface resembling the point of a small bud of a brown colour,
or rather, a flattened scale.

Fig. 27-5. — Andrena holonielana.
(Shining black.)

" I have several times bred the larvse of the Stylops in the
following manner: — On finding a bee infested as described,
place her in a box five or six inches square, cover it with gauze,
and supply the bee wdth fresh flowers such as the Ahdrenidse
frequent. Examine the bee every day, and it is most likely that
in eight or ten days she will appear as if her abdomen were
covered with dust. Examine it, and in all probability she will
be found to be covered with an innumerable quantity of exceed-
ingly minute animals ; these are the larva3 of Stylops.

" By the aid of a magnify ing-glass they may be seen to issue
from the transverse aperture on the thorax. When the bee re-
enters the cell, or settles upon flowers, these diminutive creatures
will of course be deposited, and by these means, when other

DEVELOPMENT OF THE STYLOPS.

509

bees visit the flowers, they attach themselves to them, and are
carried to their nests.

"Judging from the multitude of larvte produced by each
female StylojJS, amounting to many hundreds in each case, and
the rarity of the perfect insect, the majority must perish, pro-
bably in their larval condition. From tlie fact of seldom more
than two Stylops being found to infest the same bee, we may
suppose that to be the largest number wliich infests one larva of
an Andrena. They undergo their changes in the body of the
bee, the male on its final transformation becoming an active
winged insect, the female remaining a mere apod, attached for
life to the bee which nourished it."

Besides the Stylops, there are several other parasites which
infest this much-enduring bee, the curious little orange-coloured
larva of the Meloe being perhaps the most remarkable. A full
description of this larva and its development is given in my
" Insects at Home," p. 154.

The specific name Holomelana is formed from tw^o Greek words
signifying " wholly black," and is given to the species because its
colour is entirely shining black.

The strange-looking bee which is shown in the illustration

It

Europea

has been selected on account of its beauty.

species, but has never been

found in England, where only

one representative of tlie ^

genus is known, namely,

Dasypoda hirtijycs, which Mr.

Smith describes as being

perhaps the most beautiful

bee found in this country.

In all the species belong-
ing to this genus the hind-
legs are clothed with very long downy hair. Both names refer
to this peculiarity, the generic name being taken from the Greek,
and signifying " hairy-footed," while the specific name is Latin,
and signifies "plumed-foot."

This is a very beautiful bee. The original colour is black, but
the thorax is covered with a thick coat of silken hair, shining as if
spun from gold. The long hairs which fringe the legs are bright

-Dis'i 11 1 1 1 1 In nil
\Mth ^olili n hM].)

510 INSECTS ABROAD.

yellow, and the abiomen is black, and deeply fringed with golden
liair. As is the case with many of the bee-tribe, this beautiful
adornment can only be seen in perfection when the insect has
been newly developed, for the beautiful plumage cannot endure
rough work, and suffers so much from contact with the world,
that a bee of a day old and one which has lived for three or four
weeks would hardly be recognized as the same species, even
though they may have issued from the same nest. Seven species
of this genus are in the British Museum.

All entomologists are aware of the singular resemblances that
occur between certain lepidoptera and hymenoptera, the " clear-
wing" moths of our own country being excellent examples.
Curious as is the shape of this bee, it is exactly imitated by a
beautiful Assamese moth, called Trochiliiim Ashtaroth. The
colours are different, but the resemblance of form is so perfect,
that if the outline of either were drawn, it would not be easy to
determine the insect which it was meant to represent; even
the deeply-plumed hind-legs are represented in the moth.

Of all the Solitary Bees, the genus Osmia is the most interest-
ing, on account of the singular variety of its architecture. Some
ten species are known to inhabit England. However the dif-
ferent speciefj of Osmia may vary in detail of architecture,

they all agree in the habit
of making cells and stock-
ing them with food for the
future young. Several species
make their cells in the dead
stems of the blackberry, the
rose, and similar shrubs, dig-
ging out the pith, and so
making a series of cells, end
to end. They are, however,
very much given to saving
themselves needless labour, and are in the habit of taking
advantage of any tubes that they may Jiud. The straws of
thatched roofs are favourite localities with some species, but
they will sometimes make use of the most singular and un-
expected objects as dwelling-places.

Any hole or empty tube serves to be adapted to the purposes

Fig. '277.— Osmia bicolor.
(Black, barred with orange.)

NESTS IN A FLUTE. 511

of the Osmia, which will even enter into houses in search of a
suitable locality. Some years ago I was at a sale at Lee, and
purchased for a very small sum a band-hex full of miscellaneous
articles. Among them was a flute, which was quite choked up,
apparently as if some mischievous child had been stiiflting it with
paper. On unscrewing the flute, I found it to be occupied with
the cells of the Osmia, the insect having evidently entered by
the mouth-hole and gradually filled the instrument with its
cells. The mother-bee must have found its way into the dis-
used rooms in which the band-box had been lying, and so con-
trived to discover the flute. The flute is now in the British
Museum.

Empty snail-shells are favourite localities with the Osmias,
and in the British Museum is a very curious specimen. The
shell happened to be a very large one, so that several cells could
be made in it. The bee began as usual by making a single cell
far within the shell. She then placed two more cells hori-
zontally side by side, and then, the shell being very much wider,
built two more cells, also side by side, but transversely ; thus
showing that she possessed no small reasoning powers.

The present species is an inhabitant of Southern Europe, and
has been found in England, though it is very local. Kent seems
to be its favourite county. It is a very pretty insect, the colour
being black, banded with orange. Generally, it does not reach
half an inch in length, but a few specimens have been taken
which were three-quarters of an inch in length.

One species of Osmia does not build in tubes, but makes its
simple nest imder the shelter of flat stones and in similar
localities. This is a northern species, and its name is Osmia jyarie-
tana. Instead of boring tunnels, or making cocoons in tubes, it
merely selects the under surface of some flat stone, and to it
attaches a number of balls of pollen, each ball accompanied by
an egg. After the larva is full-fed, it spins a cocoon, which it
aflSxes to the stone in the same place which the pollen-ball pre-
viously occupied. The number of these cocoons is something
great. On a piece of stone only ten inches by six, no less than
two hundred and thirty cocoons were found. These were placed
in the hands of Mr. F. Smith, who found that the insects were
developed in three distinct batches, one in 1849, another in
1850, and the tbird in 1851.

512

INSECTS ABROAD.

The insect which is here represented is an European species,
but at present is not known to be British.

There is a considerable difference in appearance, as well as
size, between the sexes. The female, which is drawn in the
ilhi'^trTtion i=i very black, and hei wings are brown. The male
,5^ ^ / ^^ ^ much smaller, but hand-

' ^^ - •^^»*- -ii-^s**, I. . somer insect, being covered

with a dense coating of long
silken hairs, either golden or
''4 pale yellow. The generic
name, which is formed from
a Greek word, signifying
" brass," is given to it on
account of this peculiarity.
Hair of a similar character
is to be found in the males
of most species, but it is not seen unless the specimen is in
the very best order.

This insect is very liable to the attacks of a species of Clerus,
a parasitic genus which infests not only the nests of the wild
bees, but even the hives of the domestic bee. All the species
are briglitly coloured, and, were they large, they would rank
among the handsomest of their order.

Fig. 27S — Chalioodoii
(Black.)

The generic name of Megachilc is formed from two Greek
words, which literally signify " large-muzzled," and is given to
certain bees in consequence of their large jaws. The species
which is taken as an example of the genus has been selected
principally because it well shows the generic peculiarity. It is
a native of Australia, and is beautifully coloured, the greater
part of the body being of the richest purple very deeply punc-
tured, and relieved by a quantity of snowy white down, arranged
as shown in the illustration. The wings are brown, and have a
purple gloss.

This geiius is spread all over the world, and has long been
celebrated for the beautiful nests which are made by the different
species. Nine British species are known, and are popularly called
" Leaf-cutter Bees," because they cut up leaves for the purpose of
forming their singular nests. The rose is the plant which is
generally employed, though the leaves of several other plants
are also brought into requisition.

NESTS OF THE MEGACHILE.

513

Even the same species is very variable in the position of its
nest. Mr. F. Smith remarks that our best known species, Mcga-
chile centuncularis, sometimes burrows in decaying wood, some-
times in the soft mortar of an old wall, and sometimes in the
ground. Within these burrows it makes its cells, which are
formed from the cut leaves, and look very much like a number
of green thimbles stuck into each other. There is now before
me a specimen which was not made in a tunnel at all, the bee
having made its way into an outhouse, and placed its nest on a
high shelf. It has generally been supposed that the cells were
made by bending the leaves and allowing them to press by their
own elasticity against the side of the burrow. But the existence
of this nest shows that the bee can make its cells independently

MA:

279. — Megachile monstrosus.
(Deep purple and white.)

of the burrow, and that it can bend and fasten together the leaves
by its own unaided efforts.

In Mr. Home's paper on the Indian hymenoptera, there is a
very interesting account of the manner in which various species
of this genus build their nests. One species, Megachih fasci-
culata, consrtucted its leaf-cells in the hollow handle of a large
garden vase, a number of the nests being built closely together.
Another species, Megachile disjuncta, uses mud instead of leaves,
and makes two earthen tubes, side by side, sometimes giving
each of them a curious twist in the middle. Megachile lanata
is also a mud-builder, and works in a variety of ways. The
following is Mr. Home's account of this insect : —

" This insect is found in almost every house in the North-

L L

514 INSECTS ABROAD.

West Provinces, and, next to the black and yellow Pclopceus
[madraspatanus) is the one which attracts most notice.

" The season in which it builds its cells is from March to
November ; but July and August (i.e. during the rainy season)
are its favourite months. These cells are placed in every con-
ceivable situation ; and it is curious, when sitting quietly writing,
to watch the insect coming and going with his material. He or
she is so deeply interested in the work that all fear is forgotten,
and they will work within a foot of your writing-desk. The
mud is carried, so to speak, under the head, and in part sup-
ported by the fore-legs, and it is not so finely worked up as that
of the Pclopceus; hence we find the work much rougher ex-
teriorly, although the inside of the cell is carefully smoothed.
I have had a newspaper lying on the table and heard them
working inside the folds ; in short, there is no position too
strange for the nest.

"The following are a few of the positions in which I have
found them : —

" 1. Between folds of paper ; 2. in the back of a book which
had been left lying open ; 3. on the handle of a tea-cup ; 4. in
the key-hole of a door ; 5. in the barrel of a gun ; 6. under a
fan on the table ; 7. in the hollow of a bolt of a window, where
three times the whole structure was crushed by the use of the
said bolt in the absence of the insect ; 8. on a signet-ring from
which the stone had fallen out ; 9. on the frill of a large fan or
punka, which was kept in motion ten or twelve hours out of tlie
twenty-four.

" I will now proceed with the method of working. Both sexes
appear to labour ; for I have sometimes caught a worker, and
found that the work was immediately continued, which was not
the case with the Pelopceits. They come and go incessantly,
with a loud buzzing; and whilst they are tempering the clay
they keep up the motion, thereby advertising the locality where
they are working, although often the exact spot is even then difH-
cult to find. The tenacity with which the clay adheres to sub-
stances is very curious (although the cells of the insects of the
genus BhyncTiium afford a better instance) ; and I believe that
when the clay, having been first prepared at the water, is
brought into use, it is inspissated by some glutinous substance
ejected by the insect. It is certainly very carefidly kneaded

INSECT COURTSHIP. 515

again by many of the clay-cell-buildeis. The cells are built
side by side with very little cohesion, and are stocked with bee-
bread and closed by three or four pellets of mud, united in such
a manner as to leave thin edges next to the lips or upper edges,
and thus enable the insect easily to escape. The outside is in
general rough, and adapted to the situation in which it is built.
It is scarcely ever truly circular on the outside, even if built free
from obstruction.

" Amoiigst the figures will be observed a solitary cell built in a
signet-ring. The power of instinct shown here is very great ;
for to keep the cell secure the clay has been made larger at the
base, where it projects interiorly in the riug.

" This insect is very annoying from the manner it chokes up
small openings, such as barrels of fire-arms and locks of drawers,
in the latter case entering by the key-hole.

"I watched the construction of four cells in June 1863; and
the perfect insects were matured August 12, 14, 15, and 16
respectively. This would show, what is really the case, that the
cells take about a day each to construct. In fact, in one case
noted by me, a cell was commenced, finished, stored with food,
and closed, certainly within ten hours, which is quite possible if
both sexes work, as I believe to be the case.

" Sometimes, however, a hollow bamboo is the situation
selected by this insect. If it be tolerably thick there is room
for several cells ; and they are built from the bottom of the
hollow upwards, either in a straight line or spirally. In either
case I believe the single series to be constructed, and the second
series commenced from the very bottom on the completion of
the first. In some cases there are as many as eight or ten cells
in each hive ; and probably more than one pair of insects are
concerned in this double series."

The bees belonging to the genus Anthidium are remarkable
for two peculiarities. In the first place, they exactly reverse the
usual structure of bees, the male being very much larger and
stronger than the female.

Their matrimonial customs are very curious, and quite unlike
those of insects in general. Both sexes are fond of hovering
over flowers, a habit which has earned for them the generic
name of Anthidivm, i.e. " a creature that frequents flowers."

L L 2

516

INSECTS ABKOAD.

The females remain on or close to the flowers, while the more
powerful male hovers above, like a hawk watching its prey.
Mr. F. Smith tells me that he has seen the male of our only
English species, Antliidium manicatum, suddenly swoop down,
just as a hawk stoops upon its quarry, pounce on one of the
females and carry her off.

The second peculiarity in these bees is the method in
which they construct their nests.
Although they build in holes,
it is believed that they do not
burrow, but that they usually
make use of any convenient
hole that can be found, mostly
in a burrow made by some large
wood - boring insect. Having
selected a suitable burrow, the
mother-bee goes off in search of
some woolly plant, from which
she strips the hair, running
along the stem and shaving off
the down as she goes. The
well-known '"'White of Sel-
borne " was the first to notice
this habit in the English species,
and he compares the action of
the bee to that of a hoop-shaver. The garden campion was the
plant frequented by the bees which he watched. There are
some foreign species which do not build in burrows, but make
their nests in the pure air,
placing them on branches.

Tlie present species inhabits
Southern Europe, and has a
curiously waspish aspect.

In the Noinada sexfasciata
we have a good example of the
group of insects called Wasp
Bees, because, though they are really bees, they Ijear a very
strong external resemblance to wasps.

They are all parasitic, preying upon the nests of other bees.

-Anthidiuin Florentinum.
(Black and yellow.)

'JSl — Noiii.ul.i sexf.iscKita
(BliiK ,111(1 jlIIow )

THE CCELIOXYS. 517

This species is known to be parasitic upon Evcera longicornis,
Mr. F. Smith having had specimens from the nests of that
insect. He believes that although this species is rare, it may
be found wherever the Evxera makes its nest.

As its name imports, its black abdomen is marked with six
bands of yellow, the three next the tip extending completely
across the body, and those towards the base only about half
way. This insect is spread over a very large portion of the
globe.

The generic name of the insect which is here figured is
formed from two Greek words, signifying " sharp-belly/' and
is given to the insects because the abdomen narrows rapidly

^S.^J^--3^^ir.-

Fig. 2S2.— Ca-lioxys Dncali;
(Black.)

towards the end, especially in the female. The abdomen of
the male is toothed at the extremity. It is a parasitic genus,
and in England has been bred from the nest of the active and
beautiful Megachile and Saropoda.

The present species is African, and is extremely rare. Mr. F.
Smith was indebted for his specimen to Mr. W. W. L. Walcott,
who brought it from Africa. The colour of the abdomen is
black, and the thorax is thickly covered with warm dun-coloured
hair. The wings have a decided purple gloss when viewed by
a side light.

Mr, Smith remarks concerning the bees of this genus, that
the species are exceedingly difficult of identification, owing to

518

INSECTS ABROAD,

the variety of form which prevails. " We must not forget that
a species is not, as it were, cast in a mould, but admits a
degree of variety, still, however, retaining intact the broad and
distinguishing characteristics." If this maxim had been more
generally appreciated by systematic zoologists, we should have
been spared much of the confused nomenclature under whicli
we at present suffer.

Plate X. represents a group of Brazilian bees, the first of
which is called Chrysantheda frontalis. It is marked No. 1, and
is the upper of the two insects which are shown as inserting
their long tongues into the blossom. The singularly beautiful
flower which is depicted is the Passifiora Jcermesiana.

This is one of the parasitic bees, and is supposed to infest the
dwellings of the great wood-boring bee, which is seen imme-
diately above it. It is a very beautiful insect, its body being
shining green, very thickly punctured, and its wings brown,
with a decided blue gloss. The hind legs are furnished on the
inside with a coating of thick brown hair, but on the outside are
of the same shining green as the body.

Another of these beautiful parasitic bees is shown in the

:X

Fio. 283.— Aglae pseriilea.
(Shining blue )

accompanying illustration. Its colour is shining blue, with a
gloss of green in a side light. The wings are brown.

PLATE X

"^^"^^iMk^^

WOOD-BURROWING BEES.

519

On Plate X., Fig. 3, is shown a very handsome Brazilian bee,
named Centris denudans.

The abdomen of this insect is velvet black, and the thorax is
covered with dense orange hair. The wings are glossed witli
blue, and the hind legs are clothed with very long black hair.
There is a British genus named Melecta, which is closely allied
to Centris. The Melecta is a parasite insect, and Mr. T. Smith
has bred numbers of them from the nests of the well-known
Anthophora.

Another species of the same genus, Centris flavo-pida, is

Fig. 284.— Centvis flavopicta.
(Brown and yellow.)

Euglossa dimidiata.
(Black and white.)

shown in the accompanying illustration. The abdomen is yellow,
crossed with bars of dark brown, and the thorax is dark brown,
relieved by a greyish white pile. The brushes of the hind pair
of legs are yellow.

The name Xylocopa literally signifies a " wood-cutter," and is

520

INSECTS AlMiOAD.

given to a genus of bees in consequence of their power of bur-
rowing into wood. They are spread over all the warmer por-
tions of the earth, but no species has as yet been found to
inhabit England. The present example is a native of Southern
Africa, and, as is often the case among insects, the colours of the
two sexes are very different. The male is covered with yellowish
orange hair, and has transparent wings, while the female is black,
varied with whitish grey hair, and her wings are black, with a
blue gloss. In the illustration the upper figure represents the
male, and the lower the female.

1 II ^ . — Vjlocopa nigrita.
(Male, (iiinge. Female, blaek.)

Between the two specimens is seen the entrance to the tunnel
which these insects make. By means of their very powerful
jaws, which look much like wire-nippers, a large hole is made in
the side of a tree, and carried on horizontally for a few inches.
It then turns almost at an angle, so as to follow the grain of the
wood. A vast number of chips are of course made, and, instead
of being thrown away, are stored up in a safe place until wanted.

NESTS OF THE XYLOCOrA. 521

The burrow being completed, the insect phaces a quantity of
pollen at the extremity of the tunnel, and deposits an egg upon
it. She then goes off to her store of wooden chips, and with
them constructs a flat ceiling over the pollen, so as to form a
cell. The ceiling is quite flat, and is made in concentric rings,
just like a slice cut through the middle of an onion. More pollen
and another egg are then deposited on this ceiling, which becomes
the floor of a second cell, and so the insect proceeds until it has
filled the burrow with its cells.

In the Nest Eoom of the British Museum there are many
specimens of Xylocopa burrows, in which the whole process is
easily to be seen. One of the largest is Xylocopa trcpida, a
singularly fine insect, with blue-glossed wings. The nest of this
bee, is also in the Museum. One of the handsomest species
is Xylocopa caffra, which is, as its name imports, an inhabitant
of Southern Africa. The male is entirely greenish yellow, while
the female is black, with a broad l)and of golden hair at the
junction of the thorax and abdomen. The front of the thorax
is black and blue.

Another fine species, Xylocopa morio, is seen — Plate X.,
Fig. 2. It is a Brazilian insect. It is shining black, with a
fringe of black hair upon the abdomen. The wings are brown.

On the same plate, Fig. 4, is shown another of the parasitic
bee, named Euglossa romandi, which is shown as inserting its
long tongue in the flower of the Passijlora.

It is a very handsome insect, the abdomen being green, with
the exception of the base, which is purple. The thorax is also
purple, and the head green like the abdomen. The green has
always a gloss of gold, and in some specimens it extends over
the whole of the abdomen, the purple band being wanting. As
may be seen by reference to the illustration, the tongue is of very
great length, and in one specimen in the collection of the British
Museum it is separated into its several parts. The name Euglossa,
or " beautiful tongue," refers to the length of the proboscis.

Another species of the same genus, called Euglossa dimi-
diata, is drawn on the same block as the Centris Jiavopicta,
page 519. It is a Brazilian insect.

It is handsomely coloured. The ground colour of the abdo-

522 INSECTS ABKOAD.

men is black, and across it are drawn several bands of light-
coloured hair, the two upper bands being either white or pale
yellow, and the remainder deep orange, so that the whole insect
has very much the appearance of a humble bee. The wings are
nearly brown, but become transparent towards their tips. It is
remarkable that there is a large dipterous insect belonging to the
genus Asilus, which so closely resembles this Euglossa, that when
the two are placed side by side, they look like two specimens of
the same insect.

The two insects which are shown in the next illustration belong
to the same genus as our familiar Humble Bees.

The general habits of all the species are very similar, though
they may vary somewhat in detail. They are social insects,
living together in nests constructed either in or on the ground.
Their cells are made of a very coarse brown wax, and are oval
in shape, so that they cannot be arranged with the beautiful
accuracy which distinguishes the cells of the hive bee, or even
those of the common wasp. Indeed, except that they stand tole-
rably upright, they seem to be tossed about very much at random,
the bees having apparently made the cells wherever they could
find room.

Contrary to the custom of the hive bee, males, females, and
neuters live socially together, the females taking part in cell-
making and honey-collecting, and there being no single queen
who will allow no rival to the throne. The males, however,
when once they have left their nests, seldom return to them.
They are aU big-bodied, heavy-flying insects, and, wlten on the
wing, they emit a deep humming sound, which has earned for
them the popular title of Humble, i.e. Humming Bees.

There are few insects in which such variation of colour exists,
as among the Humble Bees. In the first place, every species is
liable to very great variation ; and in the next place the colours
of the long hairy clothing are so evanescent, that after a few
days' exposure to light and air, they fade into the very shadows
of their former beauty. With these insects, as with the Andre-
nas, the only mode of preserving them in their full beauty is by
taking them almost as soon as they have issued from their co-
coons, and then keeping them in a perfectly dark drawer.

As is the case with the wasp, the greater number of Humble

HUMBLE-BEES

523

Bees perish duriag the cokl months, only a few females sur-
viving. These insects hide themselves in some convenient spot
until the following year ; and it is a remarkable fact, that instead
of availing themselves of the nest in which they had lived, they
invariably desert it and go to some sheltered crevice, where
they spend the winter alone.

As a rule, the Humble Bees favour the more northern parts
of the world ; and, as Mr. R Smith remarks, New Zealand and

Fig. 2S(5. — Bombus cajanensi
(Black and yellow.)

Bombus exiuuus.
(Black, with ruddy belts.)

Australia seem to be without them. The two insects which are
represented in the accompanying illustration have been selected
as examples of southern Humble Bees. The figure on the left
represents Bomhus cajancnsis, which is, as its name implies, a
native of Cayenne. Its colours are very simple, being merely
black, banded with bright yellow. The other figure represents
Bombus eximius, a native of Silhet. It is covered with long,
dense, black, velvet-like hair, and the segments of the abdomen
are edged with fringes of long, ruddy chestnut hair.

524

INSECTS ABROAD.

Passing by the common Hive Bee, we take an insect which
according to Mr. Bates, is in tropical America the represen-
tative of our well-known Hive Bee. As Mr. Gorse and Mr,
Bates have both given public descriptions of the Melipona
and its habits, I cannot do better than allow them to speak
for themselves.

In his work on Jamaican Natural History, the former author
writes as follows : —

" I was exceedingly interested this afternoon by the sight of
two hives of indigenous Bees, shown to me by Mr. Garriques, at
Shelton Pen, on the banks of the Eio Cobre. The one hive, in
the hoU yW of a calabash tree, had an entrance about half an inch

Fig. 2S7.— Melipona ftisciculata.
(Brown.)

wide at midway up the trunk, the cavity being supposed to
descend some four feet down. The other was in a cordia cherry
tree, and was laid bare by a considerable portion of the tree
being cut away. The cutting just disclosed the uppermost of
the broad cells, but nothing of the sacklets that contained the
honey. I take our Bees to be similar to, if not the same with,
the Bee of Mexico, a Melipona or Trigona, called by the
Spaniards Angelitos (i.e. little angels), from having no stings.
They settled upon us, and we handled them ; but they did no
injury to us, though it was perceptible that they were excited,
for they pursued the hand, and clustered on it, when portions of
the brood cells were taken up.

HABITS OF MELIPONA. 525

" The black ants that infest forest trees had tracked the hive
in the calabash tree, and had congregated around the entrance-
hole, making an effort to gain access. A sentinel Bee, which
was every now and then relieved from his guard, stood in a state
of restless watchfulness, assisted at his post by two Bees behind.
The Bees behind stood reversed, head downward ; and, clinging
to the upper arch of the entrance, they gazed upward, and
watched several ants clustered above, in some two or three little
groups within the crevices of the bark, prepared to rush in if
the sentinels remitted their vigilance for one moment. The
active ants paced upward and downward in lines, but found no
opportunity of gaining a nearer access than a rapid recon-
noitering of the doorway.

" The entrance, when occupied by the three sentinel Bees,
admitted of no access by comers and goers of the hive, except
by the centre Bee, that guarded the hole in front, momentarily
stepping aside. This movement he performed with surprising
quickness, as often as a Bee came in or went out. The wax of
these Bees is very unctuous and dark-coloured, but susceptible
of being whitened somewhat by bleaching. The honey is stored
in clusters of cups, about the size of pigeons' eggs, at the bottom
of the hive, and away from the brood cells. The brood cells are
hexagonal, they are not deep, and the young ones, when ready to
burst their cerement, just fill the whole cavity. The Mother
Bee is lighter in colour than the other Bees, and elongated at
the abdomen to double their length."

Mr. Bates's account of the habits of this and other Meliponte
is exceedingly interestmg. It is given in his well-known work
on the Amazon Eiver : —

" But the most numerous and interesting of the clay -artificers
are the workers of a species of social Bee, the Melipona fascicu-
lata. The Meliponse in tropical America take the place of the
true Apides, to which the European Hive Bee belongs, and which
are here unknown ; they are generally much smaller insects
than the Hive Bee, and have no sting. The M. fasciculata is
about a third shorter than the Apis mellifica : its colonies are
composed of an immense number of individuals; the workers
are generally seen collecting pollen in the same way as other
bees, but great numbers are employed in gathering clay.

" The rapidity and precision of their movements while thus

526 INSECTS ABROAD.

engaged are wonderful. They first scrape the clay with their
mandibles ; the small portions gathered are then cleared by the
anterior paws and passed to the second pair of feet, which in
their turn convey them to the large foliated expansions of the
hind shanks which are adapted normally in Bees, as everyone
knows, for the collection of pollen. The middle feet put the
growing pellets of mortar on the hind legs to keep them in a
compact shape as the particles are successively added. The
little hodsmen soon have as much as they can carry, and they
then fly off.

" I was for some time puzzled to know what the Bees did with
the clay ; but I had afterwards plenty of opportunity for ascer-
taining. They construct their combs in any suitable crevice in
trunks of trees or perpendicular banks, and the clay is required
to build up a wall so as to close the gap, with the exception of
a small orifice for their own entrance and exit. Most kinds of
Melipona are in this respect masons, as well as workers in wax
and pollen-gatherers. One little species (undescribed) not more
than two lines long, builds a neat tvibular gallery of clay,
kneaded with some viscid substance, outside the entrance to its
hive, besides blocking up the crevice in which it is situated.
The mouth of the tube is trumpet-shaped, and at the entrance
a number of the pigmy Bees are always stationed, apparently
acting as sentinels.

" It is remarkable that none of the American Bees have at-
tained that high degree of architectural skill in the construction
of their cells which is shown by the European Hive Bee. The
wax cells of the Meliponoe are generally oblong, showing only
an approximation to the hexagonal shape in places where several
of them are built in contact. It would appear that the Old
World has produced in Bees, as well as in other families of
animals, far more advanced forms tlia.n the tropics of the New
World. A hive of the Melipona fasciculata, which I saw
opened, contained about two quarts of pleasantly-tasted liquid
honey. The Bees, as already remarked, have no sting, but tliey
bite furiously when their colonies are disturbed. The Indian
who plundered the hive was completely covered by them ; they
took a particular fancy to the hair of his head, and fastened on
it by hundreds.

" I found forty-five species of these Bees in different parts of

A TINY HONEY BEE.

527

the country ; the largest was half an inch in size, the smallest
were extremely minute, some kinds being not more than one-
twelfth of an inch in size. These tiny fellows are often very
troublesome on account of their familiarity ; they settle on one's
face and hands, and in crawling about get into the eyes and
mouth, or up the nostrils."

We see from this history that the title of " Angelitos " is not
so very well deserved, for the insects do mischief to the extent
of their ability. Being venomless, they cannot sting, but they
can at all events bite, and, as we have seen, do so very fiercely.

The last of the Bees which will be described in this work
belong to the genus Trigona. The following account of an

Fig. 288.— Trigona ruficrus.
(Shining black, with red thighs.)

Indian species of Trigona is taken from Mr. Home's mono-
graph :—

"This is one of the smallest Honey-bees I have ever met
with, and its habits are curious. I noticed it under the follow-
ing circumstances, and I never again met with its nest, although
the natives all know it. One evening at Benares (April 4th,
1863) as I was standing at my door, I saw a swarm of from 400
to 500 of M'hat I took to l^e midges, rapidly flying about in a
mazy kind of dance, occupying a space of five or six feet, and
being about ten feet from the ground. I brought out my insect-

528 INSECTS ABllOAD.

net and caught about a hundred in one sweep, when, to my sur-
prise, they proved to be Bees. On watching them, I observed
that they went in and out of a little hole in the wall close by
under a beam where there was a hollow, and that many of their
thighs were laden with pollen.

" The insects seemed quite harmless, walking about my hand
and not attempting to sting. Digging out some bricks with care,
I came on a portion of their nest. The space it occupied appeared
to have been originally eaten out by Termites. It was coated
on all sides with a layer of black wax, and in it was stored their
honey. The waxen cells were of a dark brown colour, and very
globular, pendent side by side from the roof, and not, as far as I
could see, arranged hexagonally.

" The honey was very dark in colour, but excellent in flavour ;
and I was told by the natives that it possessed medicinal quali-
ties. It had a slight astringency ; and, considering the size of
the insect, the quantity stored was very large. I was also told
that these insects commonly use hollow trees, in which they store
astonishing quantities of honey, which is diligently sought for
and prized. They call them " Bhonga," which appears to me to
be a generic name for all Bees in the North-west Provinces.
Large bricks prevented my digging further, so that I cannot
describe their breeding- cells,

" The Bees continued to fly in the manner before described till
dark, and did not desert their nest."

The species which is figured in the illustration is a Brazilian
insect. Its colour is shining black, with the exception of the
thighs of the hind pair of legs, which are bright red. It is a
very common insect, and is generally to be found in sandbanks
in the virgin forest.

I HAVE had some doubt as to the place in which I should
treat of the insect which will presently be described ; and, after
consideration, have determined to place them at the end of the
Hymenoptera, and not among the Ichneumon Flies.

If there be in the world insects which look like anything
but insects, such are the extraordinary beings, one of which is
shown in the accompanying illustration. So strange are they
that although a practised entomologist would at once detect them
to be insects, he would need careful investigation before he could

THE FIG-GNAT. 529

even determine the order to -which they belonged. They are
found in the middle of a wild fig, called Ficus tcrragena, the
fruit of which is unfit for food.

That certain insects frequented the fig, and perhaps exercised
some influence on the fertility of the fruit, was well known to
the old naturalists, who designated their office by the name of
" cap rifi cation." This belief is mentioned by Mouffet in his work
on insects : " It is called Gulex ficarius, i.e. Fig-gnat, not because
it comes indeed of the fig-tree, but because it is fed and sus-
tained by its fruit. For it is sprung of a certain worm that
breeds in the Figs, which when Nature cannot make her perfect
work upon, nor bring to the sweetness and perfection of other
Figs, lest she should make somethiug in vain, by a certain
quickening vertue, out of the grains of them, being rotten and
putrified, she produceth these Gnats.

" Yet not so as that the Gnat is the parergon, as besides the
intentions of Nature (so Scaliger hath learnedly observed) ; or if it
be, the truth is, the work by the bye is of more dignity than the
main. Nature did propose to itself the perfection of a wllde Fig,
a thing not so much to be esteemed of : this she not being able to
bring to passe, turns herself from so common a work to an enter-
prise of greater weight and produceth a Gnat, which she effecteth.

" Concerning these Gnats, Pliny hath these words : the wilde
Fig-tree brings forth Gnats, these being defrauded of the nou-
rishment they should have received from their mother, being
turned to rottenness they go to the neighbouring Fig-tree, and with
the often biting of the same Fig-tree and greedily feeding upon
it, they let in the sun withall and set free a door for plenty of
air to enter in at. Anon after they destroy the milky moisture
and infancy of the fruit, which is done very easily, and as it
were of its own accord : and for that cause the wild fig-tree is
alvvaies set before the fig-trees, that the wind, when the Gnats fly
out of them may carry them among the fig-trees, who, as soon
as they come into them, the figs swell and, ripening of a sudden,
grow very big and full.

" But what time these Gnats pass from the wilde fig to the
fig-tree, they do it in such haste that many of them leave eitlier
a foot or a wing behind them. Now that they generated of the
grains of the unripe fig may be evident in that the wilde fig is
left void of grains."

w M

530 INSECTS ABKOAD.

That the ancient entomologists had detected these remarkable
beings in the interior of the wild fig is very clear, though the
inferences which they drew are not correct.

According to Mr. Walker, these insects are Hymenoptera,
belonging to the family Agaonidoe, in the great group of
Chalcidicae, several species of which are the " gnats " which have
been used for caprification.

They were found in the Mauritius, and in company with them
were great numbers of another species, which he termed Chalcis
or Idarnes explorator, from their habit of flitting constantly
about the figs, and seeming to explore them. Whether or not
they are parasites upon the insects within the fig is a matter
of doubt.

As for these latter insects, they always live in darkness, and,
needing no eyes, have none. Not only are they devoid of eyes,
but they have no ocelli (i.e. the little simple eyes possessed by
Hymenoptera), no palpi, and no maxillae. Mandibles, or prin-
cipal jaws, they do possess, and these of considerable size in pro-
portion to the dimensions of the insect. Perhaps the fact that
these darkling creatures are able to do without maxillse or
palpi may throw some light on the real oiSce of those organs.
When removed from the interior of the fruit, or when merely
disturbed by the laying open of the figs, the insects make no
attempt at escape, but roll themselves up and lie motionless.

Many other allied insects are now known to be dwellers in
figs, but the complete history of these wonderful beings is yet to
be written.

In the notice of these Hymenoptera in the Ento^nohgist,
from which part of this description is condensed, the editor
makes the following suggestive remarks : — " It seems almost
impossible to overrate the interest which attaches to this sub-
ject of fig- dwellers. The circumstance that these creatures are
without the means of vision or locomotion does not, indeed,
seem extraordinary, seeing they are condemned to perpetual
darkness and perpetual imprisonment. Of what use would eyes
or wings be to them ? Then, again, of what sex are they ? Is
there any relationship — I mean consanguinity — between the
prisoners and the winged atoms flying from fig to fig? And
there are females, invarial)ly females, with long ovipositors, that
could communicate witli tlie iinpiisinied. We have winged

AN ENTOMOLOGICAL PROBLEM. 531 ^

males and apterous females in Lepidoptera. Can we have
winged females and apterous males in Hymenoptera ? "

The name Apocrijpta s ignifies " hidden," and is given to the
insects in allusion to their custom of lying concealed within the
fruit. Another genus of Fig-gnats is called Syiocrypta, which
signifies " something that is hidden in figs." Several species are
known, all differing greatly in shape, but the present species is
a good example of their general aspect. They are very tiny, the
length of this insect being about equal to that of the letter "1."
There is a full description of them in the Entomologist for
October 1871.

\}Va paradoxa.

M \f 2

LEPIDOPTERA;

01^,

P.UTTERFLIES AND :\rOTHS.

LEPIDOPTERA:

BUTTERFLIES AIs^D MOTHS.

CHAPTER I.

PJPILIONID.S.

The great order of insects which uow comes hefore us is easily
to be distinguished from any other. A beetle may be mistaken
for a Heteropterous insect, or a Hymenopterous insect for one of
the Diptera. But there is no such likelihood of mistake with
regard to the Lepidoptera, or scale-wing insects, the feathery
scales with which their wings are covered being a distinction
that is at once recognized.

These scales are arranged just like the slates on the roof of a
house, and as there are many species in wdiich the scales are
squared at the ends, the resemblance is curiously exact. They
vary very greatly in form and size, some being rounded at the
ends, some deeply toothed in notches, some short and square,
and some long and almost hair-like. If placed under the micro-
scope, their surface is seen to be adorned with exquisite sculp -
tarings and markings, so that each scale is quite as worthy of
examination as the insect it adorns. Minute as are the scales,
the microscope shows that they are composed of three distinct
layers, and nothing is more common than to see the upper or
under layer torn, and the ragged piece looking just like a "snuff-
box " torn in a dress.

The mouths of the Lepidoptera are made for suction, the man-
dibles, or outer jaws, being very minute and practically needless,

536 INSECTS ABROAD.

and the maxillce lengthened into the organ which is scientifically
known as the proboscis, and popularly as the trunk. The females
are generally larger than the males, but are duller in hue, and in
many cases the two sexes are so different in appearance that they
have been described as distinct species. Even Linnaeus fell into-
the error of confounding the sexes, and actually placed the male
in one section and the female in another.

Their transformations from the egg to the perfect insect are
known better than those of any other of the insect race, and
many practical entomologists are in the habit of rearing their
best specimens from the egg. As to the eggs themselves, there
is more diversity in them than in those of the birds. The latter
eggs, however they may differ in colour, are tolerably alike in
shape, whereas the variety of form among Lepidopterous eggs is
quite wonderful, and is so marked that a good entomologist on
seeing an egg can be tolerably sure of naming the insect which
laid it. Unfortunately their shape cannot well be preserved, as
they are nearly sure to collapse after a time, even if they be not
hatched,, and broken by the young larva.

Many of these eggs, even of our own British species, are so
exceedingly beautiful in their outlines, that they would serve as
exquisitely beautiful models for jugs and vases. Indeed, some
years ago I happened to deliver a lecture on the transformation
of insects, and a porcelain manufacturer who was present was so
struck with the drawing of an egg that he asked for a copy of it,
and made a number of jars in exact imitation of it.

The larvae of the Lepidoptera are as different as the perfect
insects, both in appearance and habits. Most of them live
on trees and plants, but there are many which pass almost,
if not all, their larval existence beneath the surface of the
earth. At present, no Lepidopterous larva is known to inhabit
the water.

Without going more into scientific details, we will proceed to
the examination of the foreign Butterflies.

The reader will remember that some English groups of insects
are quite as numerous, as large, and as handsome as their foreign
relatives. This is not the case with the Butterflies, which are
comparatively few and insignificant in England. For example,
of the first group, the Papilionida?, we have but one representa-

THE DIRD-BUTTERFLIES. 537

live, the well-known Swallow-tail, and this is quite a rarity
except in one or two very limited spots.

The genus Papilio (which is the Latin for Butterfly) has all
the legs tit for walking, short palpi, the club of the antennro
elongated and never hooked, and the " discoidal cell " closed.
This, by the way, is the cell formed in the middle of the wing
by the juncture of the principal nervures. All the insects of this
genus are extremely handsome, and, with very few exceptions,
can be accepted as the most beautiful of all the Butterflies.
Linnaeus was so struck with their splendour, that he called them
by the classical name of Equites, or "knights," dividing them
into two sections, Trojans and Greeks. To each insect he gave
the name of some personage mentioned either by Homer or
Virgil.

Some systematic entomologists form a number of these insects
into a group called Ornithoptera, i.e. " bird- winged," because their
wings are so large and ample that they somewhat resemble birds
■when flying. The larvae of these insects are very odd-looking
creatures, each segment being furnished with a number of thick,
fleshy spikes that radiate in all directions. In common with
other members of the group, the larva has at the neck a curious
apparatus, consisting of a double tentacle that can be projected
or withdrawn at will through a small aperture. This tentacle
can easily be seen in the larva of our Swallow-tail Butterfly. It
gives out a powerful odour, which in one species resembles that
of fennel.

The pupa has some remnants of the fleshy spikes, they of
course existing in the segments near the tail. The pupa is
oddly shaped, being curved almost like the letter S. It is
suspended by the tail, and kept from swinging about by a
couple of short and stout silken cables. In our country we
have many pupae which support themselves by means of a
cable which completely surrounds them, but in the present case
there are two distinct cables, each being fastened to one side
of the body.

We will now^ proceed to the various species of this group.

The fine insect which is here represented is a native of
Queensland. It is a large species, the expanse of wing being
nearly two inches and a half. The longitudinal bands seen on

538

INSECTS ABROAD.

the upper wings are green, with a coppery gloss in certain lights,
which gloss also extends over the whole of the lower wings. On
the under surface of the upper wings there is a row of large^
rounded, black spots.

Pio. 280.— Omithoptera Cassandra
(Black, green, and yellow.)

The thorax is covered with dense hair of a jetty black, relieved
by some spots of bright crimson at the junction of the wings.
The abdomen is deep yellow.

A brief reference has already been made to the larva3 of the
Ornithoptera. A figure of one of these remarkable larva3 is here

LARVA AND PUPA.

539

given, and was drawn from a specimen in the East India JNluseum.
The pupa is also drawn, so as to sliow the method by which it

\#>'"

\^^^^

Fig. 290. — Larva and pnpa of Omithopttra.

attaches itself to plants by means of a tuft of silken cords at the
tail and a pair of bands at the sides.

The three figures whi^h here follow represent one species,
Papilio prononnis, and serve to show the great difference that
exists between the sexes, 'ilie first illustration shows the upper
surface of the male insect. The upper pair of wings are velvet
black and emerald green, the colours being disposed as shown
in the illustration. The green is more or less speckled with
black, which appearance is shown by the microscope to be due
to missing scales. The ornithological reader will probably re-
member that the black spots which are so often found on the
breasts of humming-birds are produced in a similar manner, the

540

INSECTS ABROAD.

feather being either altogether missing or tuclced under its neigh-
bours. The lower wings are mostly green, with a decided golden
gloss, and on the inner edge they have a fringe of very long, pale
brown, soft hairs, which are, in fact, nothing but lengthened
scales.

The under .surface, as shown in the second illustration, is also
green and black, the former colour taking a blue tint in the
middle of the wing. The abdomen is bright "king's" yellow,
looking just as if it had been painted in body colour. The thorax

FiG. 291. — Papilio prouomus. M;
(Black ,in<l green.)

is velvet black, but upon e.ach shoulder there is a large tuft of
brilliant crimson hairs, that produce a wonderfully fine contrast
with the black and green of the wings.

The third figure represents the under surface of the female,
and the reader can easily see how the two sexes can be mistaken
for different species. The female is very much larger than her
mate, and coloured after a totally different fashion. The wings
are mostly black, but not of the rich velvet-like hue which dis-

DISTINCTIONS OF SEX.

541

tinguishes the male, and the light-coloured marks upon the upper
wings are white. The lower pair of wings are also dull black,
relieved by large yellow marks, which are apt to fade into yel-
lowish grey. The al:)domen is yellow, but not nearly so bright
as in the male. Almost the only point of resemblance between

Fig. 292.— Paijilio ijiouoiims. Male. Underside.
(Block, green, and crimson.)

the two sexes is the crimson tuft on the shoulders, which is aa
brilliant in the female as in the male.

Even from this single instance the reader will see that
there was much excuse for the mistakes which Linnaeus made
when arranging these insects. Two of them are rather remark-
able, on account of a phenomenon which sometimes occurs to
insects, and is well known to practical entomologists. It some-
times happens that one side of an insect is male and the other
side female. Thus Linnseus had described PapUio Polycaon as a
Greek and rapilio Laodocus as a Trojan. Yet a specimen was
found which had on the right tlie \siugs of I'olycciun and on
the left that of Laodocus, thus proving that they were both the

542

INSECTS ABROAD.

two sexes of one species. A similar occurrence took place
with Ulysses and Diomedcs, both being, as their names denote,
Greeks.

The present species is a native of Northern Australia.

Fig 293. — Papiliopronomus. Female. Under .side.
(Black, yellow, and white.)

As is often the case with Butterflies, the under surface of
Paijilio Emathion gives no indication of the colours which
adorn the lower surface.

Above, the wings are black, with narrow lines of grey follow-
ing the nervures, and widening gradually towards the edges.
The under surface of the upper pair of wings is coloured much
after the same manner, but that of the lower pair is almost
startlingly different from the plain l)lack and grey of the upper
surface. The greater part of tlie wing is velvet Ithick, and round

PLATE XI.

A MAGNIFICENT INSECT. 543

its edges are some large markings of brilliant scarlet. A patch
of scarlet also exists at the base, and extends partially over the

Fig. 20i.-Papilio Emathion.
(Bhack and scarlet.)

base of the upper pair. The body is black, striped and spotted
with yellow.

This beautiful Butterfly inhabits the Philippine Islands.

Two more of the Ornithoptera are seen on Plate XL
The upper figure represents Papilio Brookeanus. This, as its
specific name implies, is a Bornean insect, and has been named
after the late Eajah Brooke of Sarawak. As the full size of the
insect is six inches and a half in spread of wing, it has been
found necessary to diminish the figure.

This is a most magnificent insect. The upper surface of the
wings is velvet black, and upon them are (lra^\•n a number of
pointed stripes of golden green. Both in shape and colour these

541 INSECTS ABROAD.

stripes so closely resemble the plumage of the trogon, that the
Butterfly was named Papilio trogon. This is a much better
name than that which is now given to it, but as the latter name
was found to have precedence in point of time, it must be
retained. Beneath, the wings are black and green, changing
towards the base into a deep, rich blue when viewed by a side
light. The thorax is entirely crimson above, and of the same
colour below, but barred with black.

"This species," writes Mr. Wallace, who discovered it in
1855, "which was then quite new, and which I named after Sir
J. Brooke, was very rare. It was seen occasionally flying swiftly
in the clearings, and now and then settling for an instant at
puddles and muddy places, so that I only succeeded in cap-
turing two or three specimens.

" In some other parts of the country I was assured it w^as
abundant, and a good many specimens have been sent to Eng-
land, but as yet all have been males, and we are quite unable to
conjecture what the female may be like, owing to the extreme
isolation of the species, and its want of close afhuity to any
other known insect."

The second figure represents Painlio Fanthous, a species which
inhabits Amboyna and Ceram.

The figure represents the male, and is slightly reduced on
account of the exigency of space. The female is very much
larger, her extended wings sometimes measuring more than
eight inches from tip to tip.

The upper surface of the wings is shining black with grey
streaks, and the under surface of the upper pair of wings is
coloured in much the same manner, except tliat the black and
the grey are both dull. The lower wings are brilliantly coloured.
A stripe of black begins at the base and runs round two-thirds
of the wing. It is very broad at the base, and narrow^s with the
anal angle, where it terminates. On the stripe tliere are six
large yellow marks, arranged as shown in the illustration, those
towards the base of the wing being orange and the other golden
yellow. The centre of the wing is pearly white in the male, and
duller in the female, with several large oval black spots.

The thorax is velvety black, and the abdomen is of the same
colour, but adorned with several large spots of orange.

A PICTUKESQUE HEAD-DKESS.

545

One fine species of the Ornithoptera inhabits Darnley Island,
and is put to a singular use by the natives. They catch several
Butterflies, and, attaching one end of a very delicate fibre to the
insects and the other to their hair, allow the Butterflies to flutter
about their heads. The name of the insect is Papilio Poseidon,
and it is a most magnificent creature, measuring seven inches
across, and having velvet-black and brilliant green wings, a
golden body, and crimson breast. The Ornithoptera are mostly
confined to the islands of the Indian Archipelago, the Moluccas
and Philippines being their principal strongholds.

About the two insects which will now be described there has
been some difficulty. Some entomologists consider them as two
distinct species, and others as merely varieties of a single species.
The controversy is not yet decided, and I shall therefore accept

Fig 295.— Papilio patros.
(Black and red.)

that opinion which is at present more generally acknowledged.
The insect is found at Ega, and is one of the many species which
were brought home by Mr. Bates after his travels in the region
of the Amazons. On the upper surface the wings are dark,
blackish brown at the base, becoming paler towards the tip.
The lower pair are velvet black, relieved by three large oblong

N N

546

INSECTS ABKOAD.

spots near the middle. These are, in fact, one very large spot,
divided by the black nervures which run through it.

The two next illustrations represent the male and female of
Pajjilio caudms. The latter of these names is formed from a
Latin word signifying "a tail," and is given to the insect on
account of the long, narrow appendages to the lower wings.

Fig. 296.— Papilio caiidius. Male.
(Blnrk, white, and red.)

There is much technical information respecting this insect in
Mr. Horsfield's " Catalogue of the Lepidopterous Insects belong-
ing to the East India Company." In that work some excellent
advice is given to entomologists who wish to trace the trans-
formations. Whenever a new larva was found, it was placed in
a separate cage, to which a number was attached. It was then
carefully drawn in colours, and its food-plants noted, a similar
number being affixed to the drawing. When it underwent its
tirst change the pupa was drawn, also in colours, and the same
when the perfect insect appeared ; al! the drawings having the

KEAEING OF INSECTS.

547

same number as tluit which was affixed to the cage in which the
larva was bred. This system being stringently carried out, mis-
takes were evidently impossible, and thus a vast number of in-
disputable facts were added to our stores of Natural History.

In addition to the instructions thus given, I should be dis-
posed to add a further suggestion. No provision is here made
for preserving the insect for dissection. So, if several specimens
of a larva could be found, I should suggest that a larva, pupa,
perfect insect, and if possible some of the eggs, should be placed
in spirits for the use of dissectors, the bottles being of course
numbered like the drawings.

Fio, 297.— PapUiu caudius. F<
(Black, white, and red.)

The insect now before us is a native of Java. The upper sur-
face of the wings is black, and upon them is a large white spot,
flanked on either side by a grey spot. The lower wungs are
marked with red very much like those of Pcqnlio patros.

Tlie female is coloured much like the male, though she is not so
bright, and there are slight differences of marking. The under
surface of the upper pair of wings is entirely brown, but tlie
lower wings are decorated with two large oval spots, set side by

N N 2

548

INSECTS ABROAD.

side and surrounded by five smaller spots. These marks are
very prettily coloured, being pink round their edges and white in
the middle, so as to give them a sort of eye-like appearance.

The beautiful insect which is here shown is a native of
Mexico.

The reader will observe that the "tail" of the lower wings
is not rounded at the end as is generally the case, but is very

Fio. 298. — Papilio aconophos.
(Black, white, and crimson.)

long, and narrows to a point. On account of this structure, the
insect has received the specific name of aconophos, which is
formed from a Greek word signifying a javelin or spike.

Above, the colour is deep blackish brown, fading to pale
brown at the tips. The lower wings are velvet-black, and on
each of them are six brick-red marks of a somewhat crescentic
or arched shape. Below, the upper wings are of a glossy sej)ia,
without any marks. The lower wings are of the same hue, but
have a number of marks upon their edges, disposed as shown in
the illustration. Those towards the outer edge are white, but

THE MEZENTIUS.

549

those of the inner edge are white above and bright crimson
below. There are also some small patches of crimson on the
base of the wing, and a very narrow crimson streak runs along
its outer edge. The long narrow tail is quite black.

The fashion which Linnteus set of employing classical nomen-
clature as specific names for the genus Papilio has been followed
as far as possible by his successors. Owing, however, to the
rapidly increasing number of species, it was impossible to find

Fig. 2G!).— Papilio Wezentius.
(lil.-ick, white, and crimson.)

names in the Iliad and the ^neid, and it was necessary there-
fore to draw upon the large stock of names furnished by classic
writers in general. One of these names is Mezentius, the cele-
brated king of the Tyrrhenians, who was accustomed to torture
men to death by binding them to dead corpses and so leaving
them.

This is a rare species from the western coast of America, and
at present there is but one specimen in the British Museum.
It is remarkable for having almost the same colouring on both

550

INSECTS ABROAD.

sides of its wings — a very rare phenoinenou among Butterflies,
especially when the colours are dark and boldly contrasted. The
upper surface of the upper wings is black, across which is drawn
a single bold white baud. The lower wings are also black, but
have a number of bright crimson marks along their edges,
arranged as shown in the illustration.

The under surface of the wiugs is almost exactly like that of
the upper, the chief distinction being that a second bar of white,
but very narrow, riins nearly parallel with the edge.

Another of the beautiful Butterflies which haunt the district
of the Amazons is called Papilio Ergeteles.

Fig. 300.— Papilio Ergeteles.
(Black and scarlet. )

Above, the upper wings are black, darkest at the base, and
have a large scarlet spot near the middle. The lower wings are
also black, and have a large crimson spot, which is divided by
black nervures into four oblong marks. Beneath, the colours
are very similar, except that the spots are pale pink instead of
scarlet or crimson. On each shoulder there is a large tuft of

SPLENDOUR OF COLOURING

551

long scarlet hairs, forming a fine contrast to the jetty Hack
plumage which surrounds it. There is only a single specimen
in the British Museum.

Another species, Papilio jEneas, inhabiting Demerara, so
closely resembles the Ergeteles that the two species can only be
distinguished by practised eyes.

AlthouCxH not so large, or at first sight so imposing, as many
of the species which have been described, Pajjilio ffierocles is

Fig 301 — Pcpilio Hieroeles
(Purple and crimson.)

really one of the most splendid of the Butterflies, Its beauties,
however, cannot be seen unless it be exposed to a strong light
and turned in all manner of ways.

The upper wings are black on the upper surface, with the
exception of a patch in the middle, which is green in the male
and whitish in the female. The illustration is drawn from a
male specimen. Its chief beauty lies in the upper surface of
the lower wings. Even when the insect is in a cabinet, and
partly sheltered from the light by the sides of the drawer, it is
a very handsome creature, the lower wings looking as if they
were velvet black, crossed by a row of vivid crimson spots. If,
however, it be removed from the drawer, placed in a strong

552

INSECTS ABROAD.

light, and turned slowly round, its real splendour shows itself.
The crimson spots retain their colour, but the apparent black
background glows with the richest imaginable purple, which
merges gradually at the base into deep azure, this colour passing
over the wing as the insect is turned about. About the middle
of the wing, and just above the crimson spots, the blue takes a
decided green gloss. The best view of this species is obtained
when the head is turned towards the light.

So much for the upper surface. Below, the upper pair of
wings are sooty black, with one white spot. The under wings
are also black, but have a row of crimson spots across the centre.
The body is black, adorned with spots of the same crimson as
that of the wings. This splendid insect is a native of Para.

In the case of the insect which is next shown no classical
o])pellation has been given, but the specific name is expressive

v-^'^k/k^i'.:/,n„>!/^~-

Fir, 302 — Papilio Erythalion.
(131 ipk, ciiiiison, and white.)

of its appearance. Tlie name Erythalion is formed from two
Greek words, one signifying " red," and the other " a blossom."
This name has been given because the broad crimson band that
crosses the under wings of the male looks somewhat like the
petals of a crimson flower.

THE KKISHKA BUTTERFLY.

553

There is considerable difference in the colour of the sexes.
The upper wings are black above, and on them there is a light-
coloured mark. In the male this mark takes the form of a pale
triangle, in which are two white spots, whereas in the female it
is wholly white. The under wings are also black, crossed in the
male by a broad belt of deep crimson, and in the female by a
similarly shaped band of pink, darker at the edges than in the
centre. The illustration is taken from a female specimen. In
both sexes the bar is crossed by several black nervures, so as to
divide it into a number of parallel markings.

The body and abdomen are black, diversified with scarlet
spots, more vivid than the hue on the bars of the lower wings.
The insect was taken at Santa Fe de Bogota.

To describe the splendid insect which is known as Papilio
Krishna is a very difficult task, owing to the variety and com-

FiG. 30:!.— Papilio Krisli

plication of the colours. The two specimens in the British
iMuseum came from Bhotan, in India, and the name of Krhhna
has been given to it as a recognition of its Indian origin. As

554 INSECTS ABROAD.

this is a large insect, the female measuring fully five inches in
spread of wing, the figure has been necessarily diminished
nearly one-half.

Above, the upper wings are deep black, speckled profusely
with gold-green dots that look just as if emerald-dust had been
sprinkled regularly over them. The magnifying glass soon
shows that each of these green specks is a single green scale.
Across the middle of the wing runs a narrow golden yellow
bar, interrupted by the nervures, which retain their black hue,
and break up the bar into a succession of contiguous yellow
spots.

The under wings are much more complicated in colouring.
At the base is a large triangular patch of the same green-
speckled black as that of the upper wings, and just below the
black is an irregularly shaped patch which is entirely emerald-
green, being composed of the same scales as those which have
been mentioned as sprinkled over the black. In certain lights
the green is seen to be glossed with purple and blue. Below
the green, the speckled black again makes its appearance, and
at the anal angle there is a large eye-like spot of purple with a
black centre.

Beneath, the upper wings are black, sprinkled with white
instead of green specks, and is crossed by a broad white bar.
The under wings are curiously coloured. At the edge runs a
row of white crescentic marks, edged above with dun. Then
comes a black space, and then is a crescent of purple. Another
black space intervenes, and aliove the purple is a white crescent,
speckled with black.

The fine insect which is here shown bears at first sight a
curious resemblance to our own Swallow-tail Butterfly, and
almost looks like an exceptionally fine specimen of that insect.
Above, the whole of the surface of the upper wings is yellow,
with a slight orange tinge, and diversified with black markings
as shown in the illustration. The yellow has rather a coarse
aspect, the microscope showing this effect to be produced by the
large size of the scales, which are squared at their tips.

The under wings are also yellow, but have a series of red
crescent-shaped marks running round the margin. Near the
inner edge is a small semilunar mark of red, above which is a

THE CEBALUS BUTTERFLY.

55;

l)atch of tiny blue specks that look sometliing like a nebula
when seen through a telescope, and above the blue specks is
another red mark. The body is bright yellow, but along the
upper surface of the abdomen is drawn a bold black streak,

lb o04 — PapihoUilulus
(Blark and ^eUo\^ )

lathei' wide in the middle, and diminishing to a point at either
end.

Below, tlie under wings have a row of six narrow blue
crescents, and above each of these is a semilunar mark of brick-
red. This insect is a native of Mexico.

In the insect which is depicted on page 556 we have an
example of the effects which can be produced by the arrangement
of only two colours. There are few handsomer Butterflies than
Pajniio Palinurus, in wliich black and green are the only colours
on the upper surface.

556

INSECTS ABIIOAD.

Taking the upper wings first, the basal third is occupied with
a large triangular patch of velvety black, profusely powdered
with green specks, and very much like those of the Krishna
Butterfly of India, which has been already described. Next
comes a broad belt of verditer green, and the rest of the wdng is
velvet-black, sprinkled with green towards its edge.

3i>l: — I'apilio F.-iliinirua
(Black ari<lsr".>T,.)

The under wings are somewhat similarly marked, but with
additions. At the base there is a similar black patch sprinkled
with green, and then comes the green verditer band, which in
the lower wings is very glossy, and has a pearly sort of surface.
The black border also is on the edge of the lower wings, but ,
near the margin are six crescentic marks of a brilliajit metallic
green, that sparkle so as to be visible at a considerable distance.

PLATE XII.

THE ULYSSES BUTTEHFLY. 557

As is often the case with insects, the metallic splendour of these
marks is not perceptible except by a strong light.

The reader will probably have remarked that the colours are
so arranged that when the wings are spread they show a pattern
extending over both pairs. The name Palinurus is that of the
well-known pilot of Eneas' ship. I rather think that the name
was given in consequence of the broad pearly-green band across
the wings, which bears some fanciful resemblance to a wave of
the sea.

The under surface presents an almost startling contrast to the
upper. The j)lace of the speckled black mark at the base of the
wings is taken by a sepia-coloured patch sprinkled with pale
green, the general colour much resembling that of the English
moth known by the popular name of " Old Lady." There are
four ruddy, eye-like spots, much resembling those of the common
English Buft-tip Moth. Mr. A. Butler is of opinion that this
dulness of colour is intended for the purpose of protection, the
hues being very much like those of a withered leaf Our own
familiar " Eed Admiral " and " Peacock " Butterflies are often
indebted for safety to the dull colouring of the under surface.

A siNGULAKLY liandsomc Butterfly is shown in the accompany-
ing illustration, and is known by the name of Papilio Ulysses.
Its upper surface has nearly the same colours as those of the
preceding insect, but they are disposed in a very different
manner. In the male insect the tips and edges of the wings
are black, very slightly sprinkled with green. The whole
of the centre is the richest azure in some lights, and green
in others. In the female the colour is much paler, and has
a faded look.

Below, the basal haK of the upper wings is blackish brown,
and the rest grey-brown. The lower wings are also grey -brown,
and round their edges are seven rather large eye-like spots. The
lower half of each spot is buff, then comes a curved streak of
black, and the upper edge is white. The insect is a native of
Amboyua.

On Plate XII. Fig. 1 is seen an insect which very much
resembles the preceding species, but was shown by Mr. A.
Butler to be perfectly distinct. Its name is Papilio Joesa, and

)8

INSECTS ABltOAD.

it is a native of Queensland. The black margins on the upper
surface of the wings are not so deeply toothed, and on the under
surface the eye-like spots are much paler.

Another species, Papilio Philipims, which was brought by Mr.
Wallace from Sumatra, is coloured after a similar fashion, except
that the centre of the wings is green instead of blue, and each
spot has upon it a streak of metallic green-blue.

Fig. 30(3.— Papilio Uly.sses.
(Black and green.)

On the same I'late, at Fig. 2, is drawn a New Guinea Butterfly,
called Papilio Euchenor. The figure is considerably reduced, as
the insect itself measures five inches and a half across the out-

A BOLD OUTLINE.

559

spread wings. It is, however, so conspicuous an insect that it
cannot be omitted from the present work.

It is one of the very few Butterflies that have the upper and
under surfaces of the wing almost alike. The aid of colour is
not so much needed in this as in many other insects, because, if
the reader will imagine that all the light portions of the insect
are bright yellow, and the dark portions are jetty black, he can
exactly appreciate its real appearance. As has already been
stated, the under surface of the wings is very similar to the
upper. The yellow, however, is paler, and occupies more of the
wing. There are also some orange spots near the margins of
the lower wings.

The insect which is here represented is a native of Northern
China, and its rather peculiar characteristics are well shown in

Fig. 307.— Papilio Jk-m-ius
(Brown and crimson.)

the illustration. One of the remarkable points in this insect is
the really grand outline presented by the wings, whether they
be open or closed ; the bold curves of the lower wings, and their
long, broad taOs, being in singular contrast with the firm and

560

INSECTS ABROAD.

almost luibrokeu outline of the upper pair. As may be seen by
the form of the abdomen, the specimen whose portrait is here
given was a female.

Above, the colour of both pairs of wings is brown, each of the
lower wings having five ruddy crescents along the margin. If
held up to the light, the upper wings are seen to be almost trans-
parent. Below, the upper wings are brown, and the lower pair
are velvet-black, their opacity being thus accounted for. The
light-coloured marks along the margin are crimson. The
male is similar to the female, but is smaller, and is darker
coloured.

The general outline of the wings in Papilio Jophon is very
similar to that of the preceding species. The colouring, how-
ever, is wholly different.

Fia. 308. — Papilio Jophon.
(Black and scarlet.)

The upper surface of the wings is sooty black, the nervures
being accompanied with stripes of silvery grey. Beneatli, the
colours are stiJl black giey, but on the margin of the lower

THE MEMNON BUTTERFLY.

561

wings there are seven crescent-sliaped spots of bright vermilion-
scarlet. The abdomen is black, diversified with scarlet spots
and patches, very much resembling the colours of our own
Cinnabar Moth. Tlie insect is a native of Ceylon.

The two illustrations which now follow represent a Butterfly
called Papilio Memnon. It has a very wide range of habitat,
being found in Borneo, Penang, Java, China, and India.

(BJack, wl

This is a strangely variable insect, no less than ten distinct
varieties being described in Dr. Horsfield's Catalogue. The
general colouring is as follows : — The upper surface is velvet-
black, streaked and speckled with green, and in some specimens
o o

562

INSECTS ABROAD.

there is a narrow scarlet Hue on the outer edge of the upper
wings. Beneath, it is sooty black, with a large scarlet spot on
the base of the upper wings, and three similar but smaller spots
at the base of the lower wings.

The second figure represents a "tailed" female of the same
insect. It is a most singular fact that the female should be so

Fig. 310.— Papilio Memnoii. Female.
(Black, white, and buff.)

very different from the male, especially in so important a point
as the appendages to the lower wings. It is, however, a lact
that the females sometimes have tails, as is here shown, and
sometimes liave the hind wiiigs merely rounded, like those of

TAILED AND UNTAILED FEMALES. 563

the male, liespectiug this peculiarity, Mr. Wallace, in his
" Eastern Archipelago," makes the following remarks : —

" The first is the handsome Papilio Memnon, a splendid
Butterfly of a deep black colour, dotted over with lines and
groups of scales of a clear ashy blue. Its wings are five inches
in expanse, and the hind wings arc rounded, with scalloped
edges. This applies to the males ; but the females are very dif-
ferent, and vary so much that they were once supposed to form
several distinct species. They may be divided into two groups
— those which resemble the male in shape, and those which
differ entirely from him in the outline of the wings.

" The first vary much in colour, being often nearly white,
with dusky yellow and red markings ; but such differences often
occur in Butterflies. The second group are much more extra-
ordinary, and would never be supposed to be the same insect,
since the hind wings are lengthened out into large spoon-
shaped tails, no rudiment of which is ever to be perceived in
the males or in the ordinary form of females. These tailed
females are never of the dark and blue-glossed tints which pre-
vail in the male and often occur in the females of the same
form, but are invariably ornamented with stripes and patches of
white or buff, occupying the larger part of the surface of the
hind wings. This peculiarity of colouring led me to discover
that this extraordinary female closely resembles (when flying)
another Butterfly of the same genus but of a different group
{Papilio Coon), and that we have here a case of mimicry similar
to those so well illustrated and explained by Mr. Bates.

" That the resemblance is not accidental is sufficiently proved
by the fact that in the North of India, where Papilio Coon is
replaced by an allied form {Papilio DouUedayi) having red spots
in place of yellow, a closely allied species or variety of Papilio
Memnon {P. aMdrogeus) has the tailed female also red spotted.
The use and reason of this resemblance appears to be that the
Butterflies imitated belong to a section of the genus Papilio,
which, from some cause or other, are not attacked by birds, and
by so closely resembling these in form and colour, the female of
Memnon and its ally also escape persecution. Two other species
of this same section {Papilio Antiphns and Papilio Polyphonies)
are so closely imitated by two female forms of Papilio Theseus
(which comes in the same section with IMemnon) that they cora-
0 o 2

564 INSECTS ABROAD.

pletely deceived the Dutch entomologist De Haan, and he
accordingly classed them as the same species !

"But the most curious fact connected with these distinct
forms is, that they are both the offspring of either form. -A
single brood of larvse were bred in Java by a Dutch entomo-
logist, and produced males as well as tailed and tailless females,
and there is every reason to believe that this is always the case,
and that forms intermediate in character never occur.

" To illustrate these phenomena, let us suppose a roaming
Englishman in some remote island to have two wives — one a
black-haired, red-skinned Indian, the other a woolly-headed
sooty-skinned negress; and that, instead of the children being
mulattoes of brown or dusky tints, mingling the characteristics
of each parent in varying degrees, all the boys should be as fair-
skinned and blue-eyed as their father, while the girls should
altogether resemble their mothers. This would be thought
strange enough, but the case of these Butterflies is yet more
extraordinary, for each mother is capable not only of producing
male offspring like the father, and female like herself, but also
other females like her fellow-wife, and altogether differing from
herself"

This is certainly one of the most remarkable points in the
history of Butterflies, and wdiy some females should so closely
imitate the male form is a problem not easy of solution.

The larva of the Memnon is a large dark-green caterpillar,
much humped on the shoulder, and being marked with some
pale-brown bands, and a red streak just in front of the hump.
It tapers gradually from the hump to the tail, and rapidly from
the hump to the head, so that it has very much the aspect of a
caterpillar of some Hawk Moth.

The pupa is pale green, patched and streaked with yellow,
and is suspended to a twig by a ligature at the tail and a
iK'lt surrounding the body.

Like many other insects, the jVIemnon is subject to consider-
able variations in colour. There is one very curious example of
a tailed female in the British Museum. The upper wings are
brown, on which a pattern is traced by the black nervures. The
lower wings are black, with white oval i)atches on the base, and
buff spots on the inner margin.

THE COON BUTTERFLY,

565

On this illustration is given tlie insect to which reference was
made in Wallace's description of Papilio Memnon.

The resemblance between the two species does not appear in
the illustration to be as close as it is in reality, because the size
of the illustration is necessarily reduced, the full span of wing
being about four inches and a half. The upper wings are jjale
brown, marked with dark brown as shown in the figure. The
lower wings are jet black, with a sort of velvety lustre, and
having a very slight bluish gloss in a side light. They are

Fig. 311.— Papilio Coon.
(Black, wliite, and yellow.)

adorned with a series of large spots, those towards the base of
the wing being white, and those at the tip being yellow.

The body is chrome yellow, variegated with black. The
colours are nearly alike on the upper and under surface, except
that in the latter the markings are not quite so bright as those
of the upper surface. There is a variety of this insect which is
found in Assam, and in which all the yellow parts, including
the body, are changed into scarlet.

Mr. Wallace remarks that it has a ha1)it of fluttering slowly

566

INSECTS ABROAD.

along shady pathways through woods.
Java, and in many parts of India.

It is found throughout

The very handsome Papilio Vidorinus is a native of Mexico,
and the specimens in the British Museum were obtained in the
well-known voyage of the Novara. It is a very large insect, the
spread of wings being four inches and a half.

Fig 312 —Papilio Victonnus.
(Black, with yellow spots )

There are but few colours in this Butterfly, but they are so
boldly contrasted that they produce a very fine effect. The
upper surface is velvet-black, diversified with bright yellow
spots shaped and disposed as shown in the illustration. Along
the inner edge of the upper wings there is a fringe of very long
silken hairs of a rich black-brown, which produce a singularly
soft and beautiful effect. The body is black.

The under surface is soft brown with a dash of chocolate.

THE LEONIDAS BUTTETJFLY.

567

The upper wings are crossed by oue complete row of yellow
spots, and another row of similar spots extends about half across
the wing. On the lower wings are two rows of crimson spots,
shaped and arranged very much like the yellow spots of the
upper surface. The inner spot of the upper row is rather
remarkable, being oblong, and having one half ciimson and the
other half yellow.

In Papilio Leonidas we have another extremely variable
insect. This fine Butterfly is a native of Africa, the specimen
which is here figured having been procured from Sierra Leone,

Fig. 313.— Papilio Leonidas.
'Black aiifl pale grei-n.'i

and some having been brought from Ashanti and other part
of Western Africa. There are six specimens in the British
Museum, of which no two are exactly alike. I have therefore
selected a specimen from Sierra Leone, which appears to afford
the best type of the insect.

Above, the wings are nearly black, and at the base of the
lower pair there is a large irregular patch of pale green with

568 INSECTS ABROAD.

a sort of nacreous polish. There are a number of little
white spots on both pairs of wings. Below, the wings are rich,
deep brown, speckled with white, the patch at the base of
the lower pair being of a very much paler green than above.
There is one peculiarity about the upper wings which does not
at first show itself. This is a streak of very deep scarlet along
the under surface of the upper edge. It is widest at the base of
the wings, and tapers gradually to the tip. As is often the case
with insects, the colour is so deep that it cannot be seen at all
except by the aid of a strong and properly directed light. Along
the inner edge of the lower wings there is a fringe of very long
deep brown hair, much resembling the same portion of the last-
mentioned species.

The conspicuous Sarpedon Butterfly is very common, and is
found plentifully throughout Australia, the Sandwich Islands,
Borneo, and in many parts of Asia.

Fig. 314.— Papilio Sarpedon.
(Black and green.)

The upper surface of the wdngs is rich chestnut-brown, and
both pairs are crossed by a band of pearly shining green, widest

A CURIOUS LARVA. 569

in the middle, and tapering gradually to the ends. Eound the
margin of the lower wings there is a row of small crimson
crescents. The green band assumes a somewhat bluish hue
towards the middle. Below, it is similarly, but not so bril-
liantly coloured, and there is a streak of crimson near the base
of the lower wings.

The Butterfly makes it appearance early in May, and remains
until the end of the rains in September. It is one of the high-
flying insects, frequenting the tops of the oaks, and having a
curious jerking or jumping sort of flight, so that it is not easily
captured. It has, however, one habit by means of which it can be
betrayed into the entomologist's net. It makes regular circuits
in its flight, so that if an insect-hunter strikes at a Sarpedon
and misses it, he only waits for a time, knowing that the insect
will be sure to come back again after completing its round.

The larva of the Sarpedon is a curious dark-green caterpillar,
with the segments very strongly marked, and having the singular
power of thrusting out a number of stout projections from all
parts of its body. In this way it can alter its shape so com-
pletely as to be almost unrecognizable. The body diminishes
rather suddenly in thickness near the tail. In Ceylon it is
known to feed on the cinnamon and sour-sop. The pupa is an
oddly-shaped, angular, curved chrysalis, coloured green and
yellow, and having a bold ridge down each side. It is bound
to the branches by a ligature at the tail and another round
the body.

The Indian Butterfly, Papilio Cloanthus, bears a remarkable
similitude to this species, but may be distinguished by the long
tail of the lower wings, and the delicate transparency of tho
green portions of both pairs of wings.

The colouring of Papilio Anticrates is remarkable for its
simplicity and beauty, the boldly contrasting hues being so
disposed, that when the wings are opene'd a sharply defined
pattern is formed upon both pairs. The colours are white, with
a tinge of creamy yellow, edged and streaked with black in the
manner shown in the illustration. Both the colour and markings
are liable to slight variations.

The under surface of this Butterfly is much more handsome
than the upper. The ground hue is the same, and the markings

570

INSECTS ABROAD.

are very similar, except that the colour is pale brown instead of
deep black. The most conspicuous part of the colouring is the
second bar from the base of the wing. On the upper surface
this forms a nearly continuous bar across both wings, slightly

Pig. 315.— Papilio Anticrates.
(Cream-white, and blaok. )

broken at their junction. But on the under surface the place
of this bar is taken by a row of red crescent-shaped spots, each
spot being edged with a narrow line of black.

This is one of the Indian insects, and the specimen from
which the portrait was taken was brought from Silhet.

Here is another of the foreign Butterflies which are coloured
alike on both surfaces, the only difference being that the under
surface is not so bright as the upper. In England we very
seldom find this to be the case in the Lepidoptcra, our well-
known Cinnabar Moth being almost the only example. Abroad,
however, there are very many such instances, and in several of
them there is scarcely any perceptible difference even in the
depth of colour.

THE ALEBION BUTTEKFLY,

571

In this insect there is but little variety of colonrinfr. The
ground hue of the wings is very pale yellow, having almost a
washed-out appearance, and they are adorned with a number
of dark brown bands, so arranged that when the wings are
spread they form a continuous pattern. The eye-like spots at
the tips of the lower wings are edged with yellow. This is a
native of Australia, and is very rare, only a single specimen
being in the British Museum.

Fig. 316. — Papilio parmatus.
(Pale yellow and dark brown.)

The specific name iparmatus is taken from a Latin word
signifying " a shield," but I cannot see where its significance lies,
the insect bearing no resemblance whatever to a shield, either in
shape or colouring.

CuEiousLY like the preceding insect are the two species
which are shown in the accompanying illustration. Only one
of them, Papilio Alebion, will be here described, the Serecinus
coming afterwards with others of its genus. They are, how-

572

INSECTS ABROAD.

ever, placed together in order to show the singular resemblance
that sometimes exists between insects of different genera.

The only specimen of this Butterfly in the British Museum
was brought from Northern China. Like the last-mentioned
insect, it has a sort of faded look about it, and is coloured in
almost exactly the same manner on both sides. The ground
colour is yellowish white, and the stripes are of a dark brown.

-Serecinus Telar

(White and dark brown.)

Papilio Alebion.

Four of them are so arranged that they extend over both wings,
while the others are quite short.

Near the tip of the lower wings is a large patch of bright
yellow, and beyond this patch is a group of five eye-like spots,
the chief portion of which is black, the centre being sprinkled
with some tiny azure specks. The long tail of the lower wings
is yellow, with a black line running through its centre. In the
middle of both pairs of wings the pale yellow is partly translucent.

MIMICRY. 573

We now come to another grou}) of Butterflies, called Pierinse,
familiar to us through our " Whites," Orange-tip, Brimstone, &c.
Another example of insect mimicry is here given, the insect
being a curiously exact copy of another Butterfly named Tlwj-
ridia Psidii. A figure and description of this insect will be
found on page 588.

This is a large and handsome genus, a number of species
having been brought from tropical America by Mr. Bates. The
present species is the largest at present known, and is very
scarce, only a single specimen being in the British Museum.
It was brought from Tapajos. The colouring is very simple.

Fig ol^-DiMiiori.hia uiis.
(Black and pale yellow.)

the dark portions of the wing being black, and the rest a very
pale yellow, and rather translucent. The body is black, with
very narrow white rings on the edges of the segments, and the
anteunse are black, except their tips, which are yellow. The
wings are similarly coloured on both sides.

Ked and yellow are the hues which predominate in Dismorphia,
and when a number of them are placed together they have a most
gorgeous aspect. The handsomest of them is certainly Dismorphia
Spio, an inhabitant of St. Domingo. The general colour of this
insect is as follows. The upper wings are black, with three large

574

INSECTS ABROAD.

vermilion stripes. The lower pair are also black, marked with
one broad band of orange, and another of greenish yellow. It is,
however, a singularly variable insect in point of colour, for there
are several specimens in the British Museum which have the
bands of the upper wings green instead of red.

The insect which is here shown is a native of the Celebes, and
is an example of mimicry, not of another insect, but of vegetable

-Appias Ziuiuda.
(Orange red.)

life. The colour of the wings is a ruddy orange, exactly the hue
of the Virginian Creeper leaf in the middle of autumn. The
long pointed shape of the wings adds to the resemblance, which
is so close that, if one of these insects were to settle on a Vir-
ginian Creeper, the keenest-sighted entomologist would have very
great difficulty in distinguishing it from the leaves among which
it had alighted. It is slightly variable in its hue, some speci-
mens having rather more of the yellow and less of the red than
the generality. These are probably females.

Like Dismorpliia, this is a very large genus, containing species
of very different colours, some of them so closely resembling our

THE THALESTRIS BUTTERFLY.

575

well-known "Whites" that they can scarcely he distinguished
from them without careful observation. One of the most curi-
ously coloured is Ajopias placidia, of Amhoyna. Above, this
insect is entirely brown, with the exception of a slight edging of
white round the wings. Behind, it is also brown, but looks as
i f it had been thickly dusted with some grey flour.

In colour the Gallidryas Thalestris much resembles our well-
known " Orange-tip " Butterfly, although the colours are dis-
tributed differently. The ground colour of the wings is king's

Fig. 3i0.— Gallidryas Thalestris
(Yellow aud orange.

yellow, and near the middle of each of the upper pair is a large
oval patch of bright orange. Above this orange patch is a small
diamond- shaped mark of jetty black. The abdomen is yellow,
the thorax is black, with a fringe of very long bright yellow

570 INSECTS ABROAD.

hairs. It will be seen from this brief description how appro-
priate is the name Callidryas, i.e. " Beautiful Wood-Nymph."

Below, it is dull yellow, like that of a withered leaf, and the
surface is covered with a number of large greyish-brown blotches
that look exactly like the fungus marks so often seen on decay-
ing leaves. This colouring is evidently intended for the purpose
of concealment, as, if the insect were to settle among dying
leaves, it would certainly escape the observation w^hich its gaily-
coloured upper surface would be sure to attract. These colours
are those of the male. The female is coloured in a similar
manner below, and above is dull yellow, profusely covered with
blotches like those of the under surface. This is probably for
the sake of protection, as it certainly causes the female to be
much less conspicuous than her mate.

This species is a native of St. Domingo, but the genus is a
very large one, and is spread over a considerable portion of the
hotter parts of the earth. The general colours are the same
throughout the genus, but in some species the orange patch is
much larger than that of Thalestris, while in one or two it is
spread nearly over the entire wing.

The gaily-coloured Txias Mariammt is a native of various parts
of India.

The colouring of the specimen from which tlie drawing was
taken is as follows : — The upper wings have a brown edge,
widest at the tip^ Then comes a large scarlet patch occupying
the greater part of the wing, with the exception of an irregular
black bar which crosses its centre. When the wings are spread,
this bar is continued to the lower wings, and runs round their
edges so as to form a bold black band, shaped as shown in
the illustration. The rest of the wings is white. Below, it is
yellow. The upper wings have a patch of yellow immediately
under the red of the upper surface, and there is a large black
spot near the middle. The lower wings have a row ,of pale
brown spots near their tips.

This is a singularly variable species, the most curious of which
is a specimen that was brought from the Punjaub. On the right
upper wing of this insect there is a large black spot near the
middle, while the corresponding wing of the left side has no spot
at all. There is also a similar spot on each of the loAvor wings.

DISSIMILARITY OF SEXES. 577

Many species are yellow, red, aud black, distributed in various
ways, and in some the male is very gaily coloured, while the
female is plain black, white, and grey.

Pig. 321.— Ixias Mai-i;aiiua.
(Red, white, black, and trowii.)

The insect which is shown on the next page is a native of
Boura, one of the islands near Borneo.

The figure which is there given represents the male, there
being a marked contrast in colour between the sexes. The
upper wings are edged with a band of black, broadest at the
tip. The centre of the wing is red, and the rest is bright yellow.
The lower wings are entirely yellow, except two angular black
spots. The female is quite unlike the male, being simply black
and grey, and. so dissimilar are the sexes that even an accom-
plished practical entomologist like Mr. Wallace had some diffi-
culty in determining the identity of the species.

Mr. Wallace has given, in the "Journal of Entomology," a
brief but graphic description of the habits of these Butterflies : —
" The species of Iphias are all large and handsome Butterflies,
p p

578

INSECTS ABROAD.

frequenting the skirts of forests and the margins of streams in
forest districts.

"The males often settle on the ground in damp and muddy
places, in company with many Papilionidse and Pieridte. When
thus resting, with wings erect, they are at once distinguishable from
all around them by the peculiar attitude they assume, the upper
wings being depressed between the lower pair, so that its basal

Fio. 322. — Hebuiiioia (or Ijihias) leucogjmia.
(Red, yellow, ami black.)

half is completely hidden by them. As probably a consequence
of this, we find that this basal half of the upper wings is always
pale in colour on the under side, and devoid of the. characteristic
markings of the exposed portions. The females fly rather low,
in woods and thickets, and, seldom coming out into the open
grounds, are therefore less easily captured.

" I found the female of this interesting species flying among
dense thickets in the island of Borneo, and was completely

THE GLAUCIl'PE.

r,79

puzzled by its appearance, till T one day caught a glimpse of the
underside of its wings, when I knew it must be an Iphias. I
afterwards obtained a few males, but it was never abundant."

The specific name, leucogynia, is formed from two Greek words
signifying " a white female," and is given to the insect on account
of the pale colour of the female.

Another species of this genus is represented in the accom-
panying illustration. It has a large range of country, specimens

-Heboinoia Glaucippe.
(Cream-white, rt-d, and black.)

in the British Museum having been found in Java, China, Nepal,
Silhet, Ceylon, and the Celebes. The greater part of the upper
surface of both wings is a creamy white, and round them runs a
deep band of black, with deep, tooth-like projections on the upper
pair, and detached, diamond-shaped marks on the lower pair.
There is also on the upper pair a rather narrow, waving band of
p p 2

580

INSECTS ABROAD.

red. The under surface, although not so gaily coloured as the
upper, is still very beautiful. The upper wings are white at the
base and pale chestnut at the tip, the two colours merging gradu-
ally into each other. The lower wings are creamy white, covered
with multitudinous wavy pencillings of pale brown, each looking
as if executed with the finest possible crowquill pen.

The genus Teracolas is remarkable for the beauty of colouring
displayed by the different species, and the exceeding boldness of

Fig. 324.— Teracolas Ions.
(White and magenta.)

the marking. As for the present species, it is fortunate that in
late years the dye called "Magenta" has been invented, for,
before that celebrated battle l^ad been fought, and the dye dis-
covered, it would have been a task of no small difficulty to
describe this beautiful insect.

The upper surface of the male is white, just like that of our
White Butterflies, and the upper wings have on the outer edge
a bar of the deepest black, narrowest at the anal angle, and
widening at the tip to one-third the breadth of the wing. In

THE PARNAJ^SIAXS.

581

the broadest part of the band there are three large spots, which
in some specimens are red, and in others magenta. In either
case the colour is of the most glowing brilliancy, and flashes
like jewels in a setting of jet. The lower wings are white, with
a very slight edging of black. Below, it is plain white, and in
the female there is neither magenta nor red in the upper wings.
This species is a native of the Natal district. Another species,
Teracolas Phlegyas, which is found near the White Nile, bears
some resemblance to the preceding insect, except that the whole
of the band on the edge of the upper wings is magenta ; and
another, Teracolas Hevjitsonii, has none of the brill ant colours
which are usually found in members of this genus, but is dun,
crossed with streaks of blaclc.

We now leave the Pierinae, and take a few examples of the
next group, the Papilioninse.

The first of these is Parnassius Gharltonius. This genus is
tolerably familiar to English entomologists, because the Apollo

Fig. 325.— Parnassius Charitonius.
(White and grey, with blue and red spots.)

Butterfly belongs to it. It is very dubious whether this insect
can really be considered as English. Many years ago, however,
I found in a drawer in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford an
Apollo Butterfly, which was said to have been caught by a

582

INSECTS ABROAD.

lady and given to the Museum. There was certainly internal
evidence that this might have been the case. It had not been
captured by an entomologist, for it was pierced all on one side
by a darning-needle instead of a pin, and had never been set.
I relaxed the wings, replaced the needle with a pin, set the
specimen properly, and returned it to the collection.

The larvae of this genus are odd-looking creatures, very much
resembling the caterpillar of a large moth. They have a tentacle
in the neck similar to that of Papilio larva. The pupa is enclosed
in a large, rude cocoon, made of leaves loosely fastened together.

Most, if not all, the Parnassians are inhabitants of moun-
tainous districts, the present species being a native of the Cau-
casus. The ground colour of the wings is white. On the upper
pair there are three pale grey-black bands, one on the edge and

3'26.- Parnassius Ilardwickii.
(Black, white, and red.)

the others crossing the wing. Then come two short black stripes,
and towards the base there is a large patch of grey speckles. On
the lower wings there is a curved band of black, with blue eye-
like spots, and above them are two curved marks of red. Tlie

THE SERECIXI. 583

body is black. There is only one specimen in the British
Museum.

Anothek species of this genus, Parnasmts Hardwickii, is a
native of ISTepaul and Chinese Tartary. Its colouring is rather
complicated and not easily described, especially as it is an
exceedingly variable species, but may be briefly given as
follows: —

The upper surface is almost entirety l)lack and white, but on
the upper wings there are four patches of red near the upper
edge. The insect has a sort of translucent look about it, and is
very glossy. Scarcely any two specimens are exactly alike, the
chief variation taking place in the red spots on the upper wings.
In some specimen;-; they are so much enlarged as to form one
patch of considerable size, while in others they are barely half
the size of those which are shown in the illustration.

One of these insects, Parnasahis Stullcndorfii, is entirely white
with the exception of the nervures, which are black, so that it
bears a very close resemblance to our " Black- veined White"
Butterfly.

The curious genus Serecinus now comes before us. These
insects have very long tails to the lower wings, and bear a close
resemblance to some of the Papilionidse. This resemblance is
well shown in Serecinus Telamon, which may be seen figured on
page 572, this being the lower figure of the two. It is a native
of Northern China.

The colouring is very simple, the ground colour being white,
on which are placed a number of dark brown marks, arranged as
shown in the illustration. On the lower wings there is a large
black patch occupying the space between the anal angle and the
tail, and extending into a black stripe along the lower edge. In
this patch there are three round spots, which are powdered with
a blue dust. The abdomen is cream-coloured, witli some black
spots.

The female resembles the male, but the colours are duller, and
there is a larger proportion of brown.

Another fine example of this genus is seen in Serecinus
Montela, also a native of Northern China. The illustration

584 INSECTS ABROAD.

represents a male, wliich is coloured as follows. The ground
hue is yellowish white, upon which are drawn a number of dark
brown stripes and marks. There is a large scarlet patch at the
anal angle of the lower wings, and the tail is slightly powdered
with blue. Below, the colour is much the same, except that the
patch on the lower wings is black, and has only a slight streak
of red running through its middle.

In order to show the contrast which often exists between
the colour of the two sexes, the female of the same species
is given on the opposite page. In this sex the colours are quite

Fio. 327.— Sereeinus Montela. Male.
(White, brown, and scarlet.)

as conspicuous as those of the male, though there is about them
that almost indefinable dimness which is generally to be found
in female Lepidoptera.

The upper wings are brown, and are marked with three dis-
tinct rows of yellow spots running in a line with the outer edge,
several streaks of the same hue being between the third row and
the base of the wing. The lower wings are coloured after the
same fashion near the base, but at the anal angle there is an
interrupted band of blue, above which is a row of crimson
marks. The tails are black, and there is a patch of bright
yellow at the base.

PLATE Xiri.

THE HESTIAS.

585

There is but little difference in the colours of the under
surface of the wings, except that the yellow, blue, and crimson
are not quite so brilliant, and the spots are less sharply defined.

Fio. 328.— Sereeiniis Montela. Female.
(Brown, yellow, and nrimson.)

We now pass to another group of Butterflies, called the
Danainse, several examples of which will be figured, and others
will be mentioned or briefly described.

On Plate XIII. Fig. 1 is shown a large Butterfly caUed Hestia
Idea. This genus is rather a large one, and as all the species
are of very similar colouring, and there is a great tendency to
variation, it is not at all easy to distinguish between the species.
Mr. Westwood has figured several Hestias in his "Oriental
Entomology," and comments upon the difficulty of distinguish-
ing between a species and a variety. Speaking of Hestia Jasonia,
a Cingalese insect, he makes the following remarks, which are
well worthy of notice : — -

•' How far this may ])e a good specific character must be left
for time (or, more properly speaking, the possession of an exten-
sive series of specimens of these insects from different localities)

586

INSECTS ARROAD.

to determine. It is doubtless in some degree dependent on the
form of the apical angle of the wing, and this form of the wing
cannot at present, I believe, be fully relied upon. That the
form of the wing varies in some Butterflies according to the
localities of the individuals, is unquestionable; and if this
should be ascertained to be the case here, I think it may pos-
sibly be followed by the discovery that all the supposed species
of Hestia are only so many local or geographical sub-species of
one real species."

This is a very simply coloured Butterfly, the ground colour
being white and the markings dark brown. Still, although it
has no brilliancy, it is really a liandsome insect, owing partly to
its size and partly to the bold contrast between the two hues.
The abdomen is white, with a narrow black stripe down the
middle.

Fig. 32!).— Danais insolnta.
(Wliite and dark brown )

Although the colours of this Butterfly are by no means l)vil-
liant, it is a very pretty insect, the hues being soft and well
contrasted.

In the male the basal half of the upper wings is dark brown,

THE EUPL(EAS.

587

with a rather peculiar silken gloss. The other half is pure white,
the outline having a tendency to run into tooth-like projectionr;.
The colours of the lower wings are similar, but are arranged in
a different manner, the brown and white forming a series of
radiating teeth round the edge of the wings. In the female the
brown is much ligliter than in the male. This species is a
native of the Solomon Islands.

There are many species of Danais, their predominating colours
being rich brown, orange, white, and black. It is rather remark-
able that in all the species there is a tendency for the colours to
be arranged in streaks or dashes radiating from the thorax.

The genus Euploea is a very interesting one, containing many
species which are notable for their beauty, and one, at least,
which is remarkable for the use to which it is put.

Fio. 330. — Euploea imitata.
(Brown niii1 whirc. )

The species which is here given is a native of the Solomon
Islands. Above, the upper wings are brown at the base, bo-
coming white at the tip, the outline being waved as shown in

OOa INSECTS ABROAD.

the illustration. The lower wings are smoky grey-brown. Below,
tlie colour is very much paler, and there are three white spots
on the upper wings and five on the lower.

One Australian species, Euploea liamata, is remarkable for
being used as food by the natives, who know the insect by the
name of Bugong. In certain seasons the Bugongs arrive in vast
swarms, just as do locusts in many parts of the world. They

./

■* -.

(/ii"^

Fio. 331.— Euploea Loreiiza.
(Brnwn and white.)

settle upon the rocks, and the natives then light fires so as to
smother them with the smoke, when they are swept into baskets.
Large fires are then lighted on the rocky ground, and the "moths,"
as they are called, thrown on the heated ground and stirred about
until they are cooked and the wings and legs separated from the
bodies. They are then pounded into lumps and are fit to be
eaten. Mr. Bennett describes the flavour as resembling that of
a sweet nut.

The natives become exceedingly fat upon this curious diet,
though at first it always disagrees with them. Birds, as well as
men, feed upon the Bugong, and there is a species of crow called

THE BUGONG.

589

Arabul that is so fond of the Bugoiig as to dasli at it while the
natives are cooking it. For this audacity, however, the bird
mostly pays with its life, a club being flung at it with the
unerring aim of the savage. The popular name of " moth " is
probably given to this insect because the body is very stoiit.
The colour of the Bugong in Ijrown, with two round black
spots on the upper wings.

The Lorenzo (given on opposite page) is a native of the Solomon
Islands, and appears to be scarce, as there is only one specimen in
the British Museum. The colour is brown, with two little white
patches on the upper wings, and an interrupted band of white
on the lower wings. Botli sides are coloured alike.

Although the Euploeas are mostly clad in sober colours, some
of them are really handsome insects. There is, for example,
E2i2)l(xa Diocldia, of the Philippines, a really beautiful Butterfly,
its wings glowing with changing purple, just like those of our
Purple Emperor. Another rather striking insect is Eupkca
Palla, of Aru, which is quite black except a single row of round
white spots upon the edges of the wings.

Here is the insect to which reference was made in the descrip-
tion of DismoT]}hia orise, page 573. The resemblance between

3132.— Tliyriclia [or Methona]
(iilack aud pale yellow.)

590

INSECTS ABROAD

them can easily be seen Ijy reference to the illustration on
that pa,ge.

This insect is a native of Guiana. The long, narrow wings
are black, and upon each wing are two large patches of pale
greyish yellow, these portions being partially translucent. The
generic name of Thyridia, or "little window," is given to the
insect on account of these window-like patches on the black
wings. The body is dark brown, with the exception of some
round white spots.

There are several species of Thyridia, all coloured very much
alike. One of the most remarkable is Thyridia jEdesia, in
which the translucent parts of the wings are ruddy chestnut
instead of pale yellow. The larva of this species is smooth.

Of the group called Satyrinse a single example will suffice.
The insect which is called Callitcera Aurora is a very remark-
able one. In the last-mentioned Butterfly there are large trans-

t'lo. 333. — Callity;r:i Aurun
(Translucent.)

lucent patches on the wings, l)ut in this the whole of the wing
is translucent. It is a native of Peru.

As may be seen by a glance at the illustration, the wings are
so translucent that objects can be seen through them quite

THE DUUSILLAS.

)91

clearly. They have quite a glassy appearance, with the slightest
possible haziness about them. The only markings are a couple
of eye-like spots, one near the tip of each hind wing. The outei-
ring of the eye is greyish black, then comes a ring of white.
Inside the white is an oval patch of black, and in the centre of
the black is a tiny spot of white. The wings are edged with a
very narrow band of brown.

There are many species of Callittera, all much resembling
each other, and all natives of tropical America. Some of them
have the wings covered with most delicate pencillings and
mottlings of light brown, and all of them have the eye-like
spot on the lower wings.

Another group of Butterflies, the Morphin*, will be repre-
sented by one example, Brusilla mylcecha. This insect is a
native of Louisiade, one of the Solomon group.

1<1G. 334.— Drusilla iiiylniL-liii.
(White above ; four large eyea below )

The colouring of the Butterfly is very remarkable. The upper
surface is perfectly white, except a narrow black edoino- to the

592 INSECTS ABROAD.

upper wing. The under sm'face is also white, but the upper
edge of each wing has a black band, which is widest at the base
and narrowest at the tip. The remarkable point in this insect
is the marking of the lower wings. These are white, but upon
them are two large circular eye-like spots. The outer ring of
these spots is blackish brown, and within it is a broad ring of
yellow. Then comes a large circular patch of black, and in its
centre is a little round spot of white. These rings are so exactly
circular that they look just like miniature targets. The wings
are rather translucent, so that when viewed from the upper sur-
face the eyes can be seen through them.

The specific name of mylmcha, or, as it ought to be spelled,
mylceca, is a very curious one to be given to this Butterfly. It
is a name compounded by Pliny from two Greek words signifying
anything which inhabits a mill. Pliny used it to indicate some
little worm which was found in mills, but its connection with a
Butterfly from Louisiade seems rather obscure.

In the British Museum there are many species of Drusilla,
and in all of them the eyes of the lower wings are very con-
spicuous. One of them, Drusilla hioculata, of New Guinea, has
the spots brought so closely together that they look like a figure
of 8. The second ring is blue instead of yellow. The Drusilla
Fhorcas, a native of the New Hebrides, has its wings dark brown,
with the exception of a large patch of white on both pairs. The
lower wings have each a single circular eye of yellow, with a
black middle, and the usual little white dot in the centre of
the black.

The great and important group of the Nymphalinse com-
mences with the most wondrously magnificent members of the
insect race. In mere point of colovir perhaps there may be
many which rival, even if they do not excel, the Morphos, but
then they are so small that their beauties cannot be seen — and,
indeed, scarcely suspected — without the aid of the microscope.
But the Morpho Butterflies not only are gifted with colours of
absolutely dazzling brilliancy, but are among the largest of the
insect race. They are all inhabitants of tropical America. Two
examples will be here given, the one to illustrate the upper and
the other the under surface of the wings.

Our first example of these wonderful Butterflies is Morpho

ANGIXG COLOURS.

593

Cypris, an insect wliicli was brought from the emerald niinfcs
of Muso, in North Granada, aiid which seems to partake with
the gems the full glory of colour. It is scarcely possible to
conceive of a living creature that can surpass this insect in abso-
lute magnificence of colour. The upper surface is radiant azure,
as if composed of a sheet of thin mother-of-pearl.

When the light falls in the right direction, the colour is so
intense that the eye can scarcely endure its radiance. Yet, with
a cross light, the dazzling azure becomes dull Vdue, and if the

/

Fig. S35.— Morpho Cypris
(Azure and yellow.)

light be directed from the tip to the base of the wing, the surface
becomes brown. Thus, while holding the insect and turning it
in different lights, it often happens that either the entire surface
is dull blue, or that one wing is glowing azure, while the other
is dark brown. The cause of this change of colour is shown by
the microscope. The scales are nearly square, and, as they
overlap one anotlier, they are slightly curved in the middle.
(J Q

594

INSECTS ABROAD.

It will be seen, therefore, that this curve causes a shadow to be
thrown on one side of the scales, while the full light is admitted
on the other. It is ratlier remarkable that if the insect be held
up to the light all colour goes out of it, and it becomes of a plain
greyish brown colour.

The upper surface is not wholly blue, but is relieved by an
interrupted bar of yellow across the centre of both wings, and
a number of spots of the same colour, that run nearly parallel to
the outer edges. Below, it is pale brown and white, with three
large eye-like spots on the upper wings and five on the lower,
the two nearest tlie anal angle being united.

Another of these splendid insects, called Morpho Pcleides, is
a native of Bogottl. In the illustration the under surface of the

Fig. 3::i!.-Mur|ilio Pcleides.
{Opalinr l.luc)

male insect is shown, so as to display its peculiar and lioautiful
markings. The uppei' surface of this l^.ultorfly is rich, shining,

PLATE XIV.

THE OWL BUTTERFLY. 595

opaline blue, with a decided dash of green in some lights. The
wings are edged with a broad band of black, in which is a ro\\'
of little white spots. The female is coloured in a somewhat
similar fashion, but the blue is less brilliant, and the black
belt is replaced by a very broad brown band. In this band
are a number of spots, white on the upper wings and red on
the lower.

Below, its colouring is equally bold, and so intricate that a
minute description would be quite out of place. Described
generally, the ground colour is chocolate-brown, and upon the
upper wing there are three bold eyes, situated in an irregular
belt of grey. The outer ring of these eyes is black, followed by
a ring of yellow. Then comes a circular patch of black, and in
its centre is a purple spot. A band of pale red runs parallel to
the edge of both pairs of wings. The lower wings are likewise
chocolate-brown, and have upon them four large circular rings
of grey, each ring having a very narrow black line running
through it.

The magnificent insect which is drawn on Plate XIV. is a
native of South America. Two views of it are given in order to
show the difference between the upper and under surfaces. The
former appears at first sight to be plain chocolate-brown, but in
certain liglits it is seen to be glossed with blue and olive-green.
The latter is dun, mottled near the base of the lower wings
with white. The lower wings are also dun, covered with
profuse mottlings and scribblings of dark brown. In the centre
is a single large oval eye-like spot. At the upper end is a
semi-lunar line of black, followed by an oval ring of ruddy
chestnut. Inside this is another ring of yellow, and the centre
is filled with a large oval spot of black, crossed with a few
white spots.

When the wings are expanded, the insect bears a startling
resemblance to the face of an owl ; the oval marks representing
the eyes, the body of the butterfly the beak, and the open wings
resembling in outline the two great feather-discs that surround
the eyes. On account of this peculiarity it is popularly called
the Owl Butterfly. I would have had it drawn so as to show
the resemblance, but the insect is so large that there would not
have been sufficient space on the page.
Q Q 2

590

INSECTS ABROAD.

All the species belonging to tlie genus Helicouius are of u
very peculiar shape. Their wings are long and narrow, so that
when they are spread the insect is very much wider than it is
long. There is a peculiarity in the colouring as well as in the
shape of the wings, the clothing of scales being so slight and
thin as to make them partially translncent. There are many
species of Heliconius, and they are all inhabitants of tropical
America and the West India islands.

V-As N^

Firj. 337. — Helicouius Hermathena.
(Black,-} ellow, and orange.)

Two species will be given as representatives of the genus ;
the first of which inhabits Brazil, and is called Helicon ivs
llermaihena. The ground colour of the wings is deep black-
brown, and near the middle of the upper pair runs a broad belt
of bright orange with a dash of brown in it. A long narrow
streak of bright yellow runs nearly parallel with the inner edge
of the wing, its width being greatest in the middle, and diminish
ing almost to a point at either end. The lower wings are of
the same blackish brown as the upper pair, and upon each of
tliem there is a yellow streak running diagonally from near the

INSECT IMITATK'X. Oii /

base to the tip, together with two rows of spots near tlie edge,
the outer row nearly circular, and the inner luther oblong.

The second species, Hdiconius Hecalesia, is a native of Bogota,,
and is one of the many rare insects that Mr. Ba.tes brought
from South America. There is only one specimen in the
British Museum. Its ground colour is velvet black, and near
the outer edge of both pairs of wings are some large spots of

Fig. :i:iti.— IIcliL-ouius il.-
(Velvet blaek and greeni

greenish yellow. At the base of the lower wings is a large patch
of bright chestnut. Below, the colours are the same, but rather
duller than on the upper surface.

This insect almost exactly imitates another Butterfly of the
same distric^.t, called Tithorea Hecalesina. The two insects fly
together in company — perhaps for the purpose of protection.
Mimicry is very common among the species of this large genus,
and, as is remarked by Dr. Horsfield, the South American genus
Heliconius is represented in Asia by the genera Euploea and
Idea. The larvse of Heliconius fpfd on the Pnssiflorae.

CHAPTEE II.

BUTTERFLIES {concluded).

The large genus Junonia is here represented by Junonia
crehrene, an African species. On the upper surface the ground
colour of the wings is black. On the upper pair is a broad

*" 1:11

yiG. 339.— Junonia crehrene.
(Bhick, chestnut, and yellow.)

wavin;^ band of yellow, deepening gradually into chestnut.
There is a yellow spot near the tip of the wing, and close to the
edge is a narrow line of chestnut. The lower wings are more
gaily coloured than the upper. They are black near the base,
but ha^■e at the tips a patch of yellow deepening into dun. This

THE KALLIMAS.

599

patch is so large that it occupies almost one-third of tlie wing.
In the British Museum there is a specimen from Plettenberg
Bay, which has t a o dark spots on the yellow patch. Near the
base of the wing is an oval patch of blue, which in some speci-
mens takes a purple cast. Beneath, the colour of the insect
very closely resembles that of our Meadow Brown Butterfly, and
there is a large eye-like spot on the upper wings.

This genus has a very wide range of residence. There is,
for example, one species, Junonia Orithyia, which is found in
Northern Australia, the Celebes, China, Japan, Northern India,
West of the Nile, and East Africa. This insect has a greenish
tinge, glossed with blue on the lower wings. On the lower pair
there are two lai^ge eyes, and on the upper, one large and one
small eye.

The two very remarkable insects which are here shown are
so well described by Mv. Wallace, in his " Malay Archipelago,"

'h,^"

Fig. 340.— Kalliina Inachis.
(Brown, black, and orange.

that I cannot do better than transfer his description to these
pages. There are many species of Kallima, most of which are

GOO

INSECTS ABUOAD.

remarkable for the manner in wliicli the cohDuring, as well a.«?
the shape of the closed wmgs, resembles that of a leaf. The
upper surface of the Kallima Inachis is mostly brown, the tips
of the upper wings being black, and orange-dun bands running
diagonally across them.

The following extract is taken from Mr. Wallace's work : —
" This species was not uncommon in dry woods and thickets,
a,nd I often endeavoured to capture it without success, for after

1

^^

Flo. vU.— Kallima p:

The leffc-liaud figure represents the under
t rest. (Brown, Ijlaek, and orange.)

>f thfbuttcrn>

Hying a short distance it would enter a bush among dry or dead
leaves, and however carefully I crept up to the spot, I could
never discover it till it would suddenly start out again, and then
disappear in a similar place. At length I was fortunate enough
to see the exact spot where the butterfly settled, and though I lost
sight of it for some time, I at length discovered that it was close
before my eyes, but that in its position of repose it so closely

A SINGULAl! 1!E8KMBLANCE. 601

resembled a dead leaf attached to a twig, as almost certain to
deceive the eye, even when gazing full ujion it. I captured
several specimens on the wing, and was able fully to understand
the way in which this wonderful resemblance is produced.

" The ends of the upper wings terminate in a fine point, just
as the leaves of many tropical shrubs and trees are pointed,
while the lower wings are somewhat more obtuse, and are
lengthened out into a short thick tail. Between these two
points there runs a dark curved line, exactly representing the
midrib of a leaf, and from this radiate on each side a few oblique
marks, which well imitate the lateral veins. These marks are
more clearly seen on the outer portion of the base of the
wings and on the inner side towards the middle and apex, and
they are produced by stride and markings which are very com-
mon in allied species, but which are here modified and strength-
ened so as to ianitate more exactly the venation of a leaf.

" The tint of the under surface varies much, but it is always
some brown or ashy colour, which matches with those of dead
leaves. The habit of the species is always to rest on a dead
twig and among dead or dried leaves, and in this position, with
the wings closely pressed together, their outline is exactly that
of a moderately sized leaf, slightly curved or shrivelled. The
tail of the hind wing forms a perfect stalk, and touches the
stick while the insect is supported by the middle pair of legs,
which are not noticed among the twigs and fibres that surround it.
The head and antennae are drawn back between the wings, so as
to l)e quite concealed, and there is a little notch hollowed out at
the very base of the wings, which allows the head to be retracted
sufficiently. All these varied details combine to produce a
disguise that is so complete and marvellous as to astonish every-
one who observes it ; and the habits of the insects are such as to
utilize all these peculiarities, and render them available in such
a manner as to remove all doubt of the purpose of this singular
case of mimicry, which is undoubtedly a protection to the
insect. Its strong swift flight is sufficient to save it from its
enemies when on the wing, but if it were equall}^ conspicuous
when at rest, it could not long escape extinction, owing to the
attacks of the insectivorous birds and reptiles that abound in
the tropical forests. A very closely allied species, Kallima
liiKchis, inhabits Lrdia, where it is very common, and specimens

602 INSECTS ABROAD.

are sent iu every collection from the Himalayas. On examining
a number of these, it will be seen that no two are alike, but are
the variations corresponding to those of dead leaves. Every tint
of yellow, ash, brown, and red is found here, and in many
specimens there occur patches and spots formed of small black
dots, so closely resembling the way in which minute fungi grow
on leaves, that it is almost impossible at first not to believe
that fungi have grown on the butterflies themselves !

" If such an extraordinary adaptation as this stood alone, it
would be very difficult to offer any explanation of it ; but
although it is perhaps the most perfect case of protective
imitation known, there are hundreds of similar resemblances in
nature, and from these it is possible to deduce a general theory
of tlie manner in which they have been slowly brought about."

The genus E'ubagis is South American, and contains a great
number of species. Tlie present example is a native of St.

Paulo, and is one of the many
that were taken by Mr. Bates.
There is at present only one spe-
cimen in the British Museum,
Above, the upper wings are
black, with a definite gloss
of blue in a side light, and
variegated with white spots,
disposed as shown in the illus-
tration, The lower wings are
glossed with blue, and have
three black stripes, one run-
ning along the outer edge, and

Fin. 342.— Eubagis Sara. . ^ n i

(Black, hiue, and whit'3 ) two others nearly parallel to it.

On the under surface the upper

wings are brown, with some large white spots, and four dashes of

blue. The lower wings are much paler, and have two horizontal

strips of dark brown.

Of the other species we may notice two, both brought from
Ega by Mr. Bates. One is Euhagis Ines, the upper surface of
which is shining green, edged with black, and the under surface
white, mottled with brown. The second is Eubagis Mceon, which
is white, edged with black on the lower wings, and azure on the

THE CATAGEAMMAS.

603

upper pair. The azure only Leloiu
simply black and white.

to the male, the female being

TiiE genus Catagrannia is easily di.stinguished by the peculiarity
iVom which it derives its name, which is composed of two Greek
words, signifying something tliat is painted or written upon. It is
applied to these insects because the under surface of the lower
wings is always covered with a boldly delineated pattern of con-
trasting colours. All these Butterflies are natives of the New.
World. The painting of the lower wings is very much alike in

\\'v.^,fr^

Fig ;-i43. — (Jatagraimna exci Kn
(Above, Tilaok nn<\ oraiigo. )

most of the species, but the upper svirface varies very considerably,
especially in the upper wings. None of the Catagrammas are
large insects, those which are here given being of the average size.
There is only one specimen of Catagramma excelsior in the
British Museum. It is a native of the Amazons district.
Above, the upper wings are black, with a broad band of orange
reaching from the base nearly as far as the outer edge, and near
the tip is a slight dash of the same colour. The lower wings are

604

INSECTS ABROAD.

also black, but not so deep as the line of tlie up|)er [lair. Below,
the colour of the lower wings is very beautiful. The ground
colour is black. Near the outer edge is a long streak of yellow,
and then comes a broken line of blue. Next comes a large oval
yellow ring, and in the middle is a horizontal blue dash between
three spots of yellow.

The second species comes from Spirito Santo, in Brazil.
Above, the ground colour of both wings is black, with a gloss
of purple in a side light. Near the base is a tringualar patch of

scarlet, then a bar of the same colour runs across the middle of
the wings, and then comes a slight dash of the same hue near the
tip. The lower wings have a single broad and rather wavy bar
of the same scarlet, passing from the base almost to the outer
edge. Below, the first two-thirds of the upper wings are red,
with a bar of black. Tlie rest of the wing is black, with a blue
dash close to the tip, and a small yellow bar next to it. The
colouring of the lower wings is lil^c that of the previous species.

A RARE BUTTEKFLY,

(J 05

Generally, the colours of this genus are black and red of some
shade. In some, however, a vivid green is substituted for the
red. Catagramma Mionina, an insect from New Granada, has
an orange patch on the upper wings and a shining emerald patch
on the lower pair ; while one species in the British Museum, as
yet without a name, has the patch on the lower wings blue
instead of green.

The extremely rare insect Avliich is here figured is not in th<
British Museum. It was captured by ]\Ir. Bates, who named

Fk;. 345.— Ageronla Alicia. Upper side.
(Slaty gi-eeii uu.l l.lark )

it after his daughter. The following is his description of the
Butterfly and its habits: —

" Slaty green, silky. Fore wings, above, with many black or
dusky variously shaped spots, nearly all of which are margined
with a paler hue. Besides these dark spots, there are ten or
twelve pale brown spots, one or two between each of the longi-
tudinal nervures. Margins of the wings black.

" Hind wuigs with a row of black eyes running parallel with
the margin and edged with green — some of them have shity
green pupils.

606

INSECTS ABROAD.

" Beneath, the fore wing ochreous at base, the rest of the wing
dark brown, with tliree belts of white spots. Hind wing, clear
saffron yellow; outer margin black, with ochreous spots between.

" This fine and large species was met with only at S. Paulo,
Upper Amazons. It has the same habits as its congeners, but it

Pio. 346. — Agerouia Alicut. Uuilur surface.
(Slaty green ami black.)

is much swifter in flight. Although I saw several, I was able to
capture only one example." The expanse of wing is three inches
and three-quarters.

Another of the Butterflies brought by Mr. Bates from the
Amazons is here given. Its name is Timctes Egina. The figure
represents the male insect. This rare and curiously coloured
insect is marked as follows.

Above, both the wings are tawny brown, darkening into black-
brown towards the tip, and having several whitish grey spots on
the upper pair. Both wings have a number of narrow streaks
of dark black brown, looking as if i\\i\y had been drawn with a

A VARIABLE INSECT. 607

peu, the streaks being short on the upper and long on tlie lower
wings. Beneath, both wings are peaiiy white, with a dash of
pinky lilac, very much like the colour of a newly-caught smelt.
On the wings are drawn a number of pale brown streaks, one of
which is darker than the others and crosses both pairs of wings.
Tlie female resembles the male in most respects, but is paler, and
lias five spots on the upper wings.

It is found in the district of the Upper Amazons. The
expanse of the wings is not much more than two inches, so that
its length is much greater than its width.

1. 347.— Tiinetes Egii
(Brown and black.)

There are many species of this genus, and the British Museum
possesses a fine series of them. One, Timetes Crethron, is brown,
covered with bold white stripes. Another, Timetes Corinna, has
the upper wings black, with an orange bar, and the lower wings
V)lue, edged with black and orange. The name Timetes is taken
from a Greek word signifying " honourable," and is given to the
insects on account of tlieir remarkable form.

The extremely variable insect which is c&lled Diadema Bolina
has a very large range of residence. The specimen which is
figured in the ilhistration was brought from the South Seas by

608

IK SECTS ABliOAD.

Mr. Brencliley, and is remarkable for the exceeding jjaleness of
its colouring.

Generally, the upper wings are velvet brown-black, Avith a
small patch of blue on the upper wings and a large patch on the
lower pair. In some specimens, however, the upper patch is
white, or has a white centre. It is rather curious that whatever
may be the variations in the colouring of the upper surface, that

Fio, 348.— Diadema Boliiia.
(Brown and black.)

of the under surface is always the same. The general colour is
brown, with a white bar on the upper wings, and several dark
brown spots with white centres. The lower wings have a white
bar and a row of white spots running parallel to the outer
margin.

The large genus Adolias is represented by two species, and
the distinction which exists between the sexes is shown by a
figure of the female as well as of the male.

The first species, Adolias Kesava, is a native of Northern
India, the specimens which are here figured having been taken

PAINTING BUTTERFLIES.

009

at Silliet. The male is olive-browu above, with indistinct broad
stripes of very dark brown on the upper wings, and a narrow
stripe of the same hue on the lower pair. Below, it is dun, witli
two light brown bars, and the surface is covered with narrow
black streaks, looking as if they were scribbled at random with
a pen.

The female is considerably larger than the male, and is very
different in colour. The upper surface is chocolate-brown, with
some dark marks and rings, and a broad, wavy, pale grey-brown

i.is Kesava. Male.
. brown.)

bar across the upper pair. Below, it is pale, mottled with a
darker brown.

There is a specimen in the British Museum which at first
looks like a variety, on account of a large dark brown patch at
the base of the wings. This patch, however, is nothing more
than some glue which has been employed for the purpose of
fastening the wings to the body, and has been used with too
liberal a hand.

Very great changes in the appearance of an insect may thus
be made. The reader may remember that in the course of

R R

610

INSECTS ABROAD.

this work the tricks of dealers have several times been lueii-
tioiied, and it is as well to know that artificial colouring is one
of them. The dealers treat the insects very much as foolish
ladies treat their hair when they wish to change its colour.
They first begin by discharging the original hue, and when the
wings are dry, paint them with any coloured dye that they may
think suitable. The insect is carefuily dried in a strong current
of air, so that the delicate hairs of the body may not adhere
together so as to betrny tlie deception.

Mr. A. H. Butler, of the British Museum, has quite a collec-
tion of such Butterflies. They were dyed by himself, just to
show the amount of imposition which can be practised by skilful
and unscrupulous dealers. These, it must be understood, are
never the owners of the naturalists' shops, who are always
thoroughly honourable and trustworthy. But there are itine-
rant dealers, who are as great in insect forgeries as "Flint Jack"
was in antiquities, and who go about with their insect boxes
from one collector to anotlicr all over the counlrv.

THE GENUS ADOLIAS.

Gil

Another species of this genus, Adolias Sahadeva, is here given.
As its name imports, it is a native of India, the specimen which
is here figured coming from Nepaul. The colour of the upper
suvfcice is deep brown, with a distinct wash of olive, and mottled
with black. A number of pale dun spots are so arranged as to
form a single interrupted bar crossing both wings, and two short
bars on the upper pair, near the upper margin. These are edged
with black. The under surface is pale green, covered with black
scribbliiiLTS and dun mottlinus.

Fin. :',51. — Adolias Saluaclc\ti
(Brown, black, awl dun.)

This is a very large genus, and some of them deserve a brief
description. Adolias Anosia is. brown, but is curiously blotched
with yellowish grey, so that it has a sort of unwholesome look
about it, as if covered with lichen. Adolias Phcmius is brown,
with a pale blue bar at the tip of the lower wings. In Adolias
Ramada the male is dark blackish brown, with its lower wings
edged with pale blue. The female is very differently coloured,
being very pale brown mottled with white.. Adolias Durga is
deep olive-brown, with a bold white bar across the wings, just
K R 2

G12 INSECTS ABROAD.

like that of our " White Admirah" The lower wings are washed
with blue. Lastly, Adolias Eviona is also olive-brown, but has
the bar yellow instead of white.

The insect which is here given was formerly placed in tlie
preceding genus, but has now been transferred to the genus
Tanoecia. It is an Indian insect.

The colouring of this species is very simple. The ground hue
of the wings is brown, and both pairs have a broad white band
running parallel to the outer edge, and only broken by the dark
nervures. On the outer side this band is edged by a jagged line

of black. A small patch of white is on the upper wings, as is
a patch of black near the tip, and there are a few black marks
and scribblings on both pairs. The insect is similarly coloured
both on the upper and under surfaces, except that the latter is
rather paler than the former.

The genus Tanoecia has a tolerably wide range, and in the
P)ritish Museum there are specimens from India, Sumatra,
Sarawak, and Singapore. Among them may be noticed Tanm:ia
Vikrama, a Sumatran species. This is pale brown, covered with
black arch-like marks and a multitude of black dashes. Then,
there is Tanoecia calliphorms, of Luzon. This is a very conspi-
cuous insect, being dark brown, with a green stripe crossing the

TIIK EMrEIiORS.

613

wings diagonally, almost exactly like that of Pajnlio Smycdon,
which has already been described and figured.

The genus to which belongs the magnificent insect which is
here given is familiar to English entomologists on account of
the only British species, the well-known " Purple Emperor,"
Apatura Iris. The whole genus is a very splendid one, and is
remarkable for the prevalence of rich blue in the males, the
females being comparatively plain, and having no hues more
brilliant than brown and chestnut.

Fig 353 — Apxtui i
(Azure, imiple, che<!tmit, ami black

Of all the Apaturas this is undoubtedly the most gorgeous.
In the male insect the upper surface of the wings is dazzling
azure, changing to purple in some lights, and having a decided
gloss of green in others. A broad band of warm chestnut runs
through the centre of both wings, so as to form a continuous
band when they are spread, and the wings are edged with a
double row of semilunar black marks. The upper wings are
edged with black, and have besides three short black bars on
the upper margin.

G14

INSECTS ABROAD.

Below, like our own species, it is comparatively plain, being
simply buff, with profuse mottlings and blotches of brown and
dun. The female is plain, and very much resembles that of our
own species.

This is not only the most magnificent, but one of the very
rarest of the Apaturas. There are only two specimens in the
British Museum, fortunately one of either sex, and for more
than twenty years no specimen has been added to the collec-
tion. So unrivalled is it in its beauty, that as soon as the
drawer is opened its dazzling hues flash on the eye in spite of
its splendid congeners around. It is a native of Peru.

The accompanying illustration represents another of these
splendid insects, called Apaiura Laura, It is a native of
Nicaragua,

\ r

Fig. 354. -Apatura Lama.
(Purple-brown and dim.)

Although not so fiercely brilliant as the preceding insect, it
is a most beautiful creature. At the base of the upper wings it
is brown, edged with a streak of black. Then comes a rather
broad band of dun, tending to yellow on the lower wings, and
the outer edge of both wings is rich blue or purple, according to
the light in which the insect is viewed. The base of the lower

VAia.VTION OF COLOUR.

01-

wings is also blue. Below, it almost exactly resembles Apatura
Lavinia, except that there is a shining silvery gloss over both
wings, and, like that insect, the female is quite plain, without
one particle of the brilliant colours that adorn her mate.

There are many species belonging to this genus, all of which
are tolerably alike. There are two, however, which are worthy
of a brief notice. Apatura Agathina is remarkable on account of
the bold difference of the sexes as regards colour. The male is
very deep purple, while the female is white, speckled with black.
Indeed, were it not for the under surface of the wings, no one
would think that they could be only the two sexes of the same
insect. A curious variation in colour is found in Apatura
Cherubina, a native of Bogota. In almost all the Apaturas the
wings of the male are either blue or purple, but in this insect
they are shining green.

The beautiful insect which is here figured is a native of
Columbia.

Tlie greater part of both wings is the very deejiest pur])le, so
deep, indeed, that except when viewed with a stron^^ lifi-ht it
appears to l>e velvety black. Across both wings runs a bar of

616

INSECTS ABUOAD.

green, narrowest on tlie ripper wings, and becoming so wide on
the lower pair as to occupy one-half of the surface. In a side
light the green takes a blue gloss, and the purple base and
edging are much deeper on the lower than on the upper wings.
Beneath, it is prettily though not brilliantly coloui-ed. The
gi'ound colour is the palest pearly grey, pencilled profusely
with black, and on tlie lower wings are two brown eye-like
marks.

The genus is a tolerably large one, and all the species are
much alike.

Fio. 35R.— Agrias Sanlanapalus.
(Crimson, blue, and black.)

In Ayrias Sanlanapalus we have an insect whose gorgeous
splendour quite suits the Assyrian monarch whose name it
bears. Lacking the dazzling azure and purple of the Apaturas,
it is really startling in its bold contrasts of colour. The upper
wings are rich crimson from the base to more than half of their

THE SIIAVING-BKUSH BUTTEIiFLY. G17

surface. Then conies a velvet-black bar extending completely
across the wing, and being wider on the upper than on the outer
edge. Next is a bar of dark blue, edged with black ; and the rest
of the wing is brown, except a black edging. The lower wings
are brown-black at the base and on the margin, while the centre
is occupied with a large patch of bright blue. Beneath, the
upper wings are crimson, black, blue, and brown, but not so
bright as on the upper surface. The lower wings are mottled
very much like the skin of the jaguar, the spots being olive-
black with bluish centres.

This species is a native of the Amaz(jns district, and is very
rare.

There are several curious insects belonging to this genus, one
of wliich is Agrias Phakidon, which has the base of the wings
very deep blue, followed by a broad band of olive and then by
black. This insect is remarkable fol' a pair of brush-like tufts
of yellow hair that project from the base of the lower wings.
Concerning these tufts there is a small story.

It sometimes, though not often, happens that visitors to the
insect room at the British Museum are utterly ignorant of ento-
mology, and in consequence are very troublesome to the officers.
Of course only the most showy insects are selected for exhi-
bition to such persons, who are politely got out of the room as
soon as possible. Once, however, two young ladies overpassed
the well-tried patience of the officer who was showing the
insects, their chief idea of butterflies being the effect which
they would produce if worn as ornaments. At last, when the
Agrias drawer was opened, their guide gravely pointed out this
species, and told them that it was called the Shaving-brush
Butterfly, because it used these brushes every morning in
shaving itself. Furthermore, he said that it was a swift insect
and difficult to catch, but that it could always be taken by
putting out over-night a basin of soap-suds, which attracted the
butterflies and enabled the collector to catch as many as he
wanted. And they believed him.

There is only a single specimen of Agrias Sardanapahis in
the British Museum.

Mr. Bates has the following remarks on the genus : — " Agrias,
I think, is the most magnificent group of the NymphalidiDe in
South America. They ai'e very bold, strong, rapid fliers, not at

G18 INSECTS ABROAD.

all like the Catagramnias. They fly for a short distance with
inconceivable rapidity, and then settle on a leaf high up in a
tree ; on the trunk of a tree where sugary sap is oozing, or on
filth of some kind on the ground, with their wings erect, and
are not very easily scared away."

On Plate XIII. Fig. 2 is shown an insect called Charcuxs
Eudamippus, a native of Silhet and Assam. In this genus each
of the hind wings has two projections, and one species, Charaxes
Jasius, which inhabits the warmer part of Europe, is popularly
called the " Pasha of two tails."

Above, the colour of this species is yellow and black, the tails
of the hind wings being olive-green. Beneath, it is pale, nearly
white, with the exception of a black streak, looking just like a
twig with a forked end, and a pale brown band which crosses
both pairs of wings. The wings are edged with the same
colour.

There are many species of this genus, and in all the colours
of yellow, brown, and black predominate. One of the most
striking is Charaxes NiteUs, of the Celebes, in which the base of
the wings is dark yellow-green and the rest black.

The caterpillar of Charaxes Jasius is a very curious creature,
having its head armed witli four yellow horns tipped with
red. It is a nocturnal feeder, remaining by day quite motion-
less among the leaves of its food-plant, which it so closely
resembles in colour that it can scarcely be detected. There
are two broods in the year, one in June and the other in
September.

The rarest of these insects is Charaxes Kadcnii, popularly
known as the " Calliper Butterfly," because the tails of the lower
wings are curved towards each other like the legs of a pair of
callipers. A .short account of the capture of this insect is given
by Mr. Wallace in his " Malay Archipelago " : —

" One day, a boy brought me a butterfly between his fingers
perfectly unhurt. He had caught it as it was sitting wit'i
wings erect, sucking up the liquid from a muddy spot by the
roadside. JNTany of the finest tropical butterflies have this
habit, and they are generally so intent upon their meal that

HABITS OF THE CHAUAXES.

619

tliey can be easily approacbed and captured. It proved to be
tlie"^ rare and curious Charaxes Kadenii, remarkable for having
on each wing two curved tails like a pair of callipers. It was
the only specimen I ever saw, and it is still the only repre-
sentative of its kind in English collections."

The colour of this species is creamy white above, adorned
with sundry streaks and spots, arranged as seen in the illustra-
tion. The under surface is similarly mai'ked, but the ground-
colonr is silvovv wldle instead of cream white.

(Y(lln\ \\lit. mdbiciwii )

The late CJenei'al Sir J. Hearsey, who was a good practical
entomologist, states that he usually todk tlie Indian species,
Charaxes Falms, on wounded apple-trees, the insect feeding
eagerly on the sap as it exuded Irom the tree. They are all
strona'-wiiiced, and swift of fliuht.

The genus I'aphia bcluiigs to South America, and the present
species was taken by Mr. Bates in the Amazons district. There
is only a single specimen in the British Museum.

Above, the colour of this insect is simply Prussian green,
glossy, but not vivid. Beneatli.it is very prettily marked, being

620

INSECTS ABROAD.

rather pale brown, with multitudinous pencilliugs of black.
On the hind wings there are two whitish spots near the base,
and four bright green spots near the tip.

One of the most strilving examples of this genus is Paphia
Nessus, from New Grenada. This insect has the lower wings

Fig. 80S.— Piiphin Glance.
(Shining green.)

dark brown, and on the upper pair there are two large patches
of red edsred with blue. AH the rest of the wing is black.

The splendid insect called Siderone Thehias is a native of
Eogota. The upper wings are dark crimson at the base, and a
black bar with slightly waved sides runs across the centre of the
wing. Then comes a bar of crimson extending nearly across
the wing, and the remainder is black. The lower wings are
black, tending to brown at the tips, and a bar of crimson passes
about half across the wing. Beneath, it is of a dead-leaf brown,
much blotched with dark brown, especially at the base of the
wings.

Another species, Siderone Isidora, of South America, has its
wings of a dead-leaf yellow, becoming brown at the tips.
Siderone Archidona, of Mexico, has its upper wings rather long

THE ERYCINID.E.

621

and boldly hooked at the tip. Above, their colour is pale
brown, with some patches that shine as if they were burnished
silver.

FlO. 359 — Sideione Thebiy
(Ciiiubou and black.)

AVE now come to another group of Butterflies, called the
Erycinidte. In these insects the two front legs of the male are
rudimental, while those of the female are fully developed.
Some of these species are singularly beautiful in colouring as
M'ell as in form, and many of them have the hind wings pro-
longed into small tails. They are quick of flight, and have a
habit of resting on the under surface of leaves with their wings
extended. Both tlie larva and pupa are very short.

The insect which is given as the first example of the
Erycinidifi is a native of Bogota, and is very rare, only one
specimen being in the British Museum.

The upper surface is deep velvet-black, with an interrupted
band of shining blue across the middle, followed by another of
rich crimson near the base. Both bands are narrow at the

622 INSECTS ABROAD

top and widen by degrees, and they are so formed that when
the wings are extended they form two continuous bands across
both pairs of wings. Beneath, it is quite as handsome as above.
The upper wings liave an azure glossy surface, traversed by

Fig. :u;i). — Nix-yi-a inaiieo.
(Black, blue, and crimson )

bkick nervures, and having a single crimson patch at the inuei'
edge. The lower wings have a single broad crimson stripe.

The specimen whicli is shown in the illustration was captured
in 1871.

Three examples of the typical genus Erycina. will now be
given.

The first is called Erycina ocollo, and is a native of New
Grenada. It is very nearly two inches in expanse of wing.

It is a very beautiful species, and, though distinct from any
other, given to variation. The specimen from which the illus-
tration was drawn is coloured as folloM^s. The head, antennte,
and body are black, and the upper wings are black, with a single
broad bar of bright orange passing diagonally across them. The
hind wings are very much lengthened at the tips, so as to form
two tails, which diverge boldly from each other. Like the
upper pair they are black, but are more variegated as regards
colour. On the centre of the wing is a yellow band, and a

THE CALPHUltNIA EUTTEBFLY.

tV2:3

broad patch of bright blue crossed with black nervures occupies
the surface of the wing between the white spf)ts on the outer
margin and the yellow band.

(BlMk, jlIIow, ni d

The insect on tlie left of the illustrati(jn, on page 624, is a
very rare species, called Erycina Atahualpa. It was brought
from New Grenada, and the specimen is now in Mr. Hewitson's
collection. The upper wings are much pointed. Their colour is
black, and across them runs diagonally a single narrow streak of
crimson. Parallel with the outer edge is a row of blue spots.
The lower wings are lengthened at the tips into a short and
rather rounded tail, the two diverging from each other. Their
ground colour is black, and across them runs a band of crimson
which joins that of the upper pair when the wings are spread.
Parallel with and close to the outer edge is a band of dark blue,
and just within it is a similar band of paler blue. There is a
row of little white spots on the edge of the wing.

The second species is a native of the Amazons distiict, and
is called Erycina Calphurnia. The illustration represents the
male. The upper wings are brown, with a white band drawn
across the centre, and a blue band on the lower half of the outer
edge. Tlie lower wings are elongated so as to form two diverg-
ing tails, and are beautifully and elaborately coloured. A wjiito

624

INSECTS ABROAD.

band passes over the middle like that of the upper wings, but
as it descends it changes gradually to blue, and maintains that
colour to the end of the tail. The outer edge of the wing is

Erycma Atahualpa.
(Black, crimson, and blue.)

Erycina Cali>liurnia.
■n, blue, orinisoii, and wliitc.)

also blue. From the base of the wing a broad crimson band
runs parallel to the white band, and the inner edge is brown.
The head, thorax, and abdomen are brown.

For our knowledge of the beautiful genus Zeonia we are
almost wholly indebted to the researches of Mr. Bates. The
following remarks on the genus are from a letter from Mr. Bates
to Adam White, dated Ega, May 2, 1857, published in Trans.
Ent. Soc. vol. v.: —

" The beautiful Zeonia, of which I sent you a large series last
July, I met with in a part of the forest near Ega, which T had
traversed and examined before, many times, in all seasons. The

FLIGHT OF THE ZEONIAS. 625

first specimen I found was a straggler in a different part of the
forest. On July the 21st, after a month of unusually dry and
hot weather, in ascending a slope in the forest by a broad path-
way mounting from a moist hollow, choked up with monstrous
arums and other marsh plants, I was delighted to see another of
what had always been so exceedingly rare a group of butterflies ;
it crossed the path in a series of rapid jerks, and settled on a
leaf close before me. Before I had secured it T saw another, and
then shortly after a third. I mounted to the summit of the
slope, followed a branch pathway which led along the brow of
the ridge, without seeiug any more, but returned again to ex-
amine well the exact spot where I had captured the three, for
it very often happens that a species is confined to a few square
yards of space in the vast forest, which to our perceptions offers
no difference throughout its millions of acres to account for the
preference. I entered the thicket from the pathway, and a few
yards therein found a small sunny opening, where many of the
Zeonia were flitting about from one leaf to another, meeting one
another, gambolling, and fighting ; their blue transpai-ent tinge,
brilliant crimson patch, and long tails, all very visible in the
momentary intervals between the jerks in their flight. I was
very busy, you may imagine, at first in securing a supply of
specimens ; I caught perhaps 150, two-thirds of which fell to
pieces in the bottom of the net, so fragile is their texture. I
then paused to look around the locality, and endeavoured to
find the larvae and pnpre.

" I walked through the thicket in all directions, and found
the space peopled by the species was not more than from twenty
to thirty square yards in extent : so far as the eye could reach, the
leaves were peopled with them ; it is possible the brood be-
longed to some one tree. The only two pupes I could find, it is
true, were on two distinct kinds of trees, but this is no proof
that the larvas may not have fed on one tree only. I was dis-
appointed at not finding the larvae, althougli I searched well
during this and the three following days. On the second dav
the butterflies were still coming out; on the third they were
much fewer, and nearly all worn ; and on the fourth day 1 did
not see a single perfect specimen, and not a dozen altogether.
During all the time I worked in the neighbourhood of the city
of Para I found but one specimen of a Zeonia. This was in
1848. The next time I saw the genus was at Altar do Chao,
s s

626

INSECTS ABliOAD.

where I took a few of a very small long- tailed species at flowers.
At Ega, a few miles up the Teffi, I took one of another very
handsome species at flowers, very distinct from all the others."

The colours of this large genus are very similar throughout,
and are generally black, scarlet, and white, the scarlet in some
species giving way to yellow.

Our first example, Zconia Faunus, has the greater part of
both wings nearly transparent. The upper wings are entirely

Fio. 3(J3. — Zeouia Faunus
(Black, scarlet, and white.)

surrounded with a band of black, powdered with tiny gr<iy
specks, and a rather jagged bar of the same hue runs through
the middle. The upper part of the lower wings is edged witli
jetty black, and the lower part with black, powdered like the
upper wings. In the midst of the black are two spots of
scarlet, with a slight tint of orange — something like that lovely
but too fugitive " pure scarlet " of the colour-makers — one of
the spots being large and oval, and the other small and circular.
The colours are nearly identical on the upper and under surface
of the wing.

There is only one specimen in tlie British Museum.

On the accompanying illustration are given the two sexes of
Zeonia Batcsii, in order to show the curious difference of sliape
as well as colour between the males and females. The colours
are arranged in much the same manner as those of the preceding

THE LYC.^NID^.

G27

species, the edges of the wings being black, the centre trans-
parent, and a scarlet patch on the lower wings, which in this
species is followed by two little white spots. At the extremity
of the tails of the lower wings there is a short streak of
yellowish white. The reader will probably have noticed that,

Fig. 3(34. — Zeorna Bdtcsii.
(Black, white, and scarlet.)

whereas in the males the projections of the lower wings arc
tolerably straight, in the females they diverge considerably, and
turn a bold curve. Both these insects are natives of the
AmazOns district.

Now we come to the Lyceenidas, a group of Butterflies which
is familiar to English entomologists on account of the well-
known " Copper," " Blue," and " Hair-streak " Butterflies. They
are small and slightly made, have the fore-legs fully developed
in both sexes, and very tiny claws. The larvse bear a singular
resemblance to woodlice.

Only a few examples can here be given, the first of which is
Chcdyh^ coronata, a native of Bogota. The whole genus is a
singularly splendid one, the upper surface being metallic blue,

628

INSECTS ABROAD.

green, or gold, and often two or all of these colours. This metallic
aspect has earned for the insect the generic name of Chalyhs, a
Greek word siguif}dng " steel."

The species which is here represented is very rare, and there
is only a single specimen in the British Museum. The upper
surface is metallic blue or green, according to the direction of
the light ; the green predominating near the base, and the blue
towards the tip. Both pairs of wings are surrounded with a

Fig. 365 — Chalybs eoronata.
(Blue-green, black, and orange.)

black edge, which merges almost imperceptibly into tne blue
of the centre. The double tail of the hind wings are jetty
black, and above each of them is a large spot of orange.

Beneath, it is even handsomer than above. In both pairs of
wings the base is dark green, edged with glittering emerald.
Then comes a band of ruddy mahogany. In the upper pair is
a stripe of pale brown, while in the lower the colour is pink,
speckled wdth green, and then followed by rich green. On both
surfaces the tails are black.

All the species of this genus are remarkable for their exceedinrf

CURIOUS COLOURING.

629

beauty, and the singular fact that, although their upper surface
is magnificently coloured, their under surface is even more
beautiful. For example, there is Chahjhs Actccon, the upper
surface of which is metallic blue and black, while below the
upper wings are emerald powdered with tiny black specks, and
the lower are green pencilled with black. Then there is Chalyhs
Fholcus, the upper surface of the male being very dark metallic
blue, bordered and edged with black, while the under surface is
black, barred with green. The female is very different in
colour, being brown on both surfaces, with yellowish green and
white spots on the under wings.

All the species are natives of tropical America.

Amblypodum quercetorui
(Blue and brown.)

Loxura Surya.
(Pule red and black.)

The genus Amblypoda derives its name from the structure of
the feet, the word signifying blunt or rounded feet.

The insect which is here represented is a native of Northern
India, being taken at Silhet and Daijeeling. In expanse of
wing it measures very nearly two inches and a half.

G30 INSECTS ABROAD.

The upper surface is violet-blue, fading to white in the centre.
Near the tip of the upper "sving, and at the end of the discoidal
cell {i.e. the space enclosed by nervures in the centre of the
wing), is a large dark spot divided by nervures so as to look like
several distinct spots. The wings are edged v.'ith dark brown,
and at the anal angle of the lower wings there is a short tuft
of the same colour.

Beneath, it is buff-brown, the upper wings having a series of
seven oval and semilunar spots across the wing and parallel
with the outer margin. The lower wings have five black spots
near the base. The illustration represents the male insect, the
colours of which are more intense than in the female.

Another species, Amllyijoda querceio'rum, of Silhet, is brown
above, with a gloss of blue, and a white spot on the tip of
the upper wings. Beneath, it is brown, washed with dark
olive-green, and slightly mottled with black, the mottlings
taking the form of eyes. The lower figure in the illustration
will be presently described.

The very lovely insect which is shown on the opposite page
is a native of Eastern India.

Except when viewed with a very strong light, it appears to be
dark brown, but when the light is properly directed, it is seen
to be of a j)urple rich almost beyond the power of description.
This colour is peculiarly brilliant on the lower wings, the inner
edge of which is yellow, as is a patch at the end of the tails.
Beneath, although very beautiful, it is not coloured so brightly
as on the upper surface. The general hue of the wings is pale
brown, profusely barred, mottled, and spotted with black, and
there are two silvery spots near the anal angle of each
lower wing.

The insect is a native of Eastern India.

The lower figure of the illustration on page 629 represents
• our last example of the Lycaenidae.

As its specific name imports, the Loxura Siirya is a native
of India.

Above, the colour of the upper wings is rich, warm dun,
edged with dark, blackish brown, which extends quite to, the
base of the wing. The lower wings have a patch of dark brown

THE LOXURAS.

631

near tlie base, and the interior edge is lighter brown. Beneath,
it is entirely dark ochreous yellow. The lower wings are deve-
loped at their tips into two long curved tails, which diverge
widely from each other in a diagonal line with the upper wings.

liG. 3b7. — Myima Phocidea.
(Purple, brown, and yellow.)

This peculiarity is noted in the generic name, the term Loxura
being formed from two Greek words, one signifying diagonal,
or slanting, and the other " a tail."

There are many species of Loxura, varying much in colour,
but yet adhering mostly to brown, red, and black. Some of
them, however, are deep blue, edged with black or brown ; and
one species, Loxura Atymnus, is red and black above, and
yellow-brown beneath.

C'lIAPTEK ]]!.

MOTHS.

The Lepidoptera fall naturally into two great divisions, namel}',
the Butterflies and the Moths. As a general rule, these may
easily be distinguished from each other by two points. First is
the shape of the antennre, which in the Butterflies are straight,
inflexible, and terminated by a knob; and in the INIoths are
often curved, flexible, and end in a point. Many of the
Moths have the end of the antennas swollen into a sort of club,
but even in this case the club ends in a point, and is much
longer than the rounded club of the butterfly's antenna. There
are, however, exceptions to nearly every rule, and this is the
case in the present instance. A Georgian Moth, called Casinia
Yucca, has the antennae quite straight, and terminated by a
knob as bold as tliat of any butterfly. It has, however, the
ilexible abdomen, and in this ^vay we are able to decide
which it is.

As a rule, the ^Mollis are nocturnal in their haluts, but there
are many that prefer the dusk or twilight for coming abroad,
while there are some, such as the Uranias, which fly in the
brightest noon-day, and have the habits as well as the appear-
anr^e of butterflies.

AVe begin with the swift-winged Hawk Moth, of which a sin-
gularly beautiful example is here given. This rare and splendid
insect is a native of India, the specimen in the British INIuseum
having been brought from Silhet. It imitates the humming
birds in the brilliancy of its plumage, and, as Mr. Westwood
remarks, possesses even the tufted legs which distinguish many
species of these birds. The wings are gold-green, and in the
middle of the upper pair is a long patcli of gold and crimson,

THE HAWK MOTHS, 633

tlie two colours alternating most beautifully as the insect is
moved about. The lower wings do not possess the crimson
patch, but are shining green and gold, slightly glossed with
blue. The whole of the thorax and abdomen are green, except
the front of the thorax, which is fiery copper. Even in the
abdomen, however, a coppery gloss is visible in certain lights.
The hind legs are remarkable for the long tufts with which
they are adorned, and which are composed of much elongated
scales. The colour of these tufts is brown.

Fis. 308. — Lenyra Ashtaroth.
(Green, gold, and oiimson.)

Of this genus only one species is at present known, but there
is an allied genus, called Melitta, which very much resembles it,
and of which there are many species. Like Lenyra, the hind
legs are heavily tufted. The members of this genus are spread
over a large portion of the world, specimens having been
brought from many parts of Africa, Asia, and Southern
America. One of the prettiest is Melitta jJ^f-^chipes, of Vene-
zuela, in which the upper wings are edged with crimson, and
the lower are transparent. Generally, briglit colours prevail
throughout this genus, but there is a curious exception in
Melitta Enrytion, of Northern India, in which the colours are
simply black and white.

The genus ]\Iacroglossa is familiar to English entomologists
on account of the well-known Hummino-bird Hawk iMoth,

634 INSECTS ABROAD.

whose habits make it so attractive to all wlio are fond of
studying the ways of insects.

Of this genus thei'e are very many foreign species, and as a
rule they are all of the same sober brown, grey, and black, in
which our species is clad. But the present species, which comes
from Northern India, presents a bold contrast to its kinsfolk,
being adorned with bright and conspicuous colouring.

Fig. 369 — Macroglos.sa triopus.
(Brown and crimson.)

The upper wings are brown, mottled with black, and upon
each of them is a square white spot, looking just as if a piece
of talc had been let into the wing. The lower wings are black,
with a large patch of white on the ujDper edge, and a rose-red
border on the inner margin. The abdomen is splendid rose-red,
banded with black, and the under surface of the lower wings is
rose-red, like that of the abdomen, but not quite so brilliant.
The head and thorax are brown, and upon tlie latter are some
obscure whitish streaks.

Although not possessing the bright colours of the preceding
species, Thyreus Ahhati is a pretty, and even a conspicuous
insect when its wings are spread. It is a native of the United
States, and the specimen from which tlie drawing M^as taken
was captured near New York.

Both pairs of wings are olive-brown, changing to olive-green

THE NESSUS MOTH.

(135

ill some lights, and the upper pair are traversed by numerous
wavy bands of black. The lower wings are nearly plain, but
along their upper margin runs a broad stripe of bright yellow,
which is very visible when the wings are spread. There are
many species of this genus ; one of the most remarkable is
TTiyreus Nessus, also of New York. This insect is smaller in
size, has the abdomen banded with -white, and the yellow streak

^A

^^.X

:^

%

Pig. 3T0.-Tliyr(
(Olive-ln-own, with a

JUS Abbati.

; yellow streaT^.)

is replaced by one of blood-red, to which the insect owes its
specific name. The classical reader will scarcely need to be
reminded that the centaur Nessus was pierced to the heart by
the arrow of Hercules, and that his flowing blood is fancifully
supposed to be represented by the crimson streak of the lower
wings. The generic name Tliyreus is Greek, signifying "a
shield," and is probably given to the insects in allusion to their
shape when their wings are closed.

The genus Deilephila is well known to English entomologists
on account of the rare and valuable Spurge Hawk Moth, which

636

INSECTS ABROAD.

is SO seldom taken in its perfect state. The generic name is
formed from two Greek words, signifying " something that loves
the afternoon," this name being given in consequence of the
habits of the Moths.

There are very many species of this genus, of which the
present is certainly one of the handsomest. The colours of
this insect are so complicated that a description is not an easy
task. Beginning with tlie upper wings, the ground colour is a

Fio. 371.— Deileplula daucus.
(Brown, red, yellow, and white.)

very dark, rich, chocolate-brown. From the base of the wing
to the tip runs a bold streak of pale dun, and a border of
yellow runs round the entire wing. On the middle of the
upper edge there is a small but conspicuous patch of white,
and a number of very narrow white lines run diagonally across
the wing. These lines, together Math a mark on the caterpillar,
have earned for it the specific name of lineata, or " streaked,"
which has been bestowed on it by some authors.

As to the lower wings, their ground colour is red. Two broad

KLEPHANT HAWK MOTH.

)37

black bauds cross the wings, and they are edged with yellow.
The thorax is pale brown, with a grey-white streak running
down it ; and the antennae are brown, except the tips, which are
white. The abdomen is rose-red, barred with black and diver-
sified with white marks.

This is a West Indian species, the examples in the Britisli
Museum having been brought from New York, Canada, Mexico,
and Jamaica.

"^^^ A

Fig. 372. — Deilephila daucus. L:n va.

The peculiar form of the Hawk jNIoth larva is well shown by
the accompanying illustration, which represents the caterpillar
of this species. The reader will notice the narrow white line
along the back, which has already been mentioned as earning
for the insect the specific name of lincata.

The Elephant Hawk Moths are so called because the larva
has the power of elongating or contracting the head and first
three segments of the body in a way that bears some resem-
blance to the mobility of an elephant's " proboscis." The
generic name Chcerocampa signifies " swine-caterpillar," and is

638

INSECTS ABROAD.

given to the insect on account of tlie resemblance in form to
the snout of a pig.

The present species has a very wide range of locality, speci-
mens having been brought from Natal, Sierra Leone, Italy,
Greece, and Ceylon. It is a handsome insect, the ground
colour of the upper wings being pink, on which are a number
of black mottlings and grey-white specks. Just at the base of
the wings there is a large square mark of very dark olive green.

Fio. 373.— Chserocainpa Nerei.
(Brown, green, and pink.)

The lower wings are brown, glossed with green. The thora.x
and abdomen are brown, with some grey marks on the former,
and the margins of the segments edged with white in tlie latter ;
the whole body having a pretty silken appearance. Altogether
it bears no small resemblance to our Oleander Moth.

It is a very variable insect, both in size and colour, and in
some specimens there is little except brown. In all, the
colours merge so gradually with each other that it is not
easy to define any line at which one colour ends and the
other begins.

LABELLING INSECTS.

639

In the Museum there is an empty pupa-case with the cast
larval skin still adhering to it. The original label is preserved,
written by the person who reared the insect. It runs as follows :
" Oleander Moth : Caterpillar and skin and moth-bread." When
I first read the label I was puzzled, knowing bee-bread well
enough, but never having heard of " moth-bread." However, it
was soon apparent that the writer meant to express that the
Moth had been bred from the skins in question.

This specimen came from Sierra Leone, and it is much to be
wished that other travellers would take the trouble to rear
insects, and to preserve the larvae and perfect skins as well as
the insect " bread " from them.

The insect which is here given is a native of various portions

Flo. 3,4. — Spliiux quinque-inacul:it;i
(Gi-ey, brown, and j-ellow.)

of the United States, and it is a very pretty one, having much
the appearance of our common Puss Moth.

The ground colour is a pale silver-grey, beautifully mottled
with chocolate-brown and black ; and if tlie light be favourable,

640

INSECTS ABROAD.

a slight pinkish tinge is seen to be spread over the surface of
the lower wings. The abdomen is also pale grey, but a black
line runs down the centre ; each segment is edged with a thin
line of black, and along each side are five large oval patches of
yellow, edged with black, and each having a little white spot
immediately above it.

The Sphinx satellita is here given because it is an insect very
plentiful in North America, and is apt to do harm to the grape-
vine, on which it feeds, unless its numbers are kept down by
liand-picking. The following extract is a digest of an article in
the " American Entomologist " : —

Fio. a7o. — sphinx satellita.
(OHve-grey and dark olive-green.)

" It occurs in almost every State in the Union. The larva
has five cream-coloured spots on each side, and in the month of
September is full-grown. The eggs are glued firmly and singly
to the leaves of the plant. When just hutched, and for some
time afterwards, the larva is green, with a tinge of pink along

HAWK MOTHS. 641

the sides, and with an immensely long pink horn at the tail.
This horn soon begins to shorten, and finally curls round like a
dog's tail. As the larva grows older, it changes to a reddish
brown, and by the third month it entirely loses the caudal
horn.

When about to enter the chrysalis state, it enters a short
distance into the ground, and soon works off the larval skin,
becoming a pupa of a dark brown colour. The moth generally
makes its appearance in the June of the following year, though
it has been known to issue in the same year, and in these
instances it doubtless becomes barren, as is the case with other
insects under similar circumstances. The colour of the perfect
insect is olive-grey, variegated with dark olive-green, as seen
in the illustration.

The reader will note that very curious point in the history of
this larva, namely, the gradual change in shape, and lastly, the
disappearance of the horn at the end of its tail. The object of
these horns, which are common to the Hawk Moth larvae, is very
problematical. The creature never uses them in self-defence,
they are not venomous, not very sharp, and in some insects, such
as our Death's-head Moth, are blunt and rounded at the tips.
'Not is it likely that birds would be afraid of them, for the instinct
of birds tells them whether or not an insect be fit for their
food. And here we have an instance where, when the larva is
very small and inconspicuous, the horn is very long. When it
becomes larger and more easily seen, the horn curls up so as to
lose all offensive aspect, and when it becomes a large and con-
spicuous larva, the horn disappears altogether, and leaves the
creature defenceless. That the horn must serve some needful
purpose is evident by the fact of its existence, but what that
purpose may be is at present a complete mystery.

Owing to the exigencies of space, I am reluctantly compelled
to have the figure of Macrosila cruentus much reduced.

It is a very giant among Hawk Moths, being so large that the
specimen in the British Museum can only just be got into a
drawer, its tail touching the head of the drawer, and the tip of
its enormous proboscis reaching to the foot. The measurement of
its expanded wings is rather more than seven inches, the proboscis
alone measures nine inches and a quarter, and the total length

T T

642

INSECTS ABROAD.

of the insect is rather more than a foot, thus evidently exceeding
the length of onr page. The insect is a native
of Brazil.

The general colour of the wings is very much
like that of our Death's-head Moth, with the
exception of a bold yellow patch at the base of
the lower pair. The whole of the body is pale
grey, powdered with tiny black specks, and each
segment is edged with black, while along the
sides are five bold patches of orange. The
enormous proboscis is very wide and flat at the
base, and tapers wdtli a most beautiful grada-
tion to the tip, where it is comparatively small.

I have not been able to obtain any informa-
tion as to the habits of this rare and splendid
insect, but I think, judging by the length of the
proboscis, that it must feed on the wing, and
obtain its nourishment by thrusting the pro-
boscis into the nectars of some long-belled
flower, which could not be reached by the
proboscis of any ordinary insect.

The name of Smerinthus is very familun to
English entomologists
pretty Lime
Hawk Moth,
which belongs
to this genus,
and which is
so difficult to
see as it hangs
among tlie
leaves with its
wings dro()[)-
ing just like
the foliage
on which it
rests.

The word
is Greek, and literally signifies

1 I . ■^7h — Maorosila ciuentiis
(Brown, chocolate, and jellow.)

a fisliing-line, or

cable.

LIME HAWK-MOTHS.

643

The insect \Yhich is given as the representative of the genus
is an inhabitant of Natal, and is a very handsome species,
looking, indeed, very much like our own insect greatly magnified.
The colours are so mixed with each other that they are not easily
described, but they may be briefly taken as follows. In the
upper wings there is a large patch of grey-brown, slightly

t'lG. 377.— Smeiintlius Dumolinii.
(Chocolate, grey, and black.)

mottled and having a narrow bar of darker brown upon it. Then
comes a large patch of dark chocolate-brown, in which are two
marks of pure white, one nearly round, and the other having a
sort of anchor shape. This chocolate patch is interrupted by
a jagged bar of the lighter colour, which runs completely
through it as far as the upper edge of the wing, where it spreads
so as nearly to reach the tip.

T T 2

644 INSECTS ABROAD.

The lower wings are grey, and towards the tip of each there is
a faintly- marked crescent of pale brown. The body is pale, the
edges of the segments being marked with white, and the head
and thorax having some large tufts of very long and jetty
black hairs.

On Plate XV. Fig. 1 is shown that rather striking insect called
Ccequosa Australasice, which, as its specific name implies, is a
native of Australia.

Its colouring is very simple, and yet exceedingly bold and
beautiful. The shape of the upper wings is rather remarkable,
on account of the peculiarly bold curved edge where they overlap
the under wings. Their colour is pinkish near the base, and the
rest is brown, with the exception of a large, nearly triangular
patch across the middle of the wing, one side of the triangle
resting on the upper edge. The under wings are brown, but
have at the lower edge a large patch of red extending along the
whole edge of the wing, and widening gradually from the tip.
This patch is edged with black, and has a most singular effect,
strongly reminding the observer of the redstart as it appears
with extended wings.

The body is smooth, shining, silken grey, the segments being
edged with pink, and a dark chocolate stripe passing along the
centre of the thorax.

We now come to those beautiful Moths the Uranias. They
look very much more like butterflies than moths, and, indeed,
were until quite lately classed among the former insects. Xot
only do they look like butterflies, but they possess all the
habits of butterflies, being diurnal, and flying quite high in the
full rays of the sun. There are very many species of Urania,
spread over a considerable portion of the globe. The generic
name of Urania signifies " heavenly," and is given to these insects
partly on account of their high-flying habits, and partly by
reason of their splendid colouring, which places them among
the most magnificent of all the Moth tribes.

I will briefly describe the colours of the two species which have
been selected as examples.

The insect which is here shown really looks too gorgeous for
a Moth, the brilliant colours which adorn its wings being of

PLATE XV.

THE URANIA MOTHS.

645

metallic brilliance, and shifting about with every chan'-'-e of
light. The ground colour of the wings is velvet-black, varie-
gated with glittering emerald-green marks disjjosed as seen in
the illustration. The lower wings are also velvet-black, but
they are crossed in the centre by a broad bar of singularly bright

t'? 4,

Fig. 378.— Urania oheutalis.
(Black, emerald, and crim.sou )

colouring. First it is bright blue, which changes to green in the
middle of the wing, and that again to crimson. At the anal
angle of the wing there is in recent specimens a large eye-like
patch of fieiy crimson, but unfortunately the colour is as evanes-
cent as it is splendid, and a specimen with this crimson patch in
good condition is very rarely seen.

646

INSECTS ABROAD.

Below, it is quite as handsome as on the upper surface, the
colour being metallic blue-green, crossed with transverse black
bars. The under wings are copper-red in the centre, the rest
being emerald variegated with velvet-black spots.

The insect is a native of Madagascar.

The next species, Urania Sloanus, is an inhabitant of the
West Indies, and is quite as beautiful as the preceding insect.

v^^-^^'

^ s-.^-"'-

Vic. 370. — Urania Slonmi!!.
(Blnck, emeraUl, gold, and crimson.)

The upper wings are velvet-black, and next the base come five
narrow emerald bars. Then comes a broad bar of ruddy gold
extending across the centre of the wing, then a narrow bar of
the same colour, and lastly, a short stripe of emerald near the
tip. The lower wings are crimson glossed with gold and spotted
with black, while the tips are emerald -green .

HABITS OF THE UKANIA.

647

A long and admirable description of this Moth and its habits
is given by Mr. Gosse in his work on Jamaica, but want of space
prohibits it from being inserted here.

In describing this beautiful insect, the want of adequate
means to express colour becomes more and more apparent. Even
as it appears in the sober black and white of the printer's ink,
it is evidently a striking insect, but in its natural colours it is
simply superb. There is but little colouring in the wings, which

Fio. 380.— Cocytia Durvilii
Wings transparent. Body tlue-green.)

are quite transparent and edged with a bold black line, the only
exception to which is an orange patch at the base.

It is in the body that the chief beauty lies. The thorax is
deep black, and so is the tip of the tail, with the exception of a
little patch of gold-coloured hair. The rest of the abdomen is
the most brilliant blue, glossed with green, and having a satin-
like sheen about it. This beautiful insect is a native of New
Guinea.

648

INSECTS ABROAD.

We now come to the typical genus of the large group called
Castniidse. I may here remark that the best systematic ento-
mologists have long entertained doubts as to the right arrange-
ment, not only of the Moths, but of Butterflies, and that, as I have
already mentioned withregard to the Hymenoptera, an entirely
new arrangement seems to be imminent. Even as it is, a
month scarcely passes over without some alteration in the
relative positions of insects. I have not therefore in this work
insisted strongly on any one system, because in a few years it
may be superseded by another.

The specimen of Castnia diva which is here given is a
portrait of the male insect, and is given of its natural size.

Kio. 381. — Castnia iliva.
(Brown, black, and red.)

The female is twice as large as her mate, and not quite so deeply
coloured. The upper wings are of the peculiar brown of a
withered leaf, and have a few greyish white spots scattered over
them, as shown in the illustration. The lower wings are black,
with the exception of a rust-red edging. Behind, the colour is
ruddy chestnut.

The specimen which is here figured was taken at Chortales,
in Nicaragua.

The figure of the second species is necessarily reduced to half
its size, the insect being among the largest of the Castnias,

THK OASTNIAS.

649

some of which are so large that they luok like bats rather than
moths.

As is the case with most of these insects, the colouring of
Castnia Zerinthia is very simple. The ground colour of the upper
wings is pale brown mingled with a little white, and a bold black
stripe abont the middle. The lower wings have a little more
colour, the basal half being white, and the rest black mingled

Kiii. ob2.— Castnia Zerinthia.
(I'ale l)ro\vii, yellow, and white.)

with yellow spots. The thorax is dark brown, and the abdomen
white with a number of tiny brown specks. The insect is a
native of Brazil.

A SMALL group called the Agaristid?e is illustrated by two
species.

The first is an Australian insect called Agarista contorta, and
is rather a conspicuous one on account of the boldly contrasted
hues of its colouring.

The ground colour of the wings is deep black, and upon them
are several bold spots and lines of bright yellow, as seen in the

250 INSECTS ABROAD.

illustration, one deeply curved line running through both wings,
and gaining for the insect the specific name of contorta. The
base of the abdomen is black, and the tip red. It is rather
pretty below, the colour being black, and the legs clothed with
long crimson down.

This is a native of Australia, and all the insects of the genus,
which is a very large one, are Australian. Most of them are
brightly coloured, and all have a light tip to their tails. As a

it'

Fig. 383. — Agarista contorta.
( Black and yellow.)

rule, the Agaristas are black and yellow, but there are excep-
tions, such as Agarista agricola, which is black, with spots of
emerald-green, yellow, blue, and scarlet.

Of the genus Alypia only two species are known, both of
them belonging to North America.

The generic name is Greek, signifying " harmlessness ;" but its
application to the insect is not very easy to see unless it refers
to the larva. The colour of this insect, like that of the pre-
ceding, is very simple, being entirely yellow and black. The
former colour is deeper on the upper than on the lower wings,

THE BURNET MOTHS.

651

and is arranged in symmetrical spots, two on each wing, which
have given to tlie insect the specific name of odomacidata, or

Fig. 384. — Alj-pia octoiiiaeulatu.
(Black and yellow.)

" eight-spotted." There is a stripe of similar yellow on each side
of the thorax.

The group of Moths called the Zygtenida? is familiar to
English entomologists on account of the well-known Burnet
Moths, which, although not large, are among the most beautiful
of British insects. Why such a name should be given to these
Moths, or indeed to any insect at all, is more than I can under-
stand, for the word, which is
Greek, signifies a kind of shark,
and is used by Aristotle in that
sense.

The accompanying insect is
a beautiful example of the
Zygsenidee, and loses none of
the prestige of its family. The
wings are transparent, but are
edged with black. The head,
part of the thorax, and the
middle of the abdomen are
black, and the rest of the abdomen is rich scarlet, this colour
gaining for the insect the specific name of hccmorrhoidalis, or
" blood-stained." The end of the abdomen has a peculiarly soft,
velvet-like appearance. The insect is a native of Brazil.

Although not so brilliantly splendid as the preceding species,
the insect which is here given is a very handsome one. The

-Euiioniia hcenion-hoidalis.
Scarlet and black.)

G52

TXPECTS ABROAD.

ground colour of the upper wings is glossy olive-green, crossed
by the uervures, which are black. On each wing there are two
patches of black, one near the base and the other near the tip.
Each of these patches is marked with several spots of clear
white. The lower wings are blackish brown, with three white
spots, and near the anal angle there is a large patch of blue, not
very distinctly marked, and likely to escape notice unless the
insect be held in a favourable light. The thorax is black, with
a white streak on either side, and some white spots. The

Kio. 3S<j. -Eupyrii piiiu^ip;
(O)ive-green, blael;, and w

abdomen is very beautifully marked, being black, witli a gold-
coloured ring on the edge of each segment, and a row of snowy
white spots along each side.

The insect is a native of Mexico.

The beautiful though simply coloured insect which now comes
before us is a native of Venezuela.

It has a very peculiar aspect, owing, as far as I can make out.
to the shape of the wing-scales. At first sight the wings look

IMITATIONS.

653

as if they were transparent, but a closer examination shows that,
although they are not so opaque as the wings of Moths usually
are, they are yet not sufficiently transparent to allow anything
to be seen through them.

The colour is a rather dull but pure and very soft white,
with a kind of downy look about it. The wings are edged with

W/ X

"kiiliJM^

Fig 3^7 — LiipellT ]^l
(Wliite and bru-wiL

pale brown, and are covered with rather indistinctly marked
bars of the same colour, as shown in the figure. It is rather
remarkable that a Moth called Genussa celercnaria, a native of
Para, is exactly like the Carpella except that it is very small —
not being larger than our common " Orange-tip."

The reader will probably have noticed how widely the pheno-
mena of imitation prevails among insects, and how close is the
resemblance, not only in form but in colour, and generally
in manners. Take for example a recent instance, Eunomia
hccmorrlioidalis, and see how closely it resembles the Clear-wing
Hawk Moths, and how closely they in their turn imitate bees

654

INSECTS ABROAD.

hornets, wasps, gnats, and other insects ; the resemblance ex-
tending to their habits and even their movements, as well as to
shape and colour. The family of Pericopidge, which belongs to
the great group of Bombycidse, is remarkable for the closeness
with which its members imitate the Heliconias, just as the
Uranias imitate the tailed Papilios. They are all West Indian
insects.

Pio. S88.— Perioopis angulosa.
(Deep brown and yellow.)

The species which is here ligured is a native of Venezuela,
and, as will be seen, resembles the Heliconias in colour as
well as in form. The ground colour of the wings is very dark
blackish brown, with a dash of chocolate in it. The lighter
portions of the wings are warm chestnut, with the exception of
the sjDots at the tip of the upper wings, the bar and spot which
immediately follow, and the upper part of the bar that crosses
the middle of the wincj- All these are briirht yellow.

The insect which comes next on our list was taken at
Waigiou, an island of the Eastern Archipelago, and is one of
the species that was brought to England by Mr. Wallace.

A GORGEOUS INSECT.

655

On the upper surface it is a liandsome and boldly-coloured
insect, but on the lower surface its beauty is an absolute sur-
prise. The ground colour of the upper wings is deep velvety
black, with a tapering bar of crimson across the centre, and a
large triangular patch of the same colour at the base, shading off
into yellow. The lower wings are black and orange, the colours
being arranged as shown in the illustration. If, however, it be
turned over and held in a strong light, its beauty is marvellous.

FlQ. SS9.— Bizarda optiiua.
(Black, crimson, and yellow.

At first sight it seems to be coloured as above, but when a side
light falls upon it, both pairs of wings are seen to be of the
most brilliant metallic blue as far as their centre, the colour
being quite as splendid as that of any of the Morpho Butterflies.
Even the legs are of the same splendid blue. An allied species,
Bizarda clarissima, of Ara, is black and white except the base
of the wings and the whole of the head and body, which are
rich blue-areen.

656

INSECTS ABKOAD.

A BEAUTIFUL "Brazilian insect is here given, both of its names
being more appropriate than is generally the case. Its colour,
though very simple, is very bold, and makes it quite a con-
spicuous insect. The only colours are yellow and black, and, as
may be seen by reference to the illustration, are so equally
divided that it is not easy to decide which is the ground
colour.

Fig. 390. — Eucyane raelaxau
(Black and yellovy. )

The genetic name Eucyane is formed frem two Greek words,
one signifying " beauty," and the other any dark colour, espe-
cially one which has a dash of blue in it. The specific name
melaxantha is also formed from two words signifying " black and
yellow." For my part I should like to see all generic names
formed from the Greek, and all specific names from the Latin ;
and in this case the name would have been Emyane nigroflava,
or fiavopicta, which would have been a prettier title than mela-
xantha, and quite as descriptive.

The insect which is known as Eucyane glauca is a very
remarkable one, on account of the striking variation to which

A VARIABLE INSECT

657

it is subject. Of tlie series of specimens in the British ^ruseum,
all but one are coloured as follows : —

The ground colour of the wings is black, the ba.sal portions
of both wings being gold-green glossed with blue, the colours
changing their relative positions in a strong light. In the
centre of each wing is a slightly-curved bar of rich crimson.
The body is of the same splendid colour as the base of the
wings, except that the abdomen is banded witli black.

But there is one specimen which has the band across the
wings white instead of crimson. When I first saw this, I
naturally took it for a variety, but was informed by Mr. A. H.
Butler — who, like most of the officers of the Museum, is most
liberal of information to those who wish for it — that the speci-
men in question was really the typical- insect, and that either
the others must be varieties, or that they must be separated
into two distinct specie?. The difference of appearance is singu-
larly striking, the white-banded specimen having quite a plebeian
look among its companions, the blue and green of the base of
the wings not being set off by their complementary colour, whicli
enhances the brilliancy of both.

The specific name glauca refers to the green colour which
has been mentioned. There are seven species of this genus in
the British Museum, and all are natives of South America.

TJ U

G58

INSECTS ABROAD.

In the Moth which now comes before us, we have an example
of the kind of nomenclature to which I have just referred. The
aeueric name Euschcma is formed from two Greek words signi-
fying a beautiful form or outline, and is given to the insect
on account of the bold and graceful outline of its wings. The
specific name flcmifa is Latin, and signifies something that is
coloured with yellow but is not wholly yellow.

Fig. 392.— Euscheina flavata.
(Black, white, and yellow.)

The ground colour of both pairs of wings is black, which in
a strong light is seen to be glossed with ])urple. The large
light patches at the base and near the tip of the upper wings,
and in the middle of the lower wings, are nearly white and
partly translucent. The remainder of the spots are yellow.
The body is black, banded with the same colour, and the front
of the thorax is also yellow, so that the name of fiavata is a
very appropriate one. There are many species belonging to this
genus, and the present one is a native of Timor.

In nearly aU the members of this genus, purple, more or less
vivid, asserts itself as the ground colour.

In most of these it is of so deep a hue that it appears to be
black, except in a favourable light ; and also, as a general rule,
the lighter portions of the wing are yellow. There are, however,
some, as in the present case, where the purple is sufficiently

INSECT XOMENCL.^TUKK

659

vivid to show itself witli a moderate liglit. Tlie rest of the
wing is nearly white, except in the middle, where it is yellow.

1 1... . -1 h I L 11 :(.

(Pui-ple, w lute, <iud j «llow )

Still, even in this species, the characteristic purple and yellow
are the leading colours.

This is a very widely spread species, being found distributed
over the greater part of India and the neighbouring parts.

There is a great variety of colouring displayed in the Moth
called Prcesos Mariana.

Its name, by the way, is as bad as that of Euschcma Jiavata
is good, simply because it conveys no idea to the mind of the
reader. Anyone who was absolutely unacquainted with the
latter insect, and who had a slight acquaintance with Greek
and Latin, would gather at once from the two names that it
was gracefully formed, and that there was a good deal of yellow
about it. But no idea whatever is conveyed in the present
insect. In the first place, the generic name Prmsos is — at least
to me — a sound without meaning. Prcesos signifies " a presi-
u u 2

6G0

INSFXTS ABROAD.

dent," and the word might perhaps have some occult meaning ;
while the name Mariana might as well be any other name.

The ground colour of the wings is black. In the upper wings
there is a narrow waved line of pale green near the base, another
of similar form just beyond the large central patch, and all the
other marking^! are wliite. The black has a slight gloss of green

rio. 304 -TntMis Man
(Black, white, yellow, and pale gresn.)

in a favourable light. The lo\\er wings are deep yellow, marked
with black, similar to that of the upper wings. The thorax and
base of the abdomen are black, and the rest of the abdomen is
yellow, banded with a narrow band of liglit brown at each
segment. It is an Australian insect, and at present is the only
species known of its genus.

The handsome insect which is here shown fully deserves its
title oi pulchdla, or " beautiful." It is a native of jSTorthern India,
and the specimen which is here figured was taken at Silhet.

It is one of the injects which are difficult to describe, because
its colouring is not only gorgeous but intricate, and the effect

DIFFEEENT ASPECTS OF THE HXME INSECT.

061

when the insect is at rest
outspread wings, that when
of each other, one "set" as
wings, they would scarcely
same species.

We will begin Avith the
velvet-black, crossed with a
glittering, emerald green,
stripes and patches, and

is so different from its as})ect with
two specimens are placed alongside
if flying, and the other with closed
be recognized as belonging to the

upper wings. The ground colour is
number of narrow streaks of shining,
On the wing are a number of white
there is one point which requires

Fio S95 — Eia>-mia pulolielld
(Black, green, orange, and yellow.)

special notice. I have already mentioned the conspicuous
difference between the appearance of the insect in two different
attitudes. This is partly due to the general outline of the
insect, which is heart-shaped when the wings are closed, but
chiefly to the shape and colour of one of the markings on
the upper pair of wings. If the reader will refer to the figure,
he will see that at the base of the wing there is a white patch,
follow^ed by a grey stripe, and then b}' a curved bar of a light
colour. Now this bar is bright orange, and when the wings are
closed, these bars form a continuous collar-like mark, and have
a singularly conspicuous effect.

The lower wings are brightly coloured. At the base they are

662 INSECTS ABROAD.

green, wliich presently gives place to yellow, and then to black
on the edge ; the nervures retaining their green colour and giving
a series of green lines to the very edge of the wing.

On Plate XV. Fig. 2 is pictured an insect which, even under
the exigencies of printer's ink, shows itself to be a conspicuous
one. Its very appropriate name is Cyclosia sanguifcra, and it
is a native of Northern India.

The ground colour of the wings is glossy black, and upon the
upper pair near the base are a number of circulnv spots of yellow
and blue. On the rest of the wing is drawn a complicated
'pattern of stripes, looking just as if they had been painted with
blood. The lower wings are black from the base to two-tliirds
of their length, and are adorned with circular spots of vivid
blue. A broad band of the same blue occupies the edge of the
wing, and on it is a row of white spots.

The generic name Cyclosia is formed from a Greek word signi-
fying " a circle," and is giv^en to the insect on account of the
many circular spots upon its wings. The specific name sangiti-
fera is a Latin word signifying " blood-bearing," and refers to
the red stripes on the upper wing. When the insect is at rest
its outline assumes a beautiful shape. The under wings are
completely covered by the upper, the spots and streaks forming
a most singular and striking pattern.

In the British Museum are two empty cocoons of an allied
species, Cyclosia suhcyanctis. They are of slight material, rust-
red, and from tlieir angular shape have evidently been attaclied
to a branch.

Theee are many species of the genus Hypsa, and in most of
them the chief colours are yellow and grey.

The present species is remarkable for the difference in appear-
ance between the sexes. The figure represents the female, which
is coloured as follows. Both pairs of wings are from the base
to two-thirds of their length pale yellow, edged witli white and
sprinkled with black spots. On the edge of tlie wings is a band
of pale brown, very broad at the tips of the upper pair, and
narrowing gradually to the angle of the lower pair. This band
is traversed by narrow grey streaks, showing the course of the
nervures. Tlie male has the yellow part of the wing much

THE ISABELLA MuTH. 66'.]

smaller than the female, and on the lower wings is a large and

M — lJ\i>i ill ulaiis Temale
(I'Ut blown, jellow, ami blai k )

nearly circular patch of greyish brown. This mark has earned
for the insect the specific name orhtcularis, or " circular." The
insect is a native of the
East Indies. ^J. -^

X. '\ ^

There is nothing very
remarkable in the Moth
which is called Ardia
Isabella, the insect being
small, and soberly co-
loured. The upper wings
are pale brown, with a
few indistinct dark spots,
and the low^er wings are
greyish yellow, with
some dark spots, and
nearly transparent. The legs are red, and the abdomen yellow,

^^Wfc

,r^

FiCi. 3y7.— Arctia Isa
{Pale brown.)

664

INSECTS ABROAD.

^^^^

spotted with black. The larva, however, which is here
shown, is very remarkable. The larvae of all the Arctias
are thickly covered with hair, as we know from the larva

of our common Tiger
Moth, which goes by
the jjopular name of
^v^3olly Beai'. In this
species the larva bears
such a resomblance to a
hedgehog, that the per-
fect insect lias been
popularly named the
Hedgehog Moth. I may
here remark that the
generic name Ardia sig-
nifies " a bear," and that
the specific name 7ki&c//«
refers to one of the bears
which goes by that name.
It is a native of Georgia.
In the British IMuseum there is a specimen of the larva of'
Ardia hyperhorea, the hairs of which are so long that the insect
might well be called the Porcupine Moth.

The line insect %vhich is next shown is a native of the Hima-
layas, and fully deserves its specific title of imperial.

The upper wings are rich dark brown, boldly streaked with
cream-white. The lower wings are deep yellow, marked with
patches of rather paler brown than that of the upper pair.
The abdomen is scarlet ringed with black, and the thorax is
black. On either side of the thorax is a large pointed tuft of
snowy white, contrasting beautifully with the black and scarlet
of the tliorax and abdomen. There is a little black spot in the
centre of the tuft. The genus liypercamjia is a very large one,
and widely distributed.

Not very long before writing this account I was in the
British Museum, when a great sensation was caused by the
arrival of a new and lieautiful insect allied to the Tiger Moths.
It was so remarkable that an alteration was at once made in

THE HARLEQUIN MOTH.

665

my list, and the new iusect inserted. It was found to belong
to the genus Anaxita, and Mr. A. H. Butler conferred upon it
the appropriate specific name of Samiionis, i.e. " harlequin," the
colours of the iusect being exactly those of a harlequin's dress.
The insect ts a native of Mexico.

So complicated a pattern and such varied colours are not easy
of description, except in technical language which would not be
understood by the general reader. I will try, however, to make
them intelligible. The ground colour of the upper wings is

Wi^f/

Fig. 399. — Hypercampa iniperialis.
(Brown, white, and yellow. Body scarlet.

scarlet, changing gradually through orange in the centre to
yellow at the base. At the upper edge of the wing there is a
large and well-defined patch of bright yellow. The curious
pattern at the base and the stripes which run to the edge of
the wing are green edged with blue, so that we have here the
red, green, gold, and blue of the harlequin's dress.

The lower wings are scarlet and black, very much like the
colours of our well-known Cinnabar Moth. On either side of
the thorax there is a very long tuft of hair, yellow at the top ;

666

INSECTS ABEUAD.

and the abdomen is scarlet above and black beneath, with a line
of black running along the centre of the upper surface.

Fig. 400. — Anaxita Sannionis.
(Red, yellow, green, and blue.)

The only other known is called Anaxita decorata, of some-
what similar colours, but much paler, and there is more yellow
about it.

As may be conjectured from the specific name of the insect

Fig. 401.— Egyholia VailL-iiitiniu
(Olive-green and orange.)

here represented, it is a native of Soutliern Africa, being named
in honour of the traveller Le Vaillant.

PALE COLOUKING. 667

There are but few colours in the insect, but they are boldly
contrasted ; and it is a very handsome though small Moth.
The colour of the uj)per wings is glossy olive-green, darkening
into black towards the base. Just beyond the base of each
wing there is a broad curved bar of bright orange. The head
and antenna} are of the same colour. The lower wings are also
dark olive-green, but with a favourable light a decided gloss of
blue is perceptible.

Both names of tlie insect called Asthenia macliaonaria are
very appropriate. The generic name is formed from a Greek
word signifying " weakness," and is given to the insect on account

/

Fig. 411- - \ ■ ■ ,-: ,n;i.

(Satiiiy-v.nitL- and i^alt; browu.)

of the pale and feeble hue of its colouring. The name machac-
naria is given to it in consequence of its resemblance to our
familiar Swallow-tail Butterfly, Papilio machaon. Perhaps the
title would have been still more appropriate if it had referred
to the Podalirius, in which the markings are paler than in
the Machaon, and arranged much like tliose of the present
insect.

The ground colour of the wings is very pale, soft, greyish
white, with a satin-like gloss on the surface, and over them are
drawn several bars of very pale brown, arranged as shown in
the illustration. The edges of the wings are marked with a
very narrow band of darker brown, and the spots at the tips of

668

INSECTS AB];OAn.

the lower wings are dark brown, approaching to black. The
insect is a native of Para.

The two figures here given represent the male and female of
the Processionary Moth, an insect which, happily for us, has
not taken up its residence in England. The smaller figure
represents the male and the larger the female. The colour is
pale brown, with markings of a darker brown, and tlie female is
altogether darker as well as larger than her mate.

The insect derives its name from the singular haljits of the
caterpillars, which, wlien full-fed, set off in company to seek a

-aw

r^

Fig. 4U3. — Boinbyx piocebsumeii
(Pale brown, ;iiarked witli dark brown. )

place of repose in which they can pass their pupal state. This
journey they accomplish in single file, one taking the lead, the
next burying his head in the hairy tail of his predecessor, and
so on until a long and continuous line is formed. A sym-
pathetic feeling exists between them, for, if the leader should
halt even for a moment, the whole line also halts ; while, if one
of them be pushed aside, the one next in order moves up in
double-quick time, followed by its successors, so as to leave the
line unbroken.

These caterpillars are doubly disliked by the people. In the
first place they are terribly destructive to vegetation, and in the
next, their hairs, like those of several British caterpillars, liave a
horribly irritating quality, and are said to penetrate through
the clothes and so to enter the skin. Some persons aver that
they make their way even througli thick boots, but this I take

PLATE XVI.

WING WINDOWS. 669

to be an exaggeration. This irritating power remains even in
those hairs which adhere to the pupa after it has buried itself
in the earth and shed its larval skin.

, In its larval state it spins large webs for its protection, just
as our Little Ermine Moth does, and even fir-trees are so cut to
pieces by these larvte, that they seem to be nothing but bundles
of sticks and webs.

The larvte of the group of Moths called Saturniid» also spin
webs, but, instead of doing harm, the webs are utilized — some
of the best silks being made from them. I need hardly mention
the familiar names of Eria, Arrindy, and Tussore silks, all of
which are made by insects of this group.

On Plate XVI. Fig. 1 is given a figure of one of these ]Moths,
called Aitaciis Jorulla, a native of Orizaba, in ]\Iexico. As is
the case with most of its kind, it possesses .soft and rich, though
not brilliant hues, and the general impression caused by it is
that of a soft, downy, pinkish brown. Taking this as the ground
colour, we find at the base of the upper wings a well-defined
patch of which the centre is dun, surrounded first by a line of
white and tlien by a narrow boundary line of black. Through
the middle of the wing runs a waved white bar edged with
black. Then comes a faintly-defined and very irregular line,
the space between which and the edge of the wing is decidedly
pink, and towards the tip of the wing is a bold patch of dark
brown. The lower wings are coloured in much the same
manner, except that a row of dark brown marks takes the
place of the nari'ow waved line. The abdomen is pale brown,
and the thorax nearly white.

One point has yet to be noticed, namely, the transparent
patch in the middle of each wing, the object of which no one
knows. The two young ladies who have been mentioned on
page 617 asked that question, which was really a sensible one,
and perhaps deserved a better answer than they got, i.e. that
they were windows through which the insect could see the
approach of a foe. But much allowance must be made for the
feelings of a scientific man interrupted in his work.

A North Ameeican species of this group is given. Its
colours are much the same as those of the preceding insect, but

670

INSECTS ABROAD.

seem to be more compressed, if I may use that term. The
ground colour is rather pale warm brown, slightly speckled with
yellow. In the middle of each wing is a kidney-shaped mark
of dun with a white centre, followed by a whitish grey band
running across the wing. Near the tip of tlie upper wings is a

Fig. 404.— Samia Cecropia.
(Pink-brown, yellow, and white.)

bold oval mark of dark brown, followed by a pink bar which
extends irregularly to the angle of the wing. The thorax is
rich warm chestnut, with a pointed brush of hairs diverging
boldly on either side, and the abdomen is of the same hue, but
the edcre of each segment is marked with white.

In consequence of the exigencies of space, the figure of Samia
Calleta is only half the size of the insect itself However, the

THE POLYPHEMUS MOTH.

671

reader can form a good idea of the appearance of the insect b}'-
doubling in his eye the distance between the tips of the wings,
and then tracing an imaginary outline of the INIoth. The insect
is a native of Mexico.

In colour this has darker and deeper hues than the pre-
ceding insect. Taking dark brown as the ground colour, wo

Fio. 405— Haiuia Calleta.
(Dark-brown, grey, dun, and white.)

find near the base of the upper wings an angular stripe of
greyish dun, followed by a triangular spot of grey. A narrow
and slightly waving bar of pale dun traverses the whole wing,
and then becomes of a much lighter brown, warming to chestnut
towards the edge. Both pairs of wings are coloured in much
the same way, except that the waving bar which in the upper
wings is pale dun, becomes nearly white in the lower wings.

It is to be supposed that the specific name of Polyphemus was
given to the accompanying insect on account of the eye-shaped
marks on its wings. The Polyphemus of mythology, however,
had but one eye, whereas the IMoth has four, so that the only

672

INSECTS ABllOAD

mode of accounting for the nomenclatnre is to consider that one
eye is reckoned with each wing. The insect has rather a large
range of locality, being found both in North and South America.
The figure represents the male insect, in which the colours
are more distinctly shown than in the female, and the marks
more closely resemble eyes. I take the description from a
specimen in my collection. The upper wings are reddish brown,
becoming rather pinkish on the outer edge, and having a narrow
pink line running parallel with the edge. A waved mark of a
similar hue is near the base of the wing, and near the centre is

pmk, and yellov

a transparent eye-like spot. The lower wings are of a darker
colour, and the pink stripe is accompanied by one of a blackish
hue. The transparent eye-like spot is about the size of that of
the upper wings, but is so surrounded with yellow and black
as to bear a singular resemblance to a human eye with dark
eyebrows.

The body is of the same colour as the upper wings, and the
thorax is clothed with long hairs, which in the male project in
two long tufts over the base of the wings. The insect being
a very large one, the figure is little more than half its real size.

The two following illustrations represent an insect very beauti-
ful both in form and colour, the Aitacus [or Tdca] lima of North

THE LUNA SILK MOTH.

673

America. This Motli has been lived in EngLand, and might
perhaps take its pkce among the insects which supply silk for
commerce. The description is taken from a specimen in my
collection. In consequence of the size of the insect, my speci-
men measuring seven inches across the wings, the figure is
necessarily reduced.

The general colour is pale green, with two narrow bars of a
darker hue in the upper pair, one being much lighter than the

.^ '

Pig. 407.— Attaciw h:
(Pale green.)

other. A single bar of the same colour is on the lower wings.
A very decided effect is given to the outlines of the upper wings
by a stripe of dark chocolate which runs along the edge. Tt is
narrow at the tip, and becomes v.-ider at tlie base. It also
crosses the front of the white thorax, so as to produce a very
bold effect. The legs are of the same dark chocolate, and so is
the narrow line which represents the eyebrow, if it may so be

X X

G74

INSECTS ABKOAD.

called, of the eye-like spots. These are the only dark parts of
the insect.

In this species the transparent part of the eyes is reduced to
a scarcely perceptible stripe, and the ground colouring of the
eyes may be briefly described as follows. First comes the dark
chocolate eyebrow, through which runs a line of pure white,
then comes the little transparent streak, and then a patch of
dun, separated from the pale green of the wing by a narrow line

Fjg. 408.— Larva of Attacu.s luna.

of darker green. The body is covered with thick, long, white
down, which extends over the bases of both wings, and runs
along the inner edge of the lower wings for nearly half their
length. The tails are of a yellower green than the body of the
wing, and the outer edges of both pairs are marked by a very
narrow line of orange. Both the upper and under surfaces are
coloured in the same manner. The cocoon is about as large as
a pigeon's egg, and of a very dark brown.

A SLIGHTLY reduced figure is given on page 675 of another of

these silk-producing Moths called Antherea Pcrnyi. The figure

MOEE SILK MOTHS.

675

represents the female, as may be seen by the shape of the
antennas, which in the male are doubly feathered, and are
singularly beautiful.

The general colour of this insect is dun-brown, with a few
light and dark streaks arranged as shown in the illustration.
As is the case with many of these insects, the outer edge of the
wings takes a pinkish hue, and is separated from the rest of the
wing by a dark bar. The upper edge is marked by a blackish
streak, as shown in the illustration.

Fig. 409.— Anthcrea I'eniyi.
(Brown.)

The eyes of both pairs are very simihir, except that in the
upper pair the transparent portion is larger and more decidedly
circular than in the lower pair. The colouring of the under
surface is rather lighter than that of the upper, and the place of
the dark streaks is taken by a row of dark spots.

Tlie cocoon differs little in colour from the body, and the silk
wliich it furnishes is smooth and strong. I possess specimens of
the INIoth, the cocoon, and the silk, and the descriptions have
been taken from my specimens, which are Chinese.

X X 2

676 INSECTS ABROAD.

We have seen many examples of tailed insects, but few in
which the tails run to such an extraordinary length as in the
Tropcea Leto, figured at No. 1, Plate XVII. The insect is a
native of the East Indies. This is not the largest species, as it
is much exceeded by Tropma Manas of Northern India.

The colour is very simple, the light parts being greenish
yellow, and the dark parts pinkish brown. On the lower wings
there is a rather large spot of orange, and near the middle of
the upper pair is a large eye-like spot, the upper part of which
is dark brown, followed by a black curved stripe, and then by a
partly translucent spot. The tails are pink brown, and their
widened ends are yellow.

On the same Plate, Fig. 2, is shown a South African Moth
ealled Ginanisa Isis.

Though not brilliant, it is a pretty insect, having a soft owl-
like aspect, and its colours being almost every possible mixture
of brown, black, and grey, the last colour being most pre-
dominant at the base and near the outer edge. On the upper
wing there is a spot of black, followed by a transparent spot,
and on the lower wings there is a large and complicated eye, the
colours of which are arranged as follows. In the middle is a
transparent spot surrounded with black, and that again by a
larger circle of the same hue. Then comes a rather wide circle
of yellow, followed by another of pink, both being bounded by
black lines. The outer edge of the wings is dark brown.

I PRESUME that my readers are acquainted with that pretty
little bird the common Creeper. One of its scientific names is
Certhia, and the accompanying insect has been named after it
in consequence of the similarity of colouring.

In the Moth as well as the bird, brown is the leading colour,
but it is so varied and broken up with grey, black, and yellow,
that it is impossible to state what is really the ground colour.
The outer edge of the wing is yellowish, and the two light
patches near the tip are yellow. The series of angular marks are
white, and look just as if they had been painted with Chinese
white. The base of the upper wings is very dark brown. The
insect is a native of Northern India.

The genus Hyperchirea is a very large one, and is spread

PLATE XVII.

THE CEEEPEK MOTII.

677

over the whole of the West Indies. The species which is
represented on page 678 is a native of Guatemala.

As may be inferred from the specific name rubescens, or
" ruddy," a reddish tint is spread over the wings, and is more
conspicuous on the upper than on the lower pairs. The general
hue is pale yellow, washed with red, and two pinkish brown
lines traverse the upper wings, one nearly straight running from

the tip to the inner edge, and the other, a curved line, being near
the base.

The lower wings are marked more definitely than the upper
pair. The most conspicuous mark is a large circular eye. Tlie
spot in the middle is white upon an olive ground ; then comes a
rather wide circle of black and another of yellow, divided from
the brown of the wing by a narrow black line. Of the three
curved lines which run parallel to the top of the wing, the outer

678

INSECTS ABE 0 AD.

is pinkisli yellow, tlie next yellow, and the last and innermost
dark olive-green. One species, Hyperchirca lineosa, is very

Fig. 411.— Hyjiercliire-. nibesceiis
(Pink-brown and yellow.)

curiously and prettily coloured, the wings being brown, and
marked with lines by tlie yellow nervures, a peculiarity which
has gained for it the specific name of lineosa.

Among tlie Moths, examples of imitations seem to be end-
less. Already we have seen some imitations of the Heliconia
butterflies, and here we have one which actually outdoes them
in the transparency of its wings. It is a native of Spirito
Santo.

It is a most ethereal looking creature, for, as may be seen by
reference to the illustration, objects are almost as visible through
its wings as if they were made of glass or talc. The colour of
the wings is the palest, imaginable yellow, becoming rather
darker towards the base. Towards the edges some tiny black
specks are seeri, and similar specks are scattered very sparingly
over the whole surface of the wing. They have rather a curious

A TKANSPARENT MOTH.

679

look about them, which, on examination with a magnifier, is
sliown to be owing to the fact that each siDeck is a single black
scale, very long in proportion to its width. There is a slight
yellow line marking the edges of both pairs of wings. I need

Fig. 412. — Helironisa iiiipar.
(Transparent, black-speckled.)

scarcely say that the colour is exactly the same on both sides.
Even the body has a very butterfly -like aspect, as if to increase
the resemblance. The thorax has a tuft of long, pale brown down,
and the abdomen is brown above and yellow at the sides.

The genus Olisiocampa is familiar to English entomologists
on account of the pretty and variable little Ground Lackey
Moth {Clisiocampa castrensis).

The present species is spread over a considerable portion of
Europe. Like our own insect, it is so variable that to describe
it is not an easy task, the description which would apply to one
specimen being quite unsuitable when applied to another. The
male is smaller than the female, and of rather brighter colours,
the upper surface of the first pair of wings having a beautifully

680

INSECTS ABROAD.

gilded appearance, wliich extends even to the long silken hairs
which clothe the thorax and abdomen. This lovely golden hair
also runs along the edge of the lower wings, but it cannot be
seen without a favourable light, which brings it out in all its

radiance

l-'iu. 413. — (Jli.siociiuiiia syl\uti(;a ;iud Laiv
(Bi'owii and dun.)

The general colour of the larva is dark black-grey with light
grey and yellowish streaks. In the background is seen the web
constructed by this larva, which much resembles that which is
spun by the larvie of the common English Lackey Moth.

Owing to the size of the insect, which measures six inches
across the wings, the figure of Ccratocampa regalis is nnich
reduced in dimensions. It is a native of North America, and
is more common than welcome.

The colour of the upper wings is olive, streaked with light
red, and the lower wings are rust-red, paling into yellow towards
the upper edge. The thorax is rust-red, edged and streaked
with yellow, and the abdomen is coloured in the same manner,
the edges of the segments being marked with yellow.

As may be seen by the illustration on page G82, the larva is a
formidable looking creature, with its panoply of horrent spines.
In most places where it lives it is dreaded almost as much as
if it weire a rattlesnake, and very few can be found who ai'e

A FORMIDABLE CATERPILLAR.

681

bold enough to put a hand upon it. The popular name for it is
the " Hickory Horned Devil." It feeds upon the walnut and
allied trees.

Its colour is greenish yellow, and upon it are patches of
black, blae, and orange. The spikes are black and orange. The

"'■^^.l

,^ V, p^

Fio. 414.— CeraLocampa, regalis.
(Olive, red, and yellow.)

length of the full-grown larva is almost five inches, and its
formidable aspect is increased by an odd habit of wriggling
its body sharply from side to side, as if to use the spikes as
offensive weapons.

The simply-coloured but beautiful Moth which is figured "on
page 683 is an Australian insect, and is not very easy of de-
scription, in consequence of its strong tendency to variation,
both in colour, markings, and dimensions.

Brown is the prevailing character. Upon the upper wings
the brown is dark, and near the base are some silvery markings,
thrown up by a nearly black irregular streak just above them.
A row of similar silvery spots runs from the tip parallel to the

G82

INSECTS ABROAD.

outer edge of the wing. The insect derives its specilic name
from a most intricate and labyrinthine pattern of different
browns, which covers the wing, but in so subdued a way that
some trouble is needed in order to trace it fully. As this can

Fig. 415. — L^rva of Ceratocaiupa regalis.

only be done by shifting the insect about so as to change the
direction of the light, the artist has indicated rather than copied
the marks as they appear in one particular light.

The lower wings are pale brown witliout any markings, and
the sides of the body are fringed with very long broM^n hairs.

The genus Xyleutes is closely allied to our Cossus, or Goat
Moth, and both insects appear to have somewhat similar habits.

The present species is a native of North America, and as the
caterpillar chiefly attacks the black locust tree, it is popularly
known as the "" Locust Carpenter." In some parts of the country
it is so numerous that it has killed whole groves of the trees on
which it feeds. It has been found that a tree may be tolerably
protected against the insect by smearing the trunk well with
soft soap, as high as the brush can reach. This application

THE "LOCUST CARPENTEK.

683

prevents the female from gaining a foothold, and so debars her
from depositing her eggs. The oak, as well as the locust, needs
this protection.

The colour of this insect depends much upon the sex. The
female, which is larger tlian the male, is entirely grey, white,
black, and brown, while the male is generally darker than the
female, and has the hind wings of an ochreous yellow, of which

Fig. 41C.— Pielus lab}rintliicus.
(Brown and siher )

colour the female has none. When the caterpillar is full-fed, it
spins a cocoon within the body of the tree, and changes to its
perfect state about June or July. As soon as it has issued
from the tree, its first care is to find a mate, and its second to
deposit its eggs. If, therefore, by the application of soft soap
or any such substance, the Moths can be prevented from settling
on the trunks during June and July, they may be considered as
tolerably safe.

684

INSECTS ABROAD.

I HAVE already mentioned that, owing to the impending
changes among the arrangements of the Lepidoptera, the smaller
divisions of these insects will not be noticed, and only the
larger groups be mentioned. One of these is the Noctuites, of
which w^e shall have several examples.

The first is the beautiful insect called Euglypliia Meroglyphica,
both names being derived from the pattern which is traced on

-^^

Fio 417 — Xjleutts Rulmea Fn
(Bi j\Mi ^lej ind ) ellow .)

its surface. The ground colour of the upper wings is pale
golden brown, and upon it are bold lines and a dull row of spots.
The colour of the lines is shining metallic green, shifting to
blue in certain lights, and the spots are dark brown with a gloss
of copper. The lower wings are simply pale brown.

The generic name is formed from two Greek words signify-
ing " beautifully written," and the meaning of the word hiero-
glyphica is self-evident. Mr. A. H. Butler tells me that one
specimen has been taken in England, but that as this is a
West Indian insect, it has probably been brought from Jamaica
in the pupal state and developed after its voyage.

THE EUDRYAS.

685

Anotiiek beautiful insect is called Eudryas grata.
The colouring of this Moth is rather complicated. The ground
colour of the upper wings is yellow, changing to creamy white

It s Rnbmea Mile
(Brown, grey, and yellow.)

in the centre. The dark border which surrounds the wings is
deep purple-brown with a very glossy surface. The lower wings
are shining yellow, with a stripe of purple-brown near the lower

1 K 419 — L ifel\{jliui lueiogljphica
(Goldpn blown and green )

edge ; and the body and thorax are also glossy yellow, with
purjile maiks along the centre.

686

INSECTS ABROAD.

One of the most remarkable

P"iG. i-20.— Eudryas grata.
(Cream-white, yellow, and purple.)

one signifying " beautiful,'

points in this insect is the
structure of the fore-legs,
which are so thickly co-
vered in front with long
white down, that they look
as if the insect had put its
feet into a couple of white
muifs, and as it has a way
of holding them side by
side in front of the head,
the effect is very remark-
able. The insect is a na-
tive of Xorth America,
and the larva feeds upon
the grape-vine. The
generic name is formed
from two Greek words,
.ind the other " a wood-nymph."

^\"

f ^iilir^i;

Kiti. 4-Jl.— Nyctalea superciliosa.
(Brown.)

The reader would scarcely. think, on looking at the illustration

SUN-FRINGE MOTHS.

687

of Nyctalea sujjerciliosa, and seeing the simple word "brown"
given as applicable to its colouring, that it could possess any
beauty. Its specific name expresses the same idea, inasmuch
as it is a word which is sometimes used to signify anything
that is sad or dull. The generic name, Nyctalea, which signifies
"nocturnal," also refers to the dull, dark colouring. Yet, that
it does possess beauty we shall presently see.

The surface of the upper wings is rather warm brown, covered
with a profusion of marks of different qualities of brown. These
run transversely across the wing, and look as if incursive waves
of colour had washed over the wing and left their marks, just as
do the sea-waves upon a sandy shore. The only way to see
these marks properly is to hold the insect so as to look along
the wing from base to tip. The artist has therefore represented
the creature as it appears to an ordinary glance, and indicated a
few of the marks only. The insect is a native of San Domingo.
The under surface is shining grey.

The name of the next insect, which literally signifies " sun-
fringed," refers to the colouring of its wings, though in this case
the word signifies beauty,
and not dulness. The genus
is a large and very pretty
one, shining pink, white,
and gold being the leading
hues of the wings. None
of the species are large, and
some are much smaller than
che present one.

The ground colour of the
upper wings is pink -brown
with dark markings, and the
light-coloured specks that run
parallel to the outer edge are
dun. The lower wings are
grey -brown, broadly edged
with dark brown on the

lower and outer edges; while along the upper edge runs a
streak of brilliant shining gold. This gold streak exists more
or less throughout the genus, and has gained for it the name

Fig. 422.— Heliothys arniigera.
(Pink-brown and gold.)

688

INSECTS ABROAD.

of " Suu-fringe." The thorax is boldly mottled with brown
and white.

There are very few insects which have so large a range of
locality as this. There are many specimens in the British
Museum, and they were taken in the follow^ing localities, which
I give in the same order as they occur in the Museum, without
any attempt at grouping them : — Europe, Gibraltar, Navigator's
Island, Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Congo, Venezuela, Georgia, Aus-
tralia, Jamaica, Mexico, Northern India, Ceylon.

The insect called Praxis corvus is a native of Tasmania. Its
general colour is black, but with a side-light there is a gloss of

FiG. 4'20. — Praxis oci
(Sooty hlack.)

blue, like that of iron. The specific name corvus signifies " a
crow," and is given to the insect on account of this blue-black
colour, which is just that of the crow's plumage.

The upper wings are boldly scolloped at the edges, and are
crossed by three irregular bands of jet black. The lower wings
are similarly coloured, but have only two black bands, and

THE EREBID^

689

along their inner edges is a greyish down. As the nervures are
somewhat thick, they become shining in an old and worn speci-
men, and consequently make it look very different from a youn^
and fresh one. The abdomen is sooty black, with the edges of
the segments grey, and the sides rather greyish.

There is a group of large Moths called from their sombre
colours, Erebidae. The reader will remember that Erebus was
the name given by the ancient Greeks to the lower regions,

P'lo. 424, — Thysaiiira Agrippir
(Grey, brown, and black.)

which were represented by them to be dark, dull, and sombre.
In consequence of the exigencies of space, the insect is drawn
of barely half its proper size, the extended wings of the Moth
itself measuring about seven inches across. The Erebidae are
South American insects, and the present species is a native of
Brazil.

The colour is pale grey mottled and banded with brown and
black, and the wings have a curious aspect which cannot be
better expressed than by the word "^peppered."

690

INSECTS ABROAD.

The hatits of these Moths are very much like those of our
large Underwings {Catacola). They will sit motionless on the
trunk of a tree or any similar surface, the mottled grey, the
brown and black of their wings so exactly coinciding with the
object on which they rest, that they can scarcely be detected
even by a practised eye. Sometimes, when disturbed, it will
fly deliberately to some trees, suddenly whirl, and settle so
quickly that it is practically undiscoverable. Mr. Gosse men-
tions that the under side of felled trees is a favourite resting-
place for the Erebidffi. Sometimes one specimen takes a fancy
to a particular spot, " to which it resorts with such uniformity
during its hours of repose, that it may almost with certainty be
dislodged on any afternoon by giving a smart rap on the outside
of its shelter. Out it rushes with such a startling suddenness,
and with so irregular and zigzag a motion, as often to defy cap-
ture, even though we are all on the watch for it."

jWtK:^

The handsome and variable Moth called Brana calopasa is a
native of Ceylon. There is but one species of the genus at
present known to entomologists.

Although there is some variety both in the colour and the

markings, the insect
may be briefly described
as follows. The ground
colour of the upper
wings is pale brown
glossed with gold, and
the marks which stud
its surface are black,
edged with white. At
the tips of the wings
there is a large patch
of dark blackish brown,
traversed by a narrow
white bar. The lower
wings are sooty brown
edged with white.
The thorax is grey
with a brown tuft, and the abdomen is black, with a patch of
bright grey at its base, and the last few segments are of the

Fig 425 — Biana cali)] as-i
(Pale gold, blown, and black )

SNAKE-MOTHS.

691

same colour. The name calopasa is formed from two Greek
words signifying " entirely beautiful."

There is a small group of Noctuites called Opliiderides, or
Snake-backed Moths, of which we shall take two examples.
The first is Ophideres apta, a native of Santarem. The ground
colour of the upj)er wings is light brown with a pinky gloss,
and upon it are multitudinous markings, dispersed as seen in

Fig. 426.— Ophideres apta.
(Pinky brown, orange, and black.)

the illustration. Tliere are also some dark brown spots and
mottlings. One of the most conspicuous points in the upper
surface is the bold streak of pure white that is drawn across the
centre of the wings. The lower wings are more handsome than
the upper, their ground colour being orange, with a broad edge
and large spot of black washed with purple. A number of
white spots run round the outer edge of the wing.

In the Museum is a cocoon of this Moth. It is so wrapped
in leaves that it is not easily seen, but in forcing its way out,
the insect has brought with it a piece of the cocoon, so that its
Y Y 2

692

INSECTS ABROAD.

texture is visible. It is very slight in texture, like the finest
muslin, and when examined with the aid of a magnifier, is seen
to be a delicate lace-like structure, with a sort of indefinite
pattern about it.

The second species, Ophideres dividens, is a native of Java.

At the base the upper wings are brown, with a wash of olive-
green, and a broad band of the same colour occupies the outer
edge of the wing. The intermediate space is paler brown,

Fig. 427.— Ophideres dividens.
(Brown, yellow, and black. )

washed with pink. The lower wings are coloured much like
those of the last-mentioned insect, except that there is not so
much red about it, the ground colour being yellow instead of
orann-e, darkening towards the base. The thorax is soft brown,
and the abdomen yellow.

There are many species of Ophideres, and the similarity of
colour is so close that it is not easy to distinguish between several
of them. There are two, however, which stand out rather con-
spicuously from the rest. One is Ophideres Salminia, a native

LEAF-LIKE MOTHS. 693

of India and Java, in whicli the upper wings are beautifully
glossed with shining green. The other is Opiiideres sviaragdi-
jnda, in which the wings are purple-brown, on which is laid a
pattern defined as sharply as if painted with emerald -green.
The specific name is Greek, and signifies " emerald painted."

On Plate XVI. Fig. 2 is seen a Moth called Fhj/llodcs con-
sohrina, a native of Silhet.

The generic name is formed from a Greek word signifying " a
leaf," and is given to the insect on account of the singularly leaf-
life appearance of the upper wings. They are dark brown in
colour, and have a line along the centre which looks just like
the central rib of a leaf. Towards the tip the brown takes a
purple gloss, and there is a doubly curved mark of chocolate
in the middle.

The lower wings are dark brown, changing to rich purple, just
like that of our Purple Emperor. Towards the anal angle of
the wing there is a large spot of bright scarlet, with a white
centre. The body is brown, glossed with purple. The reader
will see that the distribution of the colours is intended for the
protection of the insect. The brilliant scarlet, white, and purple
of the lower wings would make it exceedingly conspicuous,
but when their glories are veiled under the leaf-like upper wings,
the insect becomes scarcely distinguishable from dead foliage.

The insect which is shown on page 094 is found in India,
China, Borneo, the Philippines, and Java.

It is one of the most variable insects, scarcely any two
specimens being alike. That which is the subject of the illustra-
tion is coloured as follows. The upper wings are dun brown
from the base to half their length, and then change to yellowish
brown speckled with black. The spots are black, edged with
white. A similar division of colour occurs in the lower wings,
except that the basal portion is chocolate. In the middle tliere
is a large oval mark of pale blue. The specimen which has been
described was taken in Silhet.

Another inhabitant of Silhet now comes before us called
Nyctipao albicincta, both names being very appropriate.

The ground colour of both pairs of wings is dark brown,

694

INSECTS ABROAD.

taking a chocolate hue towards the edges. A bold white belt
runs nearly parallel to the outer edge of the wing, and from it
diverge a number of streaks of the same colour. The specific
name albicinda, " or white-girdled," refers to this belt. In the
centre of the upper wings there is a large eye-like spot, almost
too complicated for description. It looks like a combination of

^ ^^ J

Fig. 4'28. — Potamopliora manlia.
(Brown, black, and blue )

the eye-spots on our well-known Peacock Butteriiy, some streaks
of bright blue occupying the centre, and surrounded with black,
chocolate, olive, and dun, all blending together in the most ex-
quisite manner.

There are many species of ISTyctipao, but none in which the
eye-spot so much resembles that of the Peacock Butterfly. The
generic name signifies " Night Peacock," and is given to the
insect on account of this peculiarity.

The insect which next comes before us is Australian.
It is a very beautiful sjDecies, and curiously variable. The
ground colour of the upper wings is a light chocolate, taking a

THE NIGHT PEACOCK. MOTH.

695

pinkish hue towards the tips, and being covered with a niulti-

m

Fig. 420. — Nyctif ac ilbiLiuf uJ,
(Dark brown, white, and olive.)

tilde of little brown marks. From the base of each wing a bold
streak of white runs to-
wards the tip, and is
edged on either side with
black. Five stripes run
from the tip of the wings
to the inner edge, one
being straight and the
others w^avy. The colour
of these stripes is very
variable, ranging from
white to yellow.

On the middle of the
wing is an eye-like mark,
coloured as follows. In
the centre is a crescent-
shaped spot of dark brown,
edcred with black, and being surrounded with a circle of choco-

FiG 430 — Cdlhodes oibigera.
(Chocolate and ciimson, or yellow )

696

INSECTS ABEOAD.

late. Then comes a black circle, then a white one, and lastly a
very narrow white line separating it from the chocolate of the
wing. The under wings are eitlier crimson or yellow, crossed by
continuations of the stripes of the upper wings, and the end of
the abdomen is either yellow or crimson, according to the hue
of the wings.

There is scarcely a more curious Moth in existence than that
which is here figured. It belongs to a group called Sphingo-
morphas, or Spliinx-shapcd Motlis, and affords another example

Fic!. 431.— SpliiTi^'omorpln fulgunfe
(Rfddisli brown and grey.)

of the imitative forms so often seen among insects. Tlie re-
semblance which is borne by these insects to the Hawk Moths is
so remarkably close that anyone who saw a Sphingomorpha for
the first time would be nearly certain to rank it among the
Hawk Moths rather than to place it in its proper position.

The upper wings of the insect are divided into two totally
distinct portions by two shades of brown. The upper half of
the wing is light chestnut, and the lower dark brown, the line

THE CHAMELEON MOTH.

697

of demarcation running from tip to base. Upon the wing are
drawn a number of beautiful silver-white lines, as shown in
the illustration. The lower wings are dark brown, and in the
middle there is a triangular patch of a lighter hue. The abdo-
men is light browm, barred with, a darker hue.

The strangest part of the insect is to be found in the tail,
which is furnished with a large brush of brown and grey hairs,
die former occupying tlie upper and the latter the lower
portion. The appearance of the tuft is curiously like that of
the Brush-tailed Porcupine. The hairs, Avhich are, in fact,
nothing but developed scales, are exceedingly long and flat, and
are widened at the ends so as to resemble very much elongated
battledores.

There are many species of this ^-'oup, mostly Brazilian, but
none so large as this. Mr. A. H. Butler describes a very fine
species which he has named Tarsolepis remicanda, a native of
Java, and has given an admirable figure of the insect as it
appears in life, clinging to a twig, so that the double tail-tuft
displays its peculiar con-
struction. The specific
name remicauda is Latin,
signifying " oar-tail," and
is given to the insect be-
cause the long tail-hairs
with their widened and
flattened ends look very
much like oars.

The Chameleon Moth
well deserves its name,
for it is so exceedingly va- /' /j
riable in colour that two sf^' '
specin.iens can scarcely be ,
found which are exactly
alike. It has a tolerably

wide range of country, the specimens in the British Museum
having been brought from almost all parts of Southern aiid
Western Africa.

The specimen which is here figured has the upper wings
chocolate browu from the base to nearly half their length, the

Fig. 43'2.— Acha?a Ch.ameleou.
(Brown, olive-grey, and white.)

698

INSECTS ABROAD.

remainder being browns of various shades. The lower wings
are brown, with a spot of grey in the middle, and some white
marks on the outer edge. This, however, is only one out of
the twenty-five specimens in the British Museum, in which the
colours of brov/n, grey, olive-green, chocolate, and white are so
indifferently spread over the surface that it is hardly possible
to decide upon any particular specimen as the type of colouring.

The Moth which is here figured inhabits India, Ceylon,
Sumatra, and Java, and is a pretty though not conspicuous
insect.

The upper wings are olive-brown and pink, arranged as follows.
"First comes olive-brown, extending from the base to nearly the

middle of the wing.
Then comes a pink bar,
extending completely
across the wing; and the
rest is olive-brown, with
the exceptionof a curved
pink stripe stretching
from the lower edge
nearly, but not quite,
to the tip. The lower
wings are brown, edged
with a paler hue, and
having a yellow patch
in the middle.

There are many spe-
cies of this genus, one of
which — perhaps the most remarkable in colour — has not yet been
described. The upper wings are rich deep brown, with a slight
blue gloss. Across the middle of each wing is drawn a broad
diagonal bar of chalky white, so arranged that when the wings
are closed the bars unite and form a saddle-shaped mark over
the back. The wings are edged with a row of little chalk-
white marks like the cogs of a wheel. As the thorax is
red, the appearance of the insect when at rest is sufficiently
remarkable.

The specific name fuhotmnia, or " tawny-band," refers to the
reddish bar across the upper wings.

-Ophiusa fulvotajiiia.
pink, and yellow )

THE PYRALID.E.

699

The generic name of Trigonodcs is Greek, signifying a triangle,
and is well applied to all the members of the genus. The
triangle is the chief character of the insects, no matter wliere
they may live. They
are found in India, /''"^ ' '

China, Africa, Australia, '^

and Jamaica. None of r
them reach any great I
size, the present species /
being, as may be in-
ferred from its name,
the largest of the genus.
There is but little di-
versity in colour among
them, brown, chocolate,

yellow, and grey being ' , yi^

the prevailing hues.

In the present species
the ground colour of the
upper wing is pale yellowish brown, on which are placed three

i

/'

(Brown and yellow.)

bold marks of dark chocolate-brown.

The lower wings are
yellow-grey, and the
two pointed stripes upon
them are rather dark
brown. This species
comes from Hindostan.

Of the great and im-
portant group of the Py-
ralidse we can take but
two examples, the first
of which is called Carda-
myla carinentalis, and is
a native of Australia.

It is one of the many
insects which require a
favourable light before
their beauties are appreciated. At first it looks as if it were
simply coloured with black and orange, but with a good light
it is seen to be really a splendid example of colouring.

Fig. 435.— Cardamjla carinentalis
(Oiange, grey, and purple.)

700

INSECTS ABROAD.

The ground colour of the upper wings is sooty brown, with a
glossy silky surface, and upon it are a number of lines of shining
grey glossed with gold. The lower wings are orange, with a
spot and broad edging of a colour which at first sight appears
to be black, but is really of the deepest purple, with a velvet-
like texture. Only two species of this genus are as yet known,
and both of them are Australian.

There is a small and most splendid group of Pyralidae called
Margarodidtne, or Pearl Moths, because the ground colour of their

wings is exactly like

mother-of-pearl both in

colour and in iridescence.

It is scarcely possible to

imagine anything more

magnificently dazzling

Hdlf ' [ x^^^'i^fe. ^ ^^ ^^^^"^ ^ collection of these

i>V- ^^^^'^^^ Moths, one of the largest

-4^^^^ ^^\ ^a^^^ °^ which is the present

species, a native of Do-
mingo.

The ground colour of
the upper pair of wings
is rich deep metallic
purple, washed with
green, and, as is often
the case with insects,
there are some lights in which it looks simple dark brown.
Upon this wing are drawn three bars of lustrous, opalescent
pearl. This latter colour forms the ground hue of the lower
wings, whose only other adornment is an edging of the same
deep metallic purple as that of the upper wings. The thorax is
mottled black and white, and the abdomen is barred with the
same colour, thus accounting for the generic name, which
signifies " Wolf-Tiger."

One of the most curious of the group is Phnkellura hyali'
notatis, of South America. AVith outspread wings it is very
triangular in shape, and the wings are glossy in the middle,
with an edging of gold-brown. The tail is ornamented with a
tuft of diverging oar-shaped hairs, almost exactly resembling

il and puiple )

THE GEOMETRID.E.

703

those of the Sphingomorpha. The generic name, which literally
signifies " bundle-tail," refers to this peculiarity.

As all eiitomologists know, the group of the Geometridfe is so
enormous that only a few charactei'istic species can be selected
as representatives. The name signifies " land-measurer," and is
given to the insects because the caterpillars do not crawl when
walking, but double themselves up in an arched form, and pro-
ceed as if they were engaged in measuring the ground. From

Fig. 437.— Erebomorpha fulguraria
(Brown, yellow, and grey.)

tlie shape which they then assume they are popularly called
Loopers. A full description of them will be found in " Insects
at Home," p. 446.

In the present genus the resemblance to the Erebus Moths is
so close as to earn for the insect the name of Erebomorpha.
The ground colour of the wings is brown, covered with minute
penciUings of paler brown, grey, and yellow. Over both wings
is a curious, irregular jagged pattern of greyish white lines,
which has given to the insect the name of fulguraria. or T,ight-

702

INSECTS ABROAD.

ning Moth. There is a tuft of yellow at the base of the thorax,
which, with the abdomen, is brown.

This is really a difficult insect to describe. As long as there
is any definite pattern, that j^attern can be traced. As long as
there is any definite colour, that colour can be indicated. But
there are cases, as with the present insect, where exists neither
definite pattern nor colour, and where the powers of description
are utterly baffled. Without a figure no description could be
of the least service, and, even with it, I can only offer the
following approximation to a description.

Fig. 438.— Elphos hymenaria
(Yellow, brown, grey, and black.)

Take your Moth and wet it. Take some pepper-boxes, and fill
them respectively with raw and burnt umber, gamboge, Indian
ink, Chinese white, and sepia. Shake them indiscriminately
over the Moth, let the colours all run together on the wet sur-
face, and these will be a good representation of the ordinary
colouring of this insect. Perhaps the yellow may be the pre-
dominant colour, or perhaps the white, or the black. It does

SINGULAR COLOURING.

^0'

not in the least matter, for tlie actual insects exhibit just such
eccentricity of colouring, and it is absolutely impossible to say
definitely what the ground colour really is. Some specimens
are almost entirely sooty brown, others are mostly grey, like
lichens ; in others the yellow predominates, while in some the
prevailing characteristic is a series of black blotches and spots.
It is equally variable in size, and in this insect sex has
nothing to do with the variation, some of the smallest specimens
in the British Museum being females. This specimen is a
native of JSTorthern India.

X,

The delicate-looking insect which is here represented is a
native of Sarawak, and belongs to the small family called
Micronidse.

The colour is a peculiarly soft, creamy white, with a kind of
sparkle upon it here
and there as if pow-
dered glass had been
thinly sprinkled over
the wings. On the
upper wings are six
transverse stripes of the
palest brown, four being
long stripes and the
other two short. On
the lower wings are
two stripes and a few
pencillings of the same
hue. The only positive
colouring in tlie insect
is found in the little black spots along the edge of the upper
wings, and the short streaks on the edge of the lower wings.

The specific name astheniaia signifies " enfeebled," and refers
to the paleness of the colours. Another species, Micronia jus-
tasia, of New Guinea, is almost exactly like this insect, except
that it has three brown bands on each wing. There are twenty-
nine species in the British Museum.

(. 4-; ► — Microiiia asUi(jiii;ita,
(Whioe and paltj brown.)

The genus Panagra is a very large one, and is mostly African
or Australian, from which latter country the present species

704 IKSECTS ABROAD.

was broucjht. Generally they are dull coloured and small, and

this is the only one
which takes the eye at
a first glance.

From the base to the
centre the colour of the
upper wings is dark
brown. Then comes a
stripe of greenish yellow,
and the rest of the
wing is chocolate-brown.
The lower wings are
dark brown, and in
the centre there is a
large patch of warm

I Biuwii, yellow, and uidii^a.) OraUgC.

The genus Abraxas is familiar to all English entomologists on

in, 441 — Abiaxas tign
(Orange and black.)

account of the Magpie Moths. On taking out the drawer con-

THE MAPxPIE M0TH8.

705

taining this genus, it is rather startling to come upon our Currant
Magpie and Clouded Magpie, looking like old friends in a
strange land.

The present species is a native of Northern China. In com-
mon with most insects of this genus, it is much liable to varia-
tion, as may be seen by inspecting the four specimens in the
British Museum. In one of them the ground colour is entirely
orange. In another, both pairs of wings are edged with orange,
the centre fading into greyish white ; and in the two others the
upper wings are entirely orange and the \ow'py are grey, edged
with orange. In all the spots are black.

The body is orange banded with black. The insect is called
tigrata because it bears some resemblance to the Tiger
Moths.

We now come to the beautiful group of the Erateinas, which
look so much like butterflies that a casual observer would
be nearly certain to mistake them for those insects. They
are mostly Brazilian, and
in some respects remind
the observer of the Cata-
gramma butterflies, some
of which have already
been described. Some
species are tailed, while
others have the hind
wings simply rounded.

The present is an ex-
ample of the tailed Era-
teinas. The upper wings
are olive green at the
base, changing gradually
to dark brown at the
tips. Across the centre
runs a band of pale,

shining yellow-green. The greater part of the lower wings is
orange, paling to yellow at the end of the tails, and having a
dark brown stripe on the outer edge.

This species inhabits New Granada. Another species, Erateina
Jnlia, somewhat resembles it, except that each of the lower

Fia. 44'2 —Erateina leptocinata
(Brown, green, and orange.)

700

INSECTS ABHOAD.

I'lG. 44:?.— Erateina linentn. Upper surface.
(Dark brown, green, red, ami yellow.)

wings is traversed throughout its whole length by a bold, wavy,
black stripe.

As several of the Erateinas are remarkable for the beauty of

the under surface, two
species will be given, so
as to show both surfaces
of each.

The first is Erateina
lineaia, a native of Bo-
gota. The upper surface
of the upper wings is dark
brown with a peculiarly
glossy surface, and across
the middle is drawn a
streak of pale green, very
much like that of the
preceding species, but a
trifle brighter and with
more green in it. From
the base of the lower

wings to the centre or beyond it, the colour is dark l)rown,

traversed by a number of

yellow lines, which have

earned for the insect the

specific name of lineata.

The remainder of the wing

is red, but the width of

the red edging is ex-
ceedingly variable.
The under surface of

the upper wings is rich

warm chestnut, with a

narrow gold-brown streak

running parallel with the

outer edge. A bar of

pale green coincides with

the mark on the upper

wing. The lower wings

are chestnut, warming into bright red near the tips, and upon

them are drawn a number of golden lines disposed as shown in

^^ i^/^-Af^

Fiu. 444. —Erateina liucata. Under surface.

THE ERATETNAS.

■07

Fig. 445.— Erateina regma. Upper surface
(Copper-retl, silver ami gold, and white.)

the illustration. Eound the edge of the wing are alternate
spots of very dark brown and briglit yellow, so that the under
surface of the insect is
very much handsomer
than the upper.

The last of these beau-
tiful insects is Erateina

rcgina, one of the rarest

and, as far as is at present

known, the handsomest of

tlie group. There is only

a single specimen in the

British Museum. It is a

native of Bogota.

Although the upper

surface of this insect is

handsome, it has notmuch

to distinguish it from the

other species of the same genus. The upper wings are rich

copper red, becoming darker towards the edge, and there is no

green mark across them
as is usually the case with
the Erateinas. The lower
wings are olive brown for
half their length, when
they are crossed by a
narrow wavy line of
Ijluish white, followed by
a very wide bar of black-
brown, edged with snowy
'\ white.

On the under surface
the upper wings are sil-
very grey at the base,
followed by chocolate.
N"ear the outer edge of
the wing is an indistinct

bar as of powdered silver, and across the middle stretches a

bold and Vv^ell-defined bar of burnished silver. The lower wings
z z 2

Fig. 446.— Eiateinn regina

708

IXSKCTS ABROAD.

are olive-brown at the base, traversed by gold lines. Through
the middle runs a broad silver bar edged on either side by a
line of ruddy chestnut. The next portion of the wing is
powdered with gold, and tlie rest is rich chocolate brown, edged
with snowy white.

The last of the Moths which can be described in this work
is Nclcynda redificata, a native of Darjeeling, in Hindostan.
This is the only species at present known.

Fio. 147. — Nelnyndarectiflcata.
(Brown, white, anfl grey.)

The ground colour of tli<> upper wings is soft grey-brown
towards the base, becoming darker near the tip. A little
roundish spot of white is near the middle of the wing,
which is crossed by several narrow bands of the same hue.
A row of small dark chocolate-brown spots runs parallel
with the outer edge of both pairs of wings.

The lower wings are very pale grey-brown, nearly translucent
towards the base, and they are transversely pencilled with a
brown very slightly darker than the hue of the wings.

H E M I P T ERA;

H E T E R 0 P T E R A.

HEMIPTERA

OR,

HETEROPTERA.

Both these titles are used as names of the next order of insects,
and both are appropriate. The former word signifies " half- wings,"
because the upper pair, which are analogous to the elytra of the
Beetles, are partly hard and opaque, and partly membranous
and diaphonous. The word Heteroptera signifies " different
wing," and is given to the insects because the upper wings are
partly opaque and partly transparent.

The mouth of these insects is modified into a piercing and
sucking apparatus which may be called its beak ; and there are
some species in which the beak is so sharp and strong that it
can inflict a wound on the human skin which, for a time, is
nearly as painful as the sting of a wasp. Details of this organ
may be found in " Insects at Home."

We will now pass to the foreign species of Hemiptera, taken
in the order which they occupy in the British Museum, which
arrangement can but be considered as a provisional one.

Of all the variable creatures in the world, commend me to
the insect called Cimex (or Tectocorix) Banksii. It has a very
wide range of locality, having been taken in Java, New Cale-
donia, Australia, Timor, the Celebes, and Tonga.

The specimen which is here figured is coloured as follows.
The ground colour of the insect is yellowish brown, and the
marks upon the elytra are either blue or green, according to the
light, and are glossed with gold. The marks on the thorax are

712

INSECTS ABROAD.

purple. As for the other specimens, here are a few examples of
variation : scarlet, barred with black ; blue, edged with green ;

orange, with a few
brown pencillings ; yel-
low, spotted and edged
with green ; all scarlet ;
all brown. And, as if
to carry variation to its
furthest extent, some
specimens are not half
as large as others.

Here is another in-
sect called Scutellaria
nohilis, a native of India
and Siam.

Above, the insect ex-
hibits every imaginable
shade of blue and green,

varying from deep violet to emerald. In many cases the colour,

whether it be blue or green, is so deep that no spots are visible

upon it. When, however,

the spots are visible,

they are always black.
No matter what may

be the colour of the

upper part of the body,

the under surface is in-
variably scarlet barred

with black, and the legs

are scarlet as far as the

tibia, which, with the

tarsus, is black.

mksii
w hite )

In the insect called
Phlcea corticata, there is
little room for variation,
the colour being pale
brown.

It is an odd-looking being

Fig. 449.— Scutellaria nobilis.
(Violet, green, and black.)

-the sides of the head, thorax, and

A PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE.

71.-.

abdomen being flattened nntil they are tliinner than the paper
(in which this book is printed. Each segment of the abdomen
is cut into a toothed
form at the tip, and the
combined outlines are
exceedingly graceful.
They are so thin as to
be partly translucent,
and the only opaque por-
tions of the insect are
those which are occupied
by the vital organs and
covered by the wings.

The general appear-
ance of the insect so
closely resembles that
of a piece of dead bark
or withered leaf, that it
really seems wonderful

how such an insect coukl have been detected at all. Only a
few species of this genus are knov/n, and they are all Brazilian.

Fig 450— Phlnpacorticati
(Pale tirown.)

The insect which now
comes before us is rather
widely spread, the speci-
mens in the British Mu-
seum having been taken
in India, Ceylon, J\Ia-
lacca, the Celebes, Java,
Siam, and Borneo.

Like many of its kin
it is exceedingly vari-
able, not only in the
colour, but in the num-
ber and shape of its
markings. The speci-
men which is figured is
red, with a kidney-
shaped black mark in the middle of each elytron. The ends of
the wings are dark blue-brown.

Fic. 451. — Catacauthus incaniatu.s
(Brosvn, black, and scarlet.)

714 INSECTS ABROAD.

Some specimens have a large black oval spot on the two
upper angles of the scutellum, while others have the ground

colour brown or dun.
But, no matter what
may be the colour of
the upper surface of the
elytra, the under surface
is always red.

The insect which is
here given is a native
of Para, and the speci-
men from which the
, , figure was drawn was

" 'f^ --f^ ])rought to England by
^ ' I I i('^;/'-*^^'-"'fea.\ ^\' \ I I ^ - ivJ-r. jjates.

"" ^ " It derives its spe-

FiG. 452. — Edessa cornuta. .

(Grey, brown, and yellow.) CIHC name COmuta, Or

" horned," from the
shape of the thorax, which is prolonged on either side so as to
look like a pair of horns. The colour of the thorax is rather
variable, being in some specimens pale brown and in others
greyish olive. The scutellum is yellow, and the upper part of
the body azure. The upper wings are brown with a purple
gloss, edged with golden yellow on the upper margin. Below it
is yellow pencilled with black.

The genus is West Indian, and is a very large one, more
than one hundred and thirty species being known.

Both names of the accompanying insect are descriptive, one
of its form and the other of its colour. The name Brachystdluis
is Greek, signifying " short-breasted," and is given to the insect
on account of the shortness of the thorax. The Latin name
rubromaculatus signifies "red-spotted," and refers to the large
red spots upon the black surface.

These indeed are the only colours. The ground hue is shining
black with a green gloss, and the other portions are bright
scarlet. The scutellum is very deeply punctured, and the rest
of the surface slightly so. The colour below is exactly the
same as it is above. The insect is a native of Brazil.

CONCEALED BEAUTY.

715

On Plate XIX. Fig. 3 is seen an insect with some external
resemblance to Edessa cornuta. It is a native of Sarawak, and
its name is Pygo^^latys
lancifer.

The oddly-shaped tho-
rax is blackish brown,
changing to yellow in
front. The scutelliini
is also brown, and is
lengthened behind into
a curious double spike
like two fingers laid side
by side. The ends of
the wings are very dark
brown, and the flattened
abdomen, which projects
on either side of the
wings, is barred black
and brown.

45j — Biaohystethus ruin
(Black and led )

The peculiar beauty of the accompanying insect cannot be
seen until the wings are spread. Above, its colour is soff>

brown tending to chest-
nut, and very finely
punctured. When the
wings are spread, the
upper surface of the ab-
domen is seen to be deep
velvet-black, on which
is a tesselated pattern of
rich panelled brown, the
two colours looking much
like those on the sides of
our common cockchafer.
As its name implies,
it is a native of Java,
but is also found in India.
The genus is also spread
through the Philippines; Celebes, Timor, Malacca, and Burrnah.
There are between twenty and thirty species.

Fig. 4ji.— Ttssej-atoma Javanica.
(Pale brnwi and velvet-black )

716 INSECTS ABROAD.

The name of Atlas is given to the next insect because its
enormous thorax bears some resemblance to that of the Atlas
Beetle.

It is a curious looking creature, being very much ilattt'iied,
and the thorax developed into the singular form which is here
given. This part of the insect is very shining, and has a few
l»unctures sparingly scattered over it. The scutellum is brown,
and so is the end of the wings, while the body of the wings is

1 ii <^ — Aiiiissus Atlas
(Yellow brown )

yellow. There are only two species of the genus, and both are
natives of Singapore. The other is Amissus nitidus, and is
entirely shining yellow-ljrown.

On Plate XIX. Fig. 4 is depicted an insect called Oncomeris
flavicornis, a native of Australia, New Guinea, and Ava.

It is a very handsome creature. The thorax is black, thickly
punctured, and the very long scutellum is of the same colour,
with a yellow mark running along its centre. The wings are
blue, with a yellow pattern upon them, changing to fiery copper
at their tips. The legs are black, and the hind pair are very
widened — a peculiarity which is denoted in the generic name,
which signifies " swollen legs," while the specific name signifies
" yellow-horned," and is given to the insect because the antenn^w
are briijht vellow

PLATE XIX

RESEMBLANCE TO THE ^?PIDEr; CRAB.

717

The pretty
Venezuela.

The general coloiu is black
are sundry markings of
red disposed as seen lu
the figure. The thorax
is fringed with black
hair. Below, it is mot-
tled with black and
scarlet, and along thf
sides run a row <>t
scarlet wedge-like spots?
with a black spot ni
the middle of each.

Two figures are giveii
of Dalader acutico'^Ui
One is seen on Plate
XTX. Fig. 2, in 01 (hn
to show its appearance
with closed wings ; wdiile in
figure is given with the wings

insect called Sephina furmosa is a native of
with a Molet uloss, and upon it

•4^/

th

accompanying illustration a
ad as if in flight.

Although its colours
arc. simple, being only
various shades of brown
and yellow, it is a really
pretty insect. It is flat,
with the abdomen very
much dished, and the
whole of the surface is
marked with the two
colours already men-
tioned. The thorax is
covered with tiny
spikes, just like that of
a very small spider-
crab, and these spines
make the sharp ends of
the thorax rather formidable. The specific name acutico.'^fa, or
" sharp-ribbed," refers to this structure. Towards the end of

\^x/ is\

<'io. 457. — Dalader acuticosta.
(Kiown ami yellow. )

718

INSECTS ABROAD.

the antennae is a round flattened plate.
India, Burmah, Borneo, and Siam.

Tlie insect inhabits

The species of Mictis which is here
greater part of Africa, and the present

Fig. 45S.— Mictis curvipes.
(Grey-brown <above, red-spotted below.)

Below, it

upper part of the abdomen,
cially on the sides of
the thorax. Tlie thigh -
of the hind legs is
thick, massive, boldly
curved, and furnished
with several sharp .
spikes.

Another and rather
striking example of the ^
same genus is here
given. It has a very
wide range of country,
specimens in the British
Museum having been
taken in Australia, New
Caledonia, New Hebrides, Celebes, and Ceram.

shown is spread over the
species has been selected
on account of the sin-
gular shape of the hind
legs, Mdiich has earned
for the insect the speci-
fic name of curviioes, or
" curve-footed."

The general colour
of the upper surface is
dark grey-brown, pro-
fusely punctured. The
thorax comes into a
spike at each angle, and
the antennae are black,
changing to red at the
tips. When the wings
are spread, two spots of
yellow are seen on the
is spotted with red, espe-

I I I I— Ml I sill
(Blown, Willi jellow cross on

THE OAli-FOOT.

7VJ

Above, its colour is brown, dark towards the head, and light
towards the extremity of the body. Bold yellow lines are distri-
buted in such a way on the back, that when the wings are
closed they assume the form of St. Andrew's cross, and thus
give rise to the specific name synibolica. When the wings are
opened, the abdomen is seen to be reddish above, and below it
is pale ]irown.

Both names of the following insect refer to the shape of its
hind legs. The generic name is formed from two Greek words,
one signifying " a flat plate " and the other " a leg." The specific

Fio. 460. - Petascelis remipes.
(Brown, yellow, and chocolate.)

It is a native of

name is Latin, and signifies "oar-footed.
Southern Africa.

The thorax is brown edged with yellow, and having a stripe
of the same colour down the centre. The wings are chocolate-
l)rown, deepening at the tips. Below," it is brown slightly
mottled with yellow. The most conspicuous point in the insect
is the structure of the hind legs, which are very large, flattened

720

INSECTS ABROAD.

like an oar-blade, and are edged on the inside with
thick red down.

coating of

In many of the Hemiptera the two sexes can easily be distin-
guished by the hind legs, the thighs of which are large in the
male and small in the female. This is the case with Molchina
compressicornis, which is a native of Para.

The general colour of this insect is velvet-black, with a
number of metallic emerald-green scales. If examined by the

. 4ol. — Molchina cuiiipn
(Black, witli emeraM spots.)

aid of a magnifying glass, these scales are seen to be gathered
tliickly round certain centres. This is most conspicuous on the
wings. Their ground colour is brown, powdered with golden
scales, and upon each is a velvet-black spot surrounded with
several rows of the most brilliant emerald scales.

The ends of the wings are bronze, and below it is purple-
brown, changing to pinkish on the sides. The antennse are
black, except the first half of the flattened portion, which is
yellow.

Flatteninc; in unexpected places is one of the principal
characteristics of the Remiptera, in which the legs, the antennae.

TI]K SAMK IXSKCT IX TWo STA0K8.

^21

the thorax, the abdomen, and sometimes the whole body, are as
flat as if they had passed between rollers.

In the genus Metapodius, of which the present insect — a
native of Brazil — is a good example, the hind legs are the
portions affected. The colour of the insect is a dull red-brown,
much like that of a cockroach, the former hue predominating
in a line along the middle of the hind legs. In those limbs the
thigh is round, while the tibia is quite flat, except a naii'ow red
rid^e which traverses the centre. All the let>s are armed witli

many spikes on the inner edge. It is a very odd-looking insect,
and when the large hind legs are stretched at right angles
with the body, its aspect is absolutely ludicrous. Below, it is
lirown flecked with white.

In the two following illustrations the same insect is repre-
sented in the perfect and larval stages. This is a Mexican
insect, and in either stage of existence is very handsome. The
principal colours are scarlet and black. This bold contrast of
colours is well shown on the flattened portions of the antennae,
one half of which is scarlet and the other half black. The
wings are velvet-green, traversed witli shining yellow stripes,
:-5 A

722 INSECTS ABROAD.

and at the tips they change to copper-green. The lower wings

Pig 463. — Pachylis gigas.
(Green, scarlet, and black.

are shining purple, and the upper surface of the abdomen is

Fig 404.— Larva of Pacliylis gigas.
(Black and scarlet.)

scarlet. Beneath, it is dull white. These colours are exceed-

SINGULAR STRUCTURE OF THE ABDOMEX. 72?)

ingiy brilliant even in the dried specimen, but in the living
insect must even be more vivid.

The Larva is coloured very much like a harlequin, the whole
of the creature being alternately red and' scarlet, with the ex-
ception of the undeveloped elytra and the spots along the back,
which are bright yellow.

Another species of the same genus is here given. This is a
native of Orizaba.

Without being so gorgeously coloured as its relative, it is a
very handsome insect, and is remarkable for some peculiarity

u:.. 4r,-, -rarhylis iu-utau-ului
(Black, orange, and purple.)

of form. The flat plate on the antenna? is half yellow and half
black. The thorax is dark brown, and the wings are black,
traversed with orange lines. Towards the tips they become
olive green with lines of metallic copiiery red. The males have
the thighs of the hind legs very much thickened and armed
with sharp spikes. The most characteristic point in this insect
is, however, the structure of the abdomen, which is much flat-
tened, and has each segment developed into a sharp point, as is
indicated by the specific name, which signifies something which
has sharp angles.

?. \ 2

724

INSECTS ABROAD.

On Plate XIX. Fig. 1 may be seen a representation of Diactor
hilineatus. The former of these words signifies a conductor, or
steersman, and is given to the genus because the hind legs are
flattened so as to resemble the peculiar oar or paddle with
which the ancients, who had no real rudders, were accustomed
to steer their vessels.

It is very variable in size and colour, but tis a rule it is dark
red-brown, with two yellow stripes on the thorax and passing-
over the head. The upper surface of the abdomen is green.
The flattened blades of the hind legs are reddish, tipped with
yellow, and having several yellow spots upon them, mostly, but
not always, four in number. It is a remarkable fact that even
the larva has the flattened hind legs.

The genus Chariesterus appears to be exclusively a South
American one, and, as far as is known, all the existing species

came from that part of the
world. None of them attain
any great dimensions, the
present species being the
largest. The figure is
slightly magnified in order
to show the peculiarities of
colouring and form.

The general hue of the
upper part of the body is
red-brown, and that of the
extremity of the wings is
dark brown; the antenmip,
with their flattened joints,
being of the same hue.
The lower wings are trans-
lucent. The upper surface of the abdomen is velvet-black, and
its edges are white.

(>i! — Chauestcius iinestu>.
(Reddish biown )

When its wings are closed, the accompanying insect bears a
singular resemblance to our common Wasp Beetle {Clytus arietis).

The colour of the upper wings '^is brown, with two yellow
patches, and crossed with a bar of translucent material. The
body is f'ark brown, barred with yellow, and so sha]')ed that

LENGTH OF LIMP.

725

when the insect is seen in profile with spread wings, it looks

almost exactly like one of our common sand wasps. It is a

native of New Guinea, and

one of the many insects tliat

were captured there by Mr.

Wallace. The figure is

slightly enlarged.

It has been already men-
tioned that many of the
Hemiptera are flattened in
various places. In the next
insect, the body is very much
flattened, and the limbs are
greatly elongated. It is a
native of India, Sia.m, Java,
and the Philippines.

The general colour of this
insect is I'eddish brown. The upper wings are red at their base,
and have a large black spot on the upper edge. At the tip
they become dark browni with a blue gloss, and, when crossed

Fiij. liiT. — Marcius generoBus.
(Dark lirown and yellow.)

•0/- -

[(, lt)S —Mam 1 iii-i ui ^
(KiiUMi mrl ic.l )

upon each other when the creature is at rest, are so dark as to
look quite black. The long antennoe are black, and so are the
legs except the thighs, which are red. The abdomen is very

'26

INSECTS ABROAD.

flat and scooped, and is red above. Below, the insect is red
spotted with black.

The genus to which Ranatra Asiafica belongs is a very large
one, and is spread over the greater part of the world.

The present species, as its name imports, is an inhabitant of
Asia. If they are, as is likely, as tierce, voracious, and com-
bative as our comparatively small species, some of the exotic
insects must be rather formidable. Our own species are a.s
fearless and as quarrelsome as the great Eove Beetles, and attack
everything to which they may choose to take an objeetion.

■d A.siai
vn.)

Their mode of attack is exactly like that of the Leaf Insects,
which have already been described, their fore-legs being used
as weapons which can be used with' singular swiftness and
address. These limbs are employed for capture as weU as for
striking, the tarsus doubling over on the tibia so as to enclose
any insect which may be struck. The colour of this species
is reddish brown, and in the British jMuseum there are many
specimens not yet named.

The insect which is represented in the accompanying illustra-
tion is the largest of the Hemiptera, and is really a formidable
creature. It is here only represented about half its real dimcn-

LENGTH OF THE BEAK.

727

sions, tlie length of a full-grown specimen being little sliort of
five inches, and the spread wings measuring more than seven
inches from tip to tip. It can strike sharply with its fore-legs,
capture prey, and draw it to its large, sharp, and powerful beak,
which is then driven into the body and the juices sucked.
Seeing that several of our little Naucoridas, to which family this
insect belongs, can inflict a painful wound with their beaks, I
should think that the Belostoma could not be handled without

ft:

^4.

extreme care, its beak alone being nearly as long as the entii-e
Naucoris.

The colour of tliis insect is brown, the thorax having a
yellowish edge. Beneath, it is paler than above. This species
is a native of Pani.

The last of the Hemiptera which can be mentioned in this
^\•ol■k is the little insect wdiieh is popularly known as the
Chinch-bug (Microj^i's Icucojjfcn'x.)

728 INSECTS ABROAD.

It is a Nortli American insect, and is one of the pests of the
country, feeding in its larval state upon the roots of wheat, and
sometimes destroying half the crops of a district. On pulling
up a wheat-plant, hundreds of the minute eggs may sometimes
be seen adhering to the roots, where the mother insect has
placed them, having made her way underground for that pur-

Kro. 471.— Micropus leui'optevus,
(Blackish : white wings.)

pose. Fortunately the larva is killed by wet, so that a rainy
season will be of the greatest service by destroying the young
larva before they are able to produce young in their turn.
In droughts, howe\'er, the Chinch-bug increases with fearful
rapidity, and though the insect feeds chiefly on wheat, it does
not disdain other vegetables. In fact, as an aggrieved farmer
said of the insect, " nothing comes amiss to it."
The fiouve is necessarily magnified.

HOMOPTERA

HOMOPTEEA.

The Homopteea, or Equal-winged Insects, are so called be-
cause both pairs of wings are of tlie same character. The mouth
is modified into a proboscis, and the feet never have more than
three joints. In our own country the species are but small, and
not at all conspicuous, but in other countries they often attain

Fic. 47'2. — Cicada sejiterndeccin.
.Green; wiiiiis eilgerl with brown.)

a great size, and play a conspicuous part in the economy of
Nature, mostly as destructive agents.

One of the most celebrated examples of the kind is the insect
so familiar in North America under the name uf Seventeen-

732 INSECTS AHUOAD.

years Locust. It has gained this name from its ahnost regular
recurrence in the same spot once in every seventeen years. It
does not appear and disappear simultaneously over the whole
country, but takes one district at a time, appearing in vast
swarms, doing great damage for a season, and then vanishing
until the time for its next periodical visit. In some places its
teim of re-appearance is thirteen years.

Its colour is green, and the wings are edged with brown.

Another example of the Cicadas is given on Plate XVIII.
Fig. 1, where Cicada adusta is mentioned. I very much regret
that want of space debars me from inserting a long and very
interesting account of the habits of certain species of Cicada,
which I had preserved for this work. Suffice it to say that
they are tree-feeders, and that the males are remarkable for the
loud shrilling noise which they produce by means of an appa-
ratus called the " drum," Mdiich is placed in the under side of
the thorax, and is covered with a horny plate that can mostly
be seen from the upper surface of the insect.

The present species is a native of Siam and Java, and is
rather variable. Being a very large insect, the figure is neces-
sarily reduced one-half. In some specimens the wings are
wholly translucent, as shown in the illustration, and in others
they are spotted wnth brown at the intersections of tlie nerviu^es.
Their whole surface is extremely iridescent.

The remarkable insect called Cystosoma Saundersii is a
native of Australia, and is a singular example of imitation,
being almost exactly like the Cystocoelia which has been de-
scribed on page 342.

In this insect the abdomen of the male is extremely large,
and quite hollow, the vital portions only occupying a slight
streak of thicker substance on the lower surface of the abdomen.
The horny cover of the ''drum," to which reference has been
made, is seen just at the base of the lower wings. The object
of this singular structure is uncertain, but some entomologists
think that the hollow abdomen may increase the resonance of
the sound produced by the drums.

The female has a much smaller abdomen, but it is solid aiid
opaque, whereas that of the male is quite translucent. The

PLATE XVIII.

THE LANTERN FLY.

73:-5

general culour is green. The upper wings are pale green, witli
he nervnres of the lower surface traced in a hrighter green, and

the lower wings are translucent and iridescent. Three species
of this genus are known, all Australian.

The accompanying illustration represents one of the most
extraordinary of the insect race, the celebrated Lantern Fly,
respecting whose luminosity a fierce controversy has long raged.
When Madame Merian first described this insect, she mentioned
very graphically its wonderfully luminous properties. Succeed-
ing observers, however, flatly denied the luminosity, and attri-
l)uted it to mere invention on the part of Madame Merian.

The conflicting accounts, however, can be easily reconciled.
In all luminous insects the luminosity is capricious, and only
endures for a certain time, so that many persons might observe
the Lantern Fly carefully and never see its luminosity. There is,
however, no doubt that the creature is luminous, as is shown by
the fact that a description of the insect has been written by its

■:U

INSECTS ABROAD.

own liglit. There are four luminous spots, two on the upper
surface of the abdomen, just below the thorax, and two on the
under surface. The former give a purple and the latter a green
light. Mr. F. Smith has pointed out that the body of the insect
is covered in parts with a white efflorescence, like that of our
glowworm.

The wings are brown, with a large eye-like spot on each of
the lower pair, and the enormous head is as hollow as the

(Wings

Fig. 474.-- Fulgora latoniaria.
and chestnut ; head crimson, yellow, and bine.)

abdomen of the Cystosoma, and coloured with the most brilliant
crimson, yellow, and blue. In Honduras, tliis insect is popu-
larly called " La IJelle."

We now come to some of those odd-looking insects which are
popularly called Chinese Lantern Flies, and are found in every
collection of insects brought from China. It is very difficult, to
judge of the real colours of these insects, as the hues fade almost
immediately after deatli. 11ie form, however, is of more im-

CHINESE LA.NTEEN FLIES.

735

portance than the colour. Like the Lanteni Fly, the head of
the accompanying insect, which is a native of Java, is largely
developed and hollow. Its chief peculiarity is the manner in
which it is covered with multitudinous spikes, short, sharp, and
sturdy, the use of which it is difficult even to conjecture. The
colour of the wings is brownish green, spotted with black.

Fio. 475.— Pyi;qps nobilis.
(Brown, gi-eeii, and black.)

There are many species of this genus found in Africa, India,
and Ceylon, and they vary much in dimensions, some being no
larger than the common house-fly.

Another of these creatures is Hotinui> mbocellatns, a native
of various parts of China.

The general colour of the upper wings is pale ruddy brown,
with a number of indistinct dark red spots, surrounded with
yellow, upon them. Towards the tips they become greenish.
There is a reddish patch upon the lower wings, and a somewhat
vague pattern in brown.

73<;

INSECTS ABKOAI

It is one of the luminous insects. A general officer who was
in Hong Kong saw a number of boys throwing stones at an
object on the wall, which, according to his account, shone like
a star. He hooked the object down with his cane, brought it
into the house, and found that it was the species which has
been fiffured.

Fig. 476. — Hotiuus suboeellatus.
(Brown-green, indistinctly spotted.)

On Plate XVIII. Fig, 2 is shown another species of this
remarkable genus. It is a native of Ceylon.

The upper wings are blackish grey, profusely spotted and
mottled with white. The lower wings are grey, changing to
black towards the lower edges.

The pretty insect which is next shown is a native of
Venezuela, and is coloured in rather a complicated fashion.

STRAXGK FORMS.

737

yellow collar. The upper wings

The thorax is green, with a
are greenish, spotted with
white towards the base.
Then comes a broad, waving
band of cream-white, and
the two patches at the tip
of the wing are green.
Tlie lower wings are orange
at the base, and tend to a
pale yellow towards the
tips.

Among the Homoptera,
variety of form seems to
run riot, and we have in
the present instance one of
the most singular forms that could l;)e imagined

oceia combust I
e, and orange )

Anyone

^^^

-^

. I 11 ii-iiina.

t anil white processes.)

unacquainted with entomology could hardly believe that it really
3 p.

788

INSECTS ABROAD.

was an insect and not the creation of some fantastic manu-
facturer of sham insects. It is a native of Mexico.

The general colour of the insect is pale green, but it has upon
its head a crest of long soft, silken, gold-coloured hair. The
whole under surface of its body is covered with a white downy
secretion, which looks as if the insect had been hastily made
from cotton- wool. The long fibres that trail behind the insect
are of similar material, and look very much as if they had been
made of cotton-wool loosely twisted between the hands. There
are many other insects which secrete a similar substance, but
we have not sufficient space even to mention them.

We shall now come to several insects of most extraordinary,
not to say grotesque, forms, the first of which is called Hemi-

ptycha punctata. It is a
native of Brazil, and in
order to show its peculiar
form the figure is slightly
enlarged.

The enormous thorax
covers the whole upper
surface of the insect, widen-
'__ ing and stretching out its
two horns at the upper
end, and projecting in a
point at the other end,
__ until it overpasses the ab-
domen. The colour of the
thorax is yellow, mottled
with black, and it is thickly
its centre runs a narrow line of
shining black, and another line of a similar character runs from
the tip of one horn to that of the other.

The upper wings are yellowish in the centre and brown lound
the edges, and the lower pair are simply pale brown. It is a
large genus, and most of the species are Brazilian.

Fig. 479.— Hemiptycha punctata.
(Black niid yellow.)

and deeply punctured. Alonf

On Plate XVIII. Fig. 3 is shown an insect called Flata [or
Pceciloptera'\ circulata.

It is a native of Java, and is a very pretty insect, the colours

A MYSTEKIOUS AUMATUKE. 739

of the upper wings being brown and white, and those of the
lower pair pure white. Some species of this genus, as, for
example. Flata margineUa of N'orthern India, have the females
tlocculent like those of the Phenax, while the males have broad
expansive wings, and no fiocculence. There are many species of
Flata, spread over the warmest parts of Asia, New Guinea,
South Africa, and other countries.

Hrre is another of the eccentric formations so often seen in
the Homoptera. The figure is enlarged to rather more than
twice the size of the real insect, so as to show the singular
structure. Its body is studded with long and curved spikes,
and in this respect it very
much resembles the strange
little beetle {Amjohisicrnus
Satanas) which has been
described on page 273.
Putting the spikes aside,
the outline of the insect
when seen in profile has a
cuiious resemblance to that
of a large ant. This species
inhabits the lower Amazons.

The general colour of the
insect is pale yellow, with
some black streaks on the
front of the thorax ; and the
spikes, together with the

two projections in the middle of the body, shining black. In
consequence of these long spikes, it has received its specific
name. There are many species, of which this is by far the
largest, and some are quite tiny.

Any classical reader will remember the hero (Edipus, and the
origin of his name, which signifies " swollen foot." The insects
of the genus OEda have received their name from the singular
structure of their body. We have seen one or two examples of
insects in which the abdomen is swollen and empty, but in these
the whole body is little but a skin as empty as a blown bladder
the vital and muscular parts being scarcely perceptible.
3 B 2

740

INSECTS ABROAD.

Ill these insects the whole body is composed of a material
very much resembling the wing of a dragon fly, except that the

nervures form two kinds of
meshes, the one large and
square, and the others small
and hexagonal, which fill up
the space between the large
meshes. In this species
the colour is reddish yellow,
but in another, (Eda infor-
mis, the creature looks
exactly as if it were nothing
but the cast skin of some
insect, so colourless and
translucent is the whole of
its structure. Both species
are Brazilian. The figure
is about twice the size of the real insect.

Flc. 4s| —ilA 1
(Reddi&h and tiaii'^ci

As will he seen in the two following insects, the thorax is the

— Bocydium tintimiabnl:nif ■
(Brown, black tboiax.)

part in which eccentricity of form seems to have reached its
utmost limits.

MODIFICATIOXS OF THE TUOliAX.

741

The first of tliein isBoci/dito/i tintinna'bulariferuin,^, native of
Brazil. Altliougli the largest of the extensive group to which it
belongs, it is but a little creature, being about as long as a com-
mon house-fly, but not so stoutly made. The colour of the body
is 23file brown, while that of the thorax, with its extending
appendages, is black. The form of these appendages can be
better seen by reference to the illustration than by description.
The four round knobs look very much like hawk-bells, and have
given rise to the long specific name, which signifies " bell-bearer."
They are covered with long black hairs.

The generic name Hyi^acmclie.nia signifies " high-necked," and,
as may be seen by reference to the illustration, is very appro-
priate. The figure is much enlarged, the insect being about as

1 iL. 4> -H\psaiuhenia ■W( stw .
(1 1 )\Mi , black thoi i\ )

large as the preceding species. It is one of an extensive group
all of which are remarkable for the singular development of the
thorax, and its division into a fork-like extremity. It is rather
variable in point of hue, but the average colour of the body is
pale brown, and that of the thorax blackish brown. It is a
native of the Philippines. One species, Hijpsauclienia Harcl-
wichil, has the extremity of the thorax just like a pair of sugar-
tongs, the ends of the fork being flattened into a spoon-like
shape.

74:

INSECrS ABROAD.

The genus Cercopis is familiar to English entomologists by
means of the pretty Scarlet Hopper {Cercopis sangitinolcnta),
whose scarlet and black wings look so beautiful upon the fern-
leaves on which the creature loves to rest.

The present species, which inhabits the Philippines, is a very
larcre and fine one, though it does not possess tlie brilliant hues
of its English relative. The thorax is yellowish brown, thickly
and finely punctated and wrinkled. The scutellum is black,

Fig. 4S1.— Cercopis Theora.
(Blue, black, and yellow.)

and the abdomen yellow. Tlie upper wings are blue-black, with
deep yellow marks, and the lower wings are brown, changing to
yellow on the upper edge.

Closely allied to the preceding insect is the handsome species
which is shown in the illustration. Not long ago it was con-
sidered as belonging to tlie genus Cercopis, but has lately been
removed to its present position. It inhabits Brazil, and is one
of many species, most of which are natives of the same
country.

It is really a beautiful insect. The ground colour of the upper
wings is warm chestnut at the base, changing graduall}' to red
at the tip. The bold markings are black, glossed with blue, and

THE TETTIGONIAS.

743

the shape of tlie mark at the base lias gained for the insect its
specific name, which signifies "forked." The lower wings are

i ^ i L uj 1^ luicata

(Buck, bcailet, and Molet )

dark brown, edged with very pale brown, and the abdomen is
shining metallic violet.

Perhaps many of my readers may remember the pretty
little Tettigonias, that look
so much like beetles, and
whose brilliant colours are ^^.^
so lovely as the insects
march about the white
fiowers which they love.
The insect which now comes
before us belongs to this
group, and, although not
possessing the vivid colour-
ing of its lesser British re-
latives, is yet a pretty crea-
ture, its markings being
bold in form and rich in
colour.

The ground hue of the upper wings is yellow, and upon it ari

f'lG 4s0 — Procoiiia atra.
(Brown and yellow.)

iU

INSECTS ABROAD.

sundry streaks of dark brown, arranged as seen in the illustra-
tion. The lower wings are pale brown, without any distinctive
markings. The colour of the body is dull blackish brown, very
much like that of our glowworm, and along each edge is a row
of bright yellow spots. It is a native of the West Indies.

The group of Homopterous insects known by the name of
Coccidffi is a very well-known one. To gardeners it is better

>^-;

■^^^^Y*- - N»-Xi^' ^||«l Jl\)

Fk:. 4i!>7. — Coccus Sineii:
(Brown.)

known than loved, as they are terrible enemies in the orcliard
and greenhouse under the popular names of Scale Insects and
Mealy-bugs. The former are so called on account of the shape
of the female, who looks like a convex scale stuck to the leaf ;
and the latter derive their name from the flour-like secretion
which is copiously emitted from the body.

LAC AND COCHINEAL INSECTS. 745

In trade, the Coccidre are familiar as being the producers of
a sort of wax (which is more used in China than in England),
of the useful substance called " lac," and, above all, of the in-
valuable " cochineal" dye. The first of these species is shown
in the illustration. The male is very small, winged, and flies
freely in search of a mate, whereas the female is fixed to one
spot, dies there, and her withered body becomes the shelter of
her young.

From the body of the female is exuded a wonderful amount
of a white secretion, which, when collected, melted down, and
strained, has many of the properties of wax, and is generally
called by that name. In the British ]\Iuseura there are many
specimens of the insect, together with a lump of the wax, which
looks almost exactly like spermaceti. There are also specimens
of other wax-making Coccidije, mostly belonging to the genus
Ceroplastes, of the Lac Insects, and the Cochineal.

The last of the Homoptera which can be described in this

>.

^, / / 1^^-^

V^v^>-^4■

it..

Bk 1 ^ --( ill 1 11 1^ W p&twoodii.
(Pak liiowu , wlutt tiain)

work is an example of the singular genus Callipappus, a male
of which is here shown.

As to the female, she is simply hideous. She is a big, black,

746 INSECTS ABROAD.

plump, flat, grub-like creature almost an inch and a half in
length, and looking as if she would burst if touched.

The male, on the contrary, is a beautiful, though not brightly
coloured insect. The body and wings are pale brown, but from
the tail proceeds a train of soft glistening white threads, look-
ing exactly like the tails of the spun-glass birds which are so
popular at bazaars. This species is a native of Australia.

DIPTERA.

DIPTERA

As their name implies, the Diptera possess only two Avings.
These, again, cannot be folded, and the place of the lower pair
is taken by two little winglets or balancers. The mouth is
formed for suction. Without going further into technical de-
tail, we will proceed to a short description of the insects which
have been selected as examples.

I 1 4s1 -Tiiuli iniciat
(\ellow and black. y

Everyone is familiar with the group of flies called Tipulidaj,
the various insects known by the popular title of " Daddy Long-

750

INSECTS ABROAD.

legs." These creatures strike unutterable terror into many minds,
the generality of people thinking that they possess venomous
stings, while others are almost equally terrified by the legs,
which to them are inexpressibly revolting. Why anyone should
object to an insect's legs is rather unaccountable. That they
.should fear the sting or the jaws is intelligible enough, but that
they should fear the legs more than the wings is not so easily
understood.

The present species may perhaps lay claim to being the largest
and the handsomest of them all. Its colours are black and
yellow, which even extend to the enormously long legs. The
mode of flight employed by the insect is very remarkable.
Instead of allowing all its legs to dangle beneath it, the creature
stretches its two fore-legs in front of it, on the same principle
employed by the heron when it stretches out its long neck in
flight. This species inhabits Australia.

The Greek word Ctenoplwra signifies "comb-bearer," and is
given to the insects of this genus because the antennae of the

Fig. 4yU. — Cteiiopliora gaudens. [Female.]
(Yellow, tirown, and black.)

males are becnutifully and deeply toothed. They are gracefully
curved, the teeth being inside the curve, so that they look like
two delicate plumes. Several species of this genus inhabit
England, such, for example, as Ctc7iophora pectinirornis and
Ctenoplwra hiwacalatu.

BREEZE FLIES AND GAD FLIES.

751

The figure which is here given represents a female, the male
being much smaller. The whole of the thorax and body is
yellow, except the end of the abdomen, which is black. The
wings are brown, with the exception of a patch of yellow to-
wards the tip. The insect inhabits the Celebes.

Teiere is a large group of Diptera, scientifically termed
Tabanidte, and popularly known as Breeze Flies, Gad Flies,
or Clegs. Their mouths are developed into a piercing appa-
ratus, which is so powerful that it can be driven through the
tough skin of cattle. These
insects attack man as well
as beast. They made my _ -.^^^^S^\ \\f/i
life a burden to me in the "^ '-=-^— -
jSTew Forest, until I repelled
them with paraffin, even
driving their beaks through
thick woollen clothing.

Our species are bad
enough in the way of an-
noyance, but some of the
foreign species are very
much larger than ours, and
have propoi'tionately power-
ful means of offence. One

of the most important genera of these flies is Pangonia, several
examples of which will be given. The first is Pangonia fulvi-
ihorax, a native of Br'azil.

The ground colour of this insect is shining black-brown, but
the thorax is covered with a dense coating of golden yellow
down, having a silken gloss, and looking something like yellow
velvet. The abdomen is without the down except at the end
and on the sides, where the yellow hairs are rather sparingly
planted. The wings are shining brown.

Ftc 4^1 — P%n„onu luhitl ir
(.Black with yellow down ;

On Plate XX. Fig. 1 is shown Fungunia lungirostris, a native
of India.

Its colour is brown, like that of our common Drone Fly, barred
with yellow. Its specific name signifies " long-beaked," and,
indeed, the proboscis is so long in proportion to the body, that

752

INSECTS ABKOAD.

the insect is said to be incapable of attacking cattle except on
the wing. In common, however, with many of the Tabaniche,
it draws much of its nutriment from flowers. The proportionate
dimensions of the proboscis may be gathered from the fact that
whereas an ordinary specimen measures ten-twelftlis of an inch
in length, the proboscis is two inches and a half long.

Another of these long-beaked insects is here given, wdiich, as
its name implies, is a native of Amboyna. It is a pretty insect,

I [( 4 12 — Piiigouia Ambomensib
(Bi jw 11, bUck, and j ellow )

with a bee-like aspect about it. The colour is very dark brown,
with a coating of yellow down on the thorax, and a black band
across the base of the abdomen.

We now take an example of the typical genus, Tahanus
hilaris, an East Indian insect.

The general colour is reddish brown. The head is white, tlie
thorax is traversed by two grey streaks, and the abdomen by
three similar stripes. The large compound eyes are divided into

PLATE XX,

W^'

!!ill»ll|,IIMll!l!

ffUl

11 "^ "' ,1 hi

THE BREEZE FLIES.

753

upper region is composed of very

two distinct regions. The
large facets, while the
remainder is composed of
ver}^ small facets. This
remarkable arrangement
of the facets is found in
several other insects.

There is a genus of
Tabanidse called Acantho-
mera, or "thorn-legged,"
because a sharp spike
projects from the end of
the thigh. They are very
large insects, and much
resemble the grey flies
popularly known as Mil-
lers, except that they arc
much larger.

The species which is here given is Pjrazilian. I'hc abdomen
is dark brown, and so is the thoiax. The latter, however, is

Fig, 493 — Tabanus ]iilari.s.
'Deddish brown.)

I 111! niera Heydenii.
iid siher gi-ey.)

covered with a coating of silken down, arranged in stripes of
silver-grey, black, brown, and white. The eyes are so large
that the multitudinous facets of which they are composed are

754

INSECTS ABROAD.

visible even without the aid of a lens, and even in death they
retain something of the sheen which makes them so beautiful in
life. The pattern on the centre of the wing is yellow and brown.

Another species of tliis genus, Acanthomera magnifica, is
shown on Plate XX. Fig. 2. It inhabits South America. The
abdomen is rich ruddy chestnut, and the thorax is silver-grey,
striped with dark brown. The thighs are yellow, and the rest
of the leg brown. The wings are very pale yellow, with a slight
pattern of brown on them.

With the genus Mydas we close our account of the Tabanid?e.
Our first example, Mydas Jilatus, is a native of North America,
and is rather a handsome insect. Its general colour is dark

Fig. 495.- Mydas filatus.
(Brown and yellow.)

brown, relieved by a broad yellow band at the base of the abdo-
men. The wings are brown and iridescent. One of the most
beautiful of the genus is Mydas dives of Brazil, in which the
body is shining metallic blue.

The largest of these insects is Mydas giganteus, also a native
of Brazil, which is shown on Plate XX. Fig. 3. It appears at
first sight to be black, but in a good light is seen to be of a very

THE BLADDER FLY. 755

deep blue, this colour being imperceptible except with a strong
light directed upon the insect from the side. The wings are
rather dark brown at the base, and become lighter towards
the tips.

Fig 490.— Tricoptliaima \eteh
(Brown, white, and yellow.

Of the family Acroceridse we shall take two examples, the
first of which is Trkcrptlialma, vetdinca, a native of Australia.

This pretty insect is
covered with a thick dark ^r^" l^
brown down, which has a '' ^ '
velvety look about it. On
the sides of the thorax is
long grey down, and the
longitudinal stripes upon
it are white. The abdo-
men is also brown, but the
edge of each segment is
marked out with a narrow
ring of short bright golden
hairs. There are many
species of this genus, most

of which are Australasian, though some are found in Southern
Africa, and others in Europe.

The rather odd-looking insect which goes by the name of

Exdasis himens is a na-
tive of Brazil. In order
to show its structure the
better, the figure has been
enlarged about one-third.
The ground colour of
the insect is shining
black, but the whole of
the thorax and a great
part of the abdomen are
covered with thick tawny
down, looking very much
like the fur of a mole.
The edges of the segments
of the abdomen,, however, are without the downy coating, so
3 c 2

Fig. 497. — Exeta.sis tuniens.
(KrowTi and black.)

756

INSECTS ABROAD,

that tliey are shining jetty black, and the same colour extends
upwards in a triangular form, as seen in the illustration. The
wings are ashen grey. The specific name, tumens, signifies
" swollen," and is one of the characteristics of the family,
wliich are sometimes called Vesiculosa, i.e. Bladder Flies.

We now come to the Asilidas, some of the finest of the insect
tribes. They prey upon other insects, as can be seen by watch-
ing the proceedings of our English species. A Continental

k \ il3^k^~

Fig. 498.— Dasypogon spectrum.
(Yellow and black.)

species, Asilvs diadnna, has been seen even to capture and kill
the hive bee, in spite of its sting. Some of the larger species
are said to attack cattle, like the Breeze Flies. We shall exa-
mine several species of this group, one of them a yet un-
described insect.

The first species is a native of China, and is a formidable
looking insect. It is entirely yellow and black, the latter being
the L'round colour, and the former due to a thick coat of bright

KESExAIBLANCE TO BEES. 7o7

yellow down distributed in bands across the body. The wings
are pale yellow.

There are many species of this genus, some of them exceed-
ingly large insects. One of the prettiest is Dasypogon Vica oi
Northern India, in which the abdomen is shining black, and the
wings are beautifully iridescent, with shifting tints of blue,
purple, and green.

The genus Laphria being a very large and important one, we
shall take several species, the first of which is Laphria altcrnans

\ ^l

7^-

Fi,, 4'n-l.n.,hiia alt. 'iin<^,
(IJrown barred with gold.)

of Java, its specific name being due to the alternating hues
of its body.

The colour is brown-black, mottled with black, and the
abdomen is barred with golden yellow. The wings are rather
curiously coloured, being white at the base and changing gra-
dually to pale yellow. The dark marks upon them_^are brown.
In order to show the markings better, the figure has been
enlarged to twice the size of tlie insect.

Several curious examples of imitation occur in this genus,
one of which is called Layhria xylocoinformis, from the extra-
ordinary resemblance which it bears, both in shape and colour,
to the great wood-boring bees belonging to the genus Xylocopa.

758

INSECTS ABROAD.

Figures of sotue of these bees may be seen ou page 520 and
on Plate X.

Fig. 500.— Laphria xylucopifonnis.
(Blue-black.)

The specimen from which the figure was drawn was taken at
Madras. Its colour is wholly blue-black, just like the female

of the species described
on page 520, or Xyclopa
morio, which is given on
Plate X. The resemblance
in form will be seen at a
glance by comparing the
two figures.

The insect which now
comes before us is an
undescribed species,
which I call Laphria
consimilis, on account of
its remarkable resemb-
lance to one of the wood-
cutter bees of Southern
Africa. Indeed, so close
is the resemblance, that if a specimen of these flies were placed

Fig 601 —Laphria consimilis New Species.
(Black and grey.)

THK HORJSET FLIES. 759

among a number of the bees, it would probably pass muster
except to a very practised eye. It is a native of Natal.

The colour of the thorax is black, and so is that of the abdo-
men. The latter, however, has a fringe of long grey down.
There is a tuft of yellow dow n on the top of the head, and a
patch of the same colour on the tibia of the fore-legs. Those
of the hind legs have a fringe of long grey hair running along
the inner edge. The rest of the limb is black. The wings are
deep blackish brown, and with a strong side light a deep gloss
of blue is seen upon them.

Ouu last example of this genus is Lapliria korrida of Sumatra.
It is represented in the act of pouncing on a luckless insect,
which it will 'speedily drain of its juices. In these insects the
grasping power of the
fore-legs is wonderful,
and the tenacity with
which they stick to their
prey scarcely less so.
On a windy day, our
English hornet-flies may
be seen drifting along in
the breeze as if without
any purpose. No sooner,
however, do they come
near another insect than
they pounce on it, clasp
it tightly with their fore-
legs, and drive the beak
into its body. It often
happens that the remain-
ing legs are not sufficiently strong to enable the insect to hold
its own against the wind, and so it may be seen rolling over
and over, clutching at the grass with the second and third pairs
of legs, but never for a moment relaxing its hold of its prey.

The present species is almost entirely black. There is a tuft
of yellow hairs on its head, and its legs are yellow, but these
latter are nearly concealed by the long black hairs with which
they are covered. A ridge of yellow hair runs along both edges
of the thorax. The wings are shining yellow.

Fig. 602.— Laphria liorrida.
(Black, with yellow wings.)

760

INSECTS ABROAD.

On Plate XX. Fig 4 is seen an insect called Phellus glaucus,
an inhabitant of Western Australia. The specimen from which
the figure was drawn is in Mr. Saunders' collection.

The colour of the thorax is black, fringed with pale yellow
hairs. The ground colour of the abdomen is bright deep blue,
clothed with short black hairs. The first two segments are also
covered with long, thick, yellow down. The legs are black and
covered with short black hairs, changing to tawny at the ends
of the tarsi. The wings are blackish brown at the base, and the
rest is grey, traversed with black veins.

I PRESUME that the accompanying insect derives its specific
name from the colours which it wears, which are those of the
traditional stage demons. It is a native of Brazil. '

Nearly the whole . of

.^^^N.,^ the insect is black, and

- -- ' - ' ^^ — - it is entirely covered

-^ ' -" with thick down. At the

junction of the abdomen

with the thorax there is

a semicircular patch of

long orange hairs, an

there is a broad band of

the same hue across the

middle of the abdomen.

The thighs of the hind

legs are fringed with very

long black hairs above,

and covered with white down below. Th-e wings are smooth,

shining brown in colour, and iridescent with various tints of

blue and purple.

Fig. 503 — Asilus mfernalis.
(Black and j'ellow)

Our last example of the family is Asilus coriarius, a native
of New Holland, which is represented as in the act of chasing
prey. The specific name coriarius is formed from a Latin word
signifying " the bark of a tree," and is given to the insect on
account of its resemblance in colour to the rough brown bark
of the oak or similar tree.

The colour of the abdomen is warm brown, with a black bar
at its base, and a series of tufts of jet black hair along the sides.

A DIPTEROUS ANT-LION.

761

The thorax is brown, edged with white down, and a large quan-
tity of similar down grows on its under surface. A patch of

^

Fig. 504. — Asilus curiarius.
(Brown, black, and white.)

grey-white hair occupies tlie front of the head .
pale brown.

The winos

Of the family Leptidaj
two examples will suffice.
These are also predacious
insects, and in one species,
Leptis vermiico, tlie larva
behaves very much like
that of the Ant Lion, dig-
ging conical holes in the
loose sand, remaining at the
bottom of them, and then
pouncing on the insects that
fall into them. Yet, vora-
cious as the creature is, it has been known to survive a total
fast of six months.

;. 5oj. — Antlirax seniculus.
(Chocolate and yellow.)

762 INSECTS ABROAD.

The species wliich is given in the illnstration is chocolate-
brown on the thorax, and blackisli brown on the abdomen.
There is a very narrow collar of yellow between the head and
the thorax. The wings are singularly handsome, being the
richest brown by way of ground colour, and having several
large translucent spots of yellow. It is a native of Southern
Africa.

This is a very large genus, spread about over the whole world,
and extending even to England, where we have several species.

The forxii of Bonibylius analis must be familiar to every
English entomologist, on account of the Humble-bee Flies, as

they are popularly called,

which are so well known in

^^*^/^^ this country. These insects

yr ' " /-^ are spread all over the

^ . ^ world, wherever flowers can

grow, and they feed, like
many of the Hawk Moths,
by poising themselves on
the wing before a flower,
and extracting its juices
with the long and straight
proboscis.

The present species is a
native of Southern Africa.

Fig. 50(3. — Bonibylius aualis. mi , i i i i

(RiHck and yellow or white.) The thorax aud abdomen

are covered with long black
hair, with the exception of a large patch at the end of the
abdomen, which is white in some specimens and golden yellow
in others. The wings are nearly translucent, but they are dark
brown at the base, and a wavy patch of very pale brown runs
parallel with the upper edge.

In the family of the Conopsidye, the larvae are parasitic upon
other insects, mostly belonging to the bee tribe. One species,
Conops russipes, was found by Latreille to undergo its trans-
formations within the abdomen of the living humble-bee, and
the insect has been seen patiently flying in chase of the bee.
The word Conops is Greek, and was used to signify a large kind

I'ARASITIC DIPTKKA.

76^5

of gnat. The proboscis is incapable of being withdrawn
powerful, and bent under the head in a sort of elbow-shape.

The insects are nearly all
prettily coloured, and the present
species, which is a native of Brazil,
forms no exception to the rule.
At a first glance it appears to be
only blackish brown, but a closer
inspection shows that the abdo-
men is clothed with silvery down,
while there are gleams as of
patches of burnished gold on the
legs and forehead. From this
latter mark the species receives
the name of aiirifrons, or " golden
fronted." The wings are glossy
green, with a gold gloss, and
darker towards the upper edge.

^J<

r\^

Fig. 507. — Conops aurifruiis.
(Brown, silver-white, and gold.)

The fine insect which is given in the accompanying illustra-

FiG jU8 - BiLuntuis \ ( spouU
(Bl uX and j ellow )

tion belongs to the same family as the preceding insect. It is
a native of Singapore.

764 IKSECTS ABROAD.

From the black and yellow which form its chief tints, and
which give it no small resemblance to a wasp, it has received
the specific name of vespoicUs, or " wasp-like." The thorax is
quite black, and the abdomen is nearly so. Across the middle
of the abdomen runs a very broad band of deep yellow, just like
the colour of the common wasp. The wings are dark brown,
with a shining surface. When the insect is alive, the eyes
must present a very beautiful appearance, for even when the
creature has been dead and dry for years, these organs shine
with a coppery lustre that tells of long- vanished beauties.

We now come to the enormous family of the jMuscidic, in
which is included such vast masses of interesting insects, that

it is no easy task to make a
selection from them. In
fact, the whole work might
be devoted to this one
family alone, and then
not nearly exhaust it.

Our first example is the
terrible Tsetse Fly (Glossina
morsitans). No one on look-
ing at this insect could
form the least idea of the
-Glossina morsitans. terrors which its prescncc

*^'^°^™--* inspires. Like many other

insects, it attacks man and
beast ; but it has this peculiarity, that while man is only affected
by the slight and brief pain caused by the puncture of the
proboscis, horses and cattle almost invariably die. The effect
of the Tsetse poison on them is most remarkable, the blood
being blackened and thickened, and the whole frame rendered
one mass of disease, the strongest muscles becoming so dis-
integrated that they can be broken to pieces by the thumb
and finger.

The Tsetse lives on the banks of rivers, and it is a curiously
local insect, one bank of a river being free from it, while the
opposite bank will swarm with the flies. There is a long and
interesting account of the insect in Livingstone's travels. The
colour of the Tsetse is pale brown. It is about the size of the

SWIFT FLIES. 765

common house-fly, tlie figure having been enlarged in order to
show its structure the better.

The generic term Tachina is formed from a Greek word sig-
nifying " raj^idity," and is given to the insects in consequence of
their swiftness. There are very great numbers of species belong-
ing to this genus, and there is scarcely a part of the world in
which they are not represented. None of them are brilliant
in point of colour, brown,
black, grey, and yellow
beingthe invariable hues.

The present species is
a native of Mexico. Its
general colour is black,
and even the long hairs
which thickly clothe the
body are of the s.ame
colour. The thorax is
black, but is relieved by
some lines of silver-grey,
with a very slight tinge

P , , • ,1 mi • • Fig. 510.— Tachina grandis.

Ot blue m them. IhlS is (Brown and yellow, variable.)

the usual colouring, but

the insect is exceedingly variable, both in size and colouring.
Some specimens are barely half as large as others, while in
some the colour is entirely yellow, in others half yellow and
half black, and in others again the colour is entirely black, with
the exception of a yellow tip to the tail.

The genus to which belong the next two insects is rather a
large one, and contains some of the most sj)lendidly coloured of
the Diptera. The first species, Dexia cffulgens, is a native of
New Guinea. The ground colour of the insect is soft velvety
black. Upon the abdomen the black is relieved by a number
-of interrupted bands, which glow with tints so varying that it
is almost impossible to decide which is the real colour. One
bar, for example, will seem to be glittering emerald-green,
another gold, and another azure ; but on shifting the position
of the insect it will be found that the same colours pass in turn
over each bar, the hue depending wholly on the direction of the

766

INSECTS ABROAD.

light. The wings are dark brown at the base, and the remainder
is pale yellowish brown.

The second species is a native of New Holland.

The colour of this insect is wholly green, glossed with gold,
very much the hue of our common Eose Beetle, but with much
more gold about it. There is a tuft of long black hair at the
end of the abdomen. The wings are translucent, with a round
patch of dark brown at the base.

Among the notable examples of this genus may be mentioned
Dexia rcgalis, also a native of New Holland. This is a much

Fk; 511.— Uexia effulgens.
(Black, barred with blue, green, and gold.)

Fig. 512.— Dexia formo.sa.
(Green, glossed with gold.)

smaller insect than the last species, but is strikingly beautiful,
its rich and delicate colouring causing it to stand out boldly
from among its brilliant kinsfolk. The gold and the blue are
as vivid as in Dexia effulgens, but instead of the green, pink
is substituted, and, indeed, may be considered as the ground
colour.

Another of the rare insects in Mr. Saunders' collection is
here given.

The colour of the thorax is chestnut-brown, relieved by four
white stripes. The head is darker, and has a coating of grey
down in front. The base of the abdomen is reddish brown, and

MODIFICATrON OF THE HEAD.

the thighs are very strong and

the rest black. In the legs
thick, thus giving rise to
the generic name Ulwpa-
lomcra, or " club-thighed."
They are covered with
hair, and are black, except
the knees, which are yel-
low. The wings are grey
clouded with brown. The
insect is a native of Brazil.

No one who was unac-
quainted with the subject
would think that the two
insects which are next
represented are but the
male and female of the
same species. Yet this is the case, the insect being one of a
small group in which the males are distinguished by some
extraordinary appendages to the head, while the females have
nothing remarkable about them.

Wi^^

Fig 61^ — Rhopalomeia tibi
(Chestnut and black )

G. ."lit. — Ai-hin;, Idiigivirlens.
CPiiriile. blur, and crfty.)

In the first of these insects, the head of the male is developed
sideways into two long and nearly straight projections, at the
end of which are placed the eyes. The whole shape of the head

768

INSECTS ABROAD.

is almost exactly that of the Sentinel Crab {Poclopthalmus vigil),
in which the footstalks of the eyes are enormously lengthened.
This species is a native of Ava. The figure is slightly enlarged.
The head, with its projections, is dark brown ; the thorax is
very dark purple, variegated with streaks of silver-grey. The
ground colour of the abdomen is shining blue, changing to
purple in certain lights, and covered sparingly with soft brown
hair, so that it is handsome in colour as well as remarkable in
form. The wings are translucent, with a slight brown pattern
on them. There are several species of this genus, but this is
the largest and most conspicuous.

Both names of the following species refer to the singular con-
formation of the head of the male. The Greek word Ela/phomyia
literally signifies " Stag ily," and the Latin word alcicornis sig-

Male. Fio. 515.— Elapliomyia alcicornis. FemaVi.

(Reddish brown )

nifies " Elk-horn." For the insects of this remarkable genus we
are mostly indebted to Mr. Wallace, who collected them in the
East Indian islands. In the present species the head of the
male is ruddy brown, and has two horn-like projections spring-
ing from beneath the eyes. These horns are curiously like those
of the deer tribe, and have one long projecting tooth towards the
tip, and six smaller teeth on the rounded portion of the stalk.
A few yellowish lines run down the broad front of the horn
towards the teeth.

THE STAG-HOKNED FLIES.

769

The thorax is rusty brown, with four long hlack lines, two
parallel with the vertical line of the insect, and two slanting
diagonally towards the abdomen. The long legs are reddish
brown, and in the middle of the thighs of the fore-legs is a
patch of black liristles pointing forwards. The female is
coloured much like the male, excejit that the head and thorax
are yellowish brown, and that .she wants the patch of bristles
on the fore-legs. The illustration is magnified in order to
show the shape of the insect, the length of which is about
half an inch.

Another of the insects captured by Mr. Wallace is Ela2)ho-
myia cervicornis, w^hich inhabits the island of Dorey.

The head is blackish
brown above and ruddy
brown below. The oddly-
shaped horns take their
origin just below the eyes,
and are black tipped with
white. The thorax is yel-
lowish olive above and
wliitish beneath. The ab- ']
domen is modified into a
sort of footstalk, which is
yellow brown, and the re-
mainder is dusky brown,
becoming darker at tlie
tip. Tlie Ifgs are long,

and yellowish brown. The female has no horns, her head being
simply rounded.

This is rather a larger insect than the last, the average length
of the male being about six-tenths of an inch.

ol(J. — Elapboinyia cerv
(Yellowish brown.)

OUK last example of the Stag-horned Flies is also a native
of Dorey.

The head of the male is blackish brown, streaked with yellow^
in front. The eyes are very protruding, and just below them is
a short, rounded, and rather flattened projection which takes
the place of the horn. The colour is brownish black, but across
the footstalk of the abdomen passes a bar of yellow. The reader

.'i D

70

INSECTS ABllOAD.

doubtless observe the remarkable shape of the wings.
Instead of having the upper
edge nearly straight, as is
the usual custom with in-
sects, it is much thickened
in the middle, and formed
into an angular projection.
The length of the insect is
rather less than half an
inch.

The remarkable fly which
is given in the accompany-
ing illustration inhabits the
United States.

It is called Militaris, be-
cause in its larval state it
is parasitic on the " Army
Worm," i.e. the caterpillar of Lmcarict unijnmctata, which
traverses the country in vast hosts, completely devastating
whole fields of the grain and grass crops. Nothing stops them
but a deep ditch with perpendicular sides, and when such a
ditch is cut across their line of progress, it is often found filled
to a considerable depth with

a seething, moving mass of i 1

larvw.

Many stupid people, on
seeing the Exorista emerge
from the Army Worm, took
it into their heads that it
was the parent of the cater-
pillar, and so destroyed
every fly they could catch,
instead of protecting the in-
sect as their best friend.

It is also parasitic on the
larva of Atfacus Cccropia,

which feeds on the apple, cherry, plum, and otlier fruit trees. A
peculiarity of this insect is, that instead of causing the larva
which it infests to decrease in size, it has just the opposite effect.

-Exoiista militans.
(Dark silver-grey )

lIOIiSH FLIKS AM) CHICOF

For example, a larva ol' Attaciis which was attacked by the
Exorista, measured more than four inches in length, was a full
inch in diameter, and weighed two ounces. Its body was entirely
covered with the empty egg-shells of the fly, the larvae having
burrowed into its body. It died, rotted, and in about twelve
days there appeared a vast number of maggots very much like
those of the blue-fly. They went into the earth at once, and
remained in the larval state all the winter. At the beginning
of April they changed to pupee, and at the end of May emerged
in the perfect state. For the Cecropia Moth see p. 670.

The curious family of the Hippoboscidae, or Horse Flies, is
here rejDresented by an African species which infests the camel.
We are all familiar with the Eng-
lish Horse Flies, which cling so
tightly to the animal with their
powerful legs, and run so actively
in any direction if disturbed. These
insects are remarkable for their
manner of reproduction. They do
not lay eggs after the fashion of
most insects, nor deposit living
larva3 as do several flies. But the
female deposits the pupa ready
formed, and enclosed within a soft,
white, oval case. Exposure to the
air soon hardens this case and
turns it brown, and the fly, when
developed, makes its escape by
pushing off one end of the case.

Fii.. 510 — HipjjoljobL-a camelma.
(Brown.)

The true position of the Aphaniptera, or Fleas, is still a
problem. Systematic entomologists of the present day seem to
think that they are least out of place at the end of the Diptera.

From these I have selected the best-known foreign Flea, the
Chigoe {ridcx pc7iefrc(ns). This insect burrows into the feet of
human beings, and, if left undisturbed, forms a globular hollow
in which the young are reproduced. Many accounts of this
insect have been published, but I give a short and graphic
description by one of my brothers.

772

INSECTS ABEOAD.

" You ask me whether I am practically acquainted with the
Chigoe. Eather so ; just a little ; in fact, I may say that we
have been on terms of most intimate acquaintance for some
years.

"As far as I have read upon the subject, a great deal of
rubbish has been written about the Chigoe. It is true that our
friend is a great nuisance in his way, but in six years I have

never known, or ever
heard, of anyone being
much the worse for the
Chigoe, though I have
seen some people too lazy
to extract them until their
feet were full of their
nests. As far as my ex-
perience goes, I can only
^ state that for six or eight
O^ days after they have made
their entrance, there is no
trouble beyond a slight
itching, and then, if they
are extracted with any reasonable amount of care, the nest of
eggs comes away all correct. If it should be broken, which
will happen sometimes, a pinch of snuff is put into the hole,
and there is an end of the matter.

" I may be more thick-skinned than other people, and not
suffer the same amount of inconvenience, but such is my ex-
perience. Since February last, when I came to this house,
which is an old Brazilian Fazenda, I have had literally hun-
dreds taken out of my toes. During the past month there
would be half a dozen at a time boring away and removed two
or three times a day. Some would escape observation for a few
days ; then out they come on the point of a pin, are put in the
candle, and go ' Pop.' Now, after four months' continual wash-
ing and scraping of floors, they are so much diminished that I
sometimes pass a couple of days without one. Mr. B. has just
sent me a fine one for you. I don't know whether it will be of
any use to you, but I enclose it. If you want any more, only
say so."

Fig. 520.— Pules penetrans
(Red-brown.)

INDEX.

ALPHABETICAL INDEX

\ BLSPA SPLENDIDA, 487
A Abraxas tigrata, 704
Acanthomera Heydenii, 763

— magnifica, 754
Achsea chameleon, 647
Aclieta monstrosa, 313
Achias longividens, 767
Acrididfe, 331
Acridoxena Hawaiiana, 325
Acripeza reticulata, 324
Acrocinus longimanus, 243
Aculeata, 417

Adesniia variolaris, 175
Adolias Anosia, Oil
^ Durga, 611

— Epiona, 612

— Kesava, 609

— Pleraius, 611

— Ramada, 611

— Sahadeva, 611
iEsalides, 106
Agarista contorta, 650
Ageronia Alicia, 605
Algae coerulea, 518
Agra Megsera, 38

— Moritii, 39
Agrias Phalcidon, 617

— - Sardanapalus, 616
Alans lymphatus, 157

— moerens, 157

— oculatus, 157
Alurnus marginatus, 265

— thoracicus, 266
Alypia octomacnlata, 651
Amarygmidse, 182
Amblypoda quercetoruni, 629
Ambulatoria, 300

Amissus Atlas, 716

— nitidus, 710
Amphisternus hamatus, 274

- Satanas, 273

— tuberculatus, 274
Ammophila melanaria, 400

— opulenta, 401
Ampulex compressa. 467

— h.)spe-;,, 468

Auaxita decorata, 666

— Sannionis, 665
Andrena liolomelana, 598
Auisosis caudatus, 175
Anisonyx ursus, 123
Anomalides, 126
Anomalipus lineata, 191
Antherea Pernyi, 674
Anthia guttata, 47

— sex-guttata, 40

— thoracica, 48
Anthidiuin Floreutiimni. 5

— manicatum, 514
Anthrax seniculus, 761
Anthribidee, 195
Antliarhinus Dregei, 206

— Zamise, 205
Ant-Lions, 365
Ants, 427

Apate terebrans, 171
Apatura Agathina, 615

— Cherubina, 615

— Iris, 613

— Laura, 614

— Lavinia, 613
Aphaniptera, 771
Aphcnogaster barbata, 445
Aplosonyx basalis, 260

— purpurascens, 260
Ajaocrypta paradoxa, 530
Appias placidia, 575

- Zarinda, 574
Arctia hypei'borea, 604

— Isabella, 663
Arrhenodes coronatns. 201
Ascalaphus filipennis, 373

- imjjeratrix, 371

— Kolyranesis, 372
Asilus coriarius, 700

— diadema, 756

— infernalis, 760
Aspidomorpha mutata, 265

— Novse-guineensis, 265

— Sanctw Crucis, 264
Asthenia machaonaria, 007
Atenchus sacer, 110

Athalia eentifolia^, 386
Atta cephalotes, 441
Attacus Jorulla, 669

— Luna, 673

Attelabus curculionoides, 199

— sumptuosus, 200

n ACILLUS NATALIS, 309
-L) Bacteria coniutum, 309
Bacuntius vesjioides, 763
1 6 Batocera Celebiana, 239

— Isena, 240

— lineolata, 240

- Thomsonii, 240
Batonota bideiis, 204
Bees, 506
Belonogaster Indicus, 488

— junceus, 488
Belostoma grandis, 727
Bembex rostrata, 471

' Bembidiides, 60

' Bizarda clarissima, 655

— optima, 655

j Blaps mucronata, 178

— polychrestos, 178
' Blattida;, 285

Bocydium tintinnabuliferum,

740
Bolbocerus Reichei, 121
Bombus cajanensis, 523

— eximius, 523
Bombylius analis, 762
Bombyx processionea, 668
Bostrichidse, 171
Brachelytra, 76
Brachinidse, 45

1 Brachinus crepitans, 35

— Sinensis, 37
Brachycerus Algerus, 211

— barbarus, 211

— imperialis, 209

— obesus, 211

— ocellatus. 211

— uridatus, 211
Brachygnatlms oxygonus, 55

INDEX.

BRA
Brachygnathus pyropterus, 55
Brachypeplus auritus, 90
Brachystethus rubromacula-

tus, 714
Bracon aureomaculatuni, 404
Brahmsea certhia, 676
Brana calopasa, 690
Brenthirlae, 201
Bruchus rufimamis, 195
Buprestidie, 148
Buprestis feldspathica, 151

— splendens, 149
Burying Ants, 430

— Beetles, 82

p.ALANDRA sacchari, 225
V.' Callichromides, 241
Callidryas Thalestris, 575
Callimenes dasypus, 323

— onisciis, 322
Callirliipis Childrenii, 169

— Dejeanii, 169
Calliodes orbigera, 695
Callipappus Westwoodii, 745
Callitsera Aurora, 590
Calochroa princeps, 20
Calosoma Indicum, 31

— Mc Leayii, 31

— sycophanta, 31
Camel Cricket, 292
Carabidae, 28
Carabus Adonis, 30
Cardamyla carinentalis, 699
Cardinal Beetle, 173
Carebara dux, 448
Carpella districta, 653
Carpophagus Banksii, 195
Cassidiidaj, 261

Castnia Diva, 618

— Zerinthia, 649
Catacanthus incarnatus, 713
Catadromiis tenebrioides, 59
Catagramma Astarte, 604

- excelsior, 603

— mionina, 605
Catoxanthagigantea, 151
Cellar Beetles, 173
Centris denudans, 519

— dimidiata, 519

— flavopicta, 519
Ceratocampa regalis, 681
Cerberodon viridis, 321
Cercopis sanguinolenta, 742

— Theora, 742
Ceruchus striatus, 106
Cetoniides, 141
Chafers, 124
Chalcophoridse, 151
Chalicodoma muraria, 512
Chalybs Actseon, 629

— coronata, 628

— Pholcus, 629
Chameleon Moth, 697
Chariesterus meestus, 724
Cnaraxes Eudamippus, 618

CHA
Charaxes Fabius, 619

— Jasius, 618

— Kadenii, 618

— Nilebis, 618
Chiasognathidse, 93
Chiasognathus Grantii, 96
Chigoe, 771
Chinch-bug, 727
Chteniides, 56
Chlorion lobatum, 466
Choerocampa Nerei, 638
Cholidffi, 217
Choragus Sheppardii, 1 95
Chromacris colorata, 340
Chrysantheda frontalis, 518
Chrysis oculata, 416
Chrysochroa Buquetii. 153

— limbata, 153

— vittata, 153
Chrysomelides, 2")7

j Chrysophora chrysochlora,127
! Churchyard Beetles, 173
Cicada adusta, 732

— septemdecem, 731
Cicindela aurofasciata, 15

— octonotata, 19

— Sinensis, 16
Cicindelidse, 6
Cillenium laterale, 61

j Cimbex triangulum, 387

— variabilis, 387

I Cimex Banksii, 711
Cladognathns cinnamonea, 99

— giraffa, 97

' — inquinatus, 99

— occipitalis, 99

— vittatus, 99
Cleridae, 169

Clerus formicarius, 170

Clisiocampa castrensis, 679
I — sylvatica, 680
' Clythridae, 255

Clytiis arietis, 246
! Ccccinellidse, 271

Cockroaches, 286

Coccus Sinensis, 744

Cocytia Dui'villii, 647

Coelioxys ducalis, 517

Coequosa Australasias, 644

Collyris acrolia, 23

Componotus compressus, 429

— gigas, 428

— sericeiventris, 430
Conops aurifrons, 763

— russipes, 762
Coprides, 118

Copris Hamadryas, 119

— Laius, 119

— lunaris, 118
Corydalis armata, 374
Cosmisoma ochraceum. 248

— scopipes, 248
Crabro subterraneus, 476
Cratosomus Roddami, 220

— varicosus, 221
Crioceris asparagi, 251

DOR

Cryptocephalidse, 256
Cryptorhynchidas, 219
Ctenocerus ramosus, 454
Ctenophora bimaculata, 750

— gaudens, 750

— pectinicornis, 750
Cucujo, 160
Cursoria, 286
Cychrides, 32
Cychrus vidua, 35
Cyclommatus tarandus, 102
Cyclosia sanguifera, 662

— - subcj'aneus, 662
Cylindrodes Campbellii, 319
Cynips confluens, 406
Cyphoerania Enceladus, 30"

— gigas, 307
Cypholoba Ranzonii, 49
Cyphus azurea, 217

— Germari, 217

— gloriandus, 216

— modestus, 217
Cystocoelia immaculata, 342

— Saundersii, 343
Cvstosoma Saundersii, 733

j "TvALADER ACUTICOSTA,

Damaster blaptoides, 33
Danais insolata, 586
j Dasypoda hirtipes, 509

— plumipes, 509
Dasypogon spectrum, 756

! — Vica, 757
Deltochilidaj, 117
[ Deltochilum Icarus, 118

— McLeayii, 1 1 7
Ueilephila Daucus, 636
Derecyrta pictipennis, 389
Dermaptera, 277
Deroplatys desiccata, 297
Dexia effulgens, 765

— formosa, 766

— regalis, 766
Diadema Bolina^ 607
Diactor bilineatus, 724
Dichthadia glaberrima, 421
Dicranocephalus Bowringii.

139
Dictyopterus Aurora, 167
Dinoderus ocellaris, 171
Dinoponera grandis, 437
Dioctes Lehmanii, 57
Dipelicus Cantori, 132
Diptera, 749

Disaulax hirsuticomis, 248
Dismorphia orise, 573

— spio, 573

Diurus furcillatus, 202
Dorcides, 103
Dorcus Antaeus, 105

— De Haanii, 105
Dorylus longicornis, 421
Doryphora aeneog-uttata, 258

— duodecemguttata, 258

INDEX.

777

DOR

Doryphora imperialis, 258

— princeps, 258

— pura, 258

— tesselata, 257

— testudo, 258
Diiisilla bioculata, 592

— mvlsecha, 501

— Phorcas, 592
Dyiiastes Hercules, 130
Dynastidse, 129
Dyticus latissimus, 67

— marginalis, 66

EARWIGS, 277
Eciton hamata, 438

— legionis, 441

— praedator, 439
Ecstatosomatiriatum, 312
Edessa comuta, 714
Egybolia Vaillantina, 666
Elaphomyia alcicomis, 768

— brevicornis, 770

— cervicornis, 769
Elephant Beetle, 135
Elephant Hawk-Moths, 637
Elphos hymenaria, 702
Enapusa gong-yloides, 299
Encaustes veiticalis, 267
Enceladus gigas, 42
Endomychides, 271
Entimus imperialis, 207

— splendidus, 206
Entomophaga, 393
Epomis Croesus, 56
Erasmia pulchella, 661
Erateina Julia, 705

— leptocircata, 705

— lineata, 706

— regina. 707
Erebidae, 689
Eremiaphila rotundipennis,

293
Erineus monstrosus, 81
Erotylus Guerenii, 269

— histrio, 268

— peregrinus, 269

— Suriiiamensis, 270
Ei-ycina Atahualpa, 624

— Calphurnia, 624
^ ocollo, 623
Eubagis Ines, 602

— Mseon, 602

— Sara, 602

Eucheirus Dupontianus, 126

— McLeayii, 125
Eucyane glauca, 656

— melaxantha, 656
Eudema eximius, 56

— tomentosus, 55
Eudryas grata. 685
Euglossa dimidiata, 521

— Komandi, 521
Euglyphia hieroglyphica, 684
Eumenes armata, 482

— coaretata, 479

EUM

Eumenes esuriens, 481

— petiolata, 480

— xauthurus, 480
Eumolpus fulgidus, 259

— vitis, 259
Eumorphus bipunctatus, 273

— dilatatus, 273

— marginalis, 272
Eunomia hfeniorrhoidalis, 651
Eupezus nigerrimus, 183
Euphfea refulgens, 361

— splendens, 360

— tricolor, 361
Eviplexoptera, 277
Euplpoa Diocletia, 588

— hamata, 588

— imitata, 587

— Lorenzo, 588
~ Palla, 588
Eupyra principalis, 652
Eurycantha Australis, 305

— olivacea, 305

— Tyrrhffia, 304
Eurytrachelus Titan, 104
Euschema "Bellona, 659

— flavata, 658
Evanioceridse, 185
Exeirus lateritus, 474
Exetasis tumens, 755
Exorista militaris, 770

17ATUA WEIDMANNII,
r 271
Fiddler, 39
Fireflies, 159
Flata circulata, 738

— marginella, 739
Fleas, 771

Forficesila Americana, 281

— gigantea, 279

— longissima, 280
Forficula Petropolis, 279
FormicidEe, 427
Fulgora laternaria, 734

n AGATOPHORUS BOlJ
U DUVALLI, 214

— Schonherri, 213
Gall-flies, 404
Genussa celenaria, 653
Geodephaga, 6
Geotrupidse, 121
Glossina morsitans, 764
Goliathus Druryi, 137
Golofa hastatus, 131
Gonatoceri, 213
Gonatopus Celebicus, 411
Graphipterus cordigera, 45

— elegans, 44

— exclamationis, 45

— melanocephalus, 44

— Senegalensis, 45

— variegatus, 43

— Westwoodii, 45

Ground Beetles, 28
Gru-gru, 225
Gryllacris signifera, 330

— spurcata,' 330
Gyrinidse, 69

Gymnetes hieroglyphica, li-.

— holosericea, 143
Gynanisa Isis, 676
Gyriosema Leuzotii, 184

HALICTUS QUADRISTPJ-
GATUS, 507
Harlequin Beetle, 243
Hebomoia Glaucippe, 579

— leucogj'nia, 578
Helseus echidna, 188

— perforatus, 187
Heliconisa impar, 678
Heliconius Hecalesia, 597

— Hermathena, 596
Heliothys armigera, 687
Hemiptera, 711
Hemiptyoha punctata, 738
Hesthesis cingulatus, 239

— ferrugineus, 238
Hestia Idaea, 585

— Jasonia, 585
Heteromera,.173
Heteronotus amiatus, 739
Heteroptera, 711
Hippobosca camelina, 771
Hispidoe, 265

Hister gigas, 89
I Histeridse, 88
; Homalosoma Vigorsii, 60

Homoptera, 731

Homopterus Braziliensis, 73

Iloplia ccBrulea, 123

— philanthus, 122

— squamosa, 124
Hoplidaj, 122
Hoploscelis grossipes, 122

• Hotinus subocellatus, 735
I Humble Bees, 522
j Hydaticus festi^nls, 68
Hydradephaga, 65
I Hymenoptera, 385
1 Hyijercampa imperialis, 664
I Hyperchirea lineosa, 678

— rubrescens, 677
Hyperion Schroeterii, 51
Elypsa orbicularis, 663
Hypsauchenia Hardwickii, 741

— Westwoodii, 741

jCARIA FERRUGINEA.
i 489

— variegata, 491
Ichneumon arrogator, 397
Ichthyosoma mirabilis, 251
Idolothrips spectrum, 348
Inea lineola, 145

- Sommerii, 144
Ixias Mariamna, 576.

778

JLM,

TULODIDES, 148
O Juiionia crebrene,
— Orithyia, 599

KALLIMA INACHIS, 599
— Paralekta, 600
Kangaroo Beetle, 128

T ACON MURARIUS, 157
-L' LagTia basalis, 185

— hirta, 184
Lamellicomes, 109
Lamprima aurata, 95
Languriidse, 270
Lantern Fly, 733
Laphria alternans, 757
• — consimilis, 758

— hoi-rida, 759

— xylocopiformls, 757
Larrada ducalis, 468

— haemorrhoidalis, 469
Leaf Insect, 314
LebiadiB, 38

Lenyra Ashtaroth, 633
Lepidoptera, 535
Leptis vermileo, 761
Leptoderus sericeus, 84
Lesina lutescens, 323
Leucopholis bimaculata, 125
Leucosi^is Aniera, 408
Libellula Carolina, 359

— pulchella, 358

— variegata, 357
Locust Carpenter, 682
Lociistidse, 320
Longicornes, 229
Lophonocerus barbicornis, 247
Loxura Atymnus, 631

- Suvya, 630
Lucanidse, 96
Lucanus cervus, 91
Lycaenidse, 627
Lycidae, 166
Lycisca Romandi, 410
Lycoperdina bovista, 272
Lycus Bremii, 167

— preemorsus, 167

— scutellaris, 165
Ljmx crinitus, 123

— Peritrichia, 123

MAC ROC HERAT A GRAN-
DIS, 725
Macroglossa triopus, 634
^laeriisila crnentus, 641

]\I;i"|.i.' Mollis. 704
;\lal;.,/o,lrn„i, 166
JMaiiticliura uiygaloidos, 7
Mantis religiosa, 291
— tinctipennis, 292
Mantispa grandis, 375
Marcius generosus, 725
Meal Beetles, 173

Mecistogaster ornatus, 363
Megacephala Senegalensis, 9

— sepulchralis, 9
Megacerus chorinseus, 134
Megacliile centuncularis, 513

— disjiincta, 513

— fasciculata, 513

— lanata, 513

— monstrosa, 513
Megalodon ensifer, 327
Megaloprepns brevistiguia,361
MegalojDS cephalotes, 79
Megalosoma cephalotes, 79
Megalosoma Action, 136

— elephas, 135
Megalyra fasciata, 395

— Shuckardii, 394
Melasoma, 178
Melipona fasciculata, 524
Melitta Eurytion, 633

— pulchipes, 633
]\Ielolonthides, 124
Mesomphalia discoides, 263

— dissecta, 263

— festiva, 263

— illustris, 262

— latevittata, 263
Metacycla Sallei, 260

— tm-gida, 260
Metalleutica splendida, 294
Metapodius latipes, 721
Methoca ichneumonoides, 423
Micronia asttieniata, 703

— justasia, 703
Micropus leucopterus, 727
Mictis curvipes, 718

— symbolica, 718
Mischocyttarus labiatus, 488
Molchina comjiressicornis, 720
Molobrus purpuratus, 53

— rotundiplanis, 53
Moluris allifrons, 181

— Perretii, 181

— Rouletii, 181

— Rowleyana, 180
Monedula heros, 472

— magnifica, 473
Monobia quadridens, 484
Morionidte, 50
Mormolyce phyllodes, 39
Morphinas, 591
Morpho Cvpris, 593

— Peleides, 594
Moths, 632
Mouliofia u-lorissa,. 52
Mutill:i ,innal,.. 420

— cephalotes, 419

— cerbera, 418

— Klugii, 419

— occidentalis, 419
M^'das dives, 754

— hiatus, 754

— giganteus, 7C4
Mygnimia Aspasia, 456

— avicula, 455

r.VL
Mygnimia ducalis 455
Myrina Phoci.les, 631
Myrmecocystus Mexicanus,

436
Myrmeleonidae, 365
Myrmica barbata, 449

\TECRODES GIGAXTEUS,
i> 86

— osculans, 87

— Necrophaga, 81
Necrophorus grandis, 85
Necroscia annulipes, 311

— roseipennis, 311

— Zeuxis, 310
Neeyra Manco, 622
Nelcyuda rectificata, 708
Neleus interruptus, 106
Neuroptera, 353
Nitidulidse, 89
Nomada sex -fasciata, 516
Nyctalea superciliosa, 686
Nyctelidse, 184
Nyctipao albicincta, 693
Nymphalinse, 592
Nyssonidte, 473

ADONTOCHEILA DE
yj GANDII, 21
Odontolabris Cuvera, 101

— dux, 101
CEda inermis, 740

— informis, 740
Oil Beetles, 173
Oncomeris flavicornis, 716
Opatruni sabulosum, 191
Ophidei-es apta, 691

— dividens, 692

— Salminia, 692

— smaragdipicta, 693
Ophiusa fulvotsenia, 698
Ornithoptera Cassandra, 538
Orobites cyaneus, 220
Osmia bicolor, 510

— parietana, 511
Orthoptera, 285
Oryctes nasicornis, 129
Oryctides, 133

Osprynchotus objurgator, 403
Owl Butterfly, 595
Oxynopterus Cumingii, 158
OxyteUdee, 79

DACHYLIS ACUTANGl^-
t LUS, 723

— gigas, 722
Pachyrhynchus genimatus.

212'
— • reticulatus, 212
Pachytylus niigratorius, 331
Palpares CaflFer, 370

— immensus, 370

— tigroides, 371

I'uiiaeanthus varius, 327
PanagseinsB, 54
Panagra tricolor, 704
Pangonia AmboinensiSj 752

— fulvithoras, 751

— longirostris, 751
Paphia Glauce, 620

— Nessus, 620
Papilio Aconophos, 548

— JiJneas^ 551

— Alebion, 571

— Anticrates, 569

— Antiphus, 563

— Brookeanus, 543

— Caudius, 546

— Cloanthus, 569

— Coon, 565

— Diomedes, 542

— Doubledayii, 563

— Emathion, 543

— Ergeteles, 550

— Erythalion, 552

— Eiichenor, 558

— Hierocles, 551

— Joesa, 558

— Jophon, 560

— Krishna, 553

— Laodocus, 541

— Leonidas, 567

— Memnon, 561

— Mencius, 559

— Mezentius, 549

— (Ebalus, 555

— Paliniirus, 555

— Panthous, 544

— Parmatus, 571

— Patros, 545

— Philippus, 558

— Polycaon, 541

— Pol}T)hontes, 563

— Poseidon, 545
-- Pronomus, 540

— Sarpedon, 568

— Theseus, 563

— Victorinus, 566

— Ulysses, 542
Papilionidae, 536
Parapison rufipes, 47(1
Paratropes decijsiens, 289

— elegans. 2S9

— melanana, 2S9

— orientalis, 289

— pica, 289

Parnassius Charltonius, 581

— Hardwickii, 583
~ Stubbendorfii, 583
Paussidse, 72

Paussus sphwrocerus, 73
Pectinicornis, 91
Pelecinus polyturator, 396
Pelidnotid;e, 1:^7
Pelopseus chalybeus, 462

— Istus, 462
Pepsis elevata, 457

— heros, 458

— nigreseens, 459

Pericopis angulosa, 654
Petalocera, 109
Petascelis remipes, 719
Phcenicocerus Dejeanii, 236
Phfeophilacris fiinesta, 322
Phseoxantha Klugii, 15

— laminata, 15
Phanasus lancifer, 120

— melon, 121

— nigroviolacens, 121

— sulcatus, 121
Phasganophora signator
Phasmidse, 300
Phellus glaucus, 760
Phenax auricoma, 737
Pherhopalus aplustrifer, 75

— denticornis, 74
Phibalosoraa pythonius, 301
Philanthus coronatus, 478

— triangulum, 478
Phliea corticata, 712
Phrij^soma horridum, 245
Phyllium scythe, 314
Phyllocnema mii-ifica, 243

— phyllopus, 241
Phyllodes consobrina, 693
Phyllonemia paradoxa, 298
Phyllopertha horticola, 127
Phytophaga, 253

Pictus labyrinthicus, 681
Pimelia bipunctata, 189
Pimelopidas, 132
Pimijla intricatoria, 399
Platy crania edulis, 313

— phelaus, 313
Poiocera combusta, 737
Polistes aterrima, 493

— biguttatus, 494

— HebriBus, 494

— Tasmaniensis, 492
Polybia sericea, 504
Polyergus rufcscens, 433
Polyphaga ^gyptiaca, 287
Polyrachis bihamata, 435

— textor, 435
Polyzosteria cuprea, 288
Pompilus atrox, 451

— Gravesii, 452

— nobUis, 453
Ponera contracta, 438
Popilia dorsigera, 126
Poroplenra bacca, 257

— chimsera, 257

— cuprea, 257

— naonstrosa, 256
Porrorhynchus marginatus, (
Potamophora Manila, 694
Prsesos Mariana, 659
Praxis corvus, 688
Prepona demodice, 615
Prionidaj, 231
Prionocalus Buckleyi, 233
Prionotheca coronata, 190
Prionus coriarius, 232

— cervicornis, 231

— giganteus, 234

Procerus taurus, 29
Processionary Moth, 668
Proconia atra, 743
Proctotrupidse, 411
Protocerus colossus, 223
P.salidognathus Friendii, 233
Pselaphanax setosus, 60

[ Pseudotrimera, 267

I Pterinoxylus diffonnipes, 806

I Pterochroza ocellata, 327

! Pterosophus complanatus, 37

I Pterostichi, 58
Pterygophorus cyaneus, 388

' — interruptus, 388

' Pulex penetrans, 771
Pygoplatys lancifer, 715
Pyrodes columbinus, 236

— marginatus, 236

— pictus, 235

— - pulcherrimus, 236

— Smithianus, 236
Pyrophorus noctilucus. 159
Pyrops nobilis, 735

U AN ATRA ASIATICA, 726
11 Raptoria, 290
Hhamphorhina Petersiana.139
Rhigus Schuppellii, 208
Rhina barbicomis, 221

— palmarum, 224

I Rhinastus pertusus, 218
' Rhipidocera niystacina, 168
Rbipiptery-x marginatus, 319

— nigro-seneus, 320
Rhomalea centurio, 338
Rhomborhina Ruckerii, 142

: Rhopalomera tibialis, 767
i Rhopelophorides, 248
Rhynchium brunneum, 486

— carnaticnm, 485
-- nitidulum, 483
Rhynchophora, 293
Rhynchophoridse, 221
Rhyssa lunator, 401

— nobilitator, 401
Rove Beetles, 76
Rupilia ruficollis, 2(>(l
Rypophaga, 72

O AGRA BOUQUETII, 254
O — chrj'Sochlora, 254

— empyrea, 254
— nigrita, 254
Saltatoria, 317
Samia Calleta, 671

— Cecropia, 670
Sanaa iraperialis, 326
Sand-runners, 9
Satyrinfe, 590
Saiiba Ant, 441
Saw-flies, 385
Scaritarchus, 52
Scaritid;^. 52

780

INDEX.

SC'L

Scleroderma cylindrica, 07

— dux, 406
Seolia bicincta, 425

— • flavifrons, 424

— procera, 425
Scolobates, 398
Scutellaria nobilis, 712
Scydmsenidee, 81
Sephina formosa, 717
Serecinus Montela, 583

— Telamon, 572, 583
Shaving-brush Butterfly, 617
Siagonides, 42

Sialidse, 373

Siderone Archidoua, 620

— Isidora, 620

— Thebais, 620
Silpha Americana, 89

— ccfilestina, 88
Silphidse, 82

Sinodendron cylindricniu, 105
Sisyphus murioatus, 115
Skipjack Beetles, 146
Smerinthus Dumolinii, 643
Soldiers and Sailors, 166
Sphex argentata, 463
Sphingomorpha fulgurifera,

696
Sphinx quinquemaculata, 639

— satellita, 640
Staphylinus cseaareus, 79

— versicolor, 78

— villosus, 79
Sterciilia fulgens, 77
Sterculides, 77
Sternacanthides, 246
Sternotomides, 244
Sternotomus bifasciata, 250

— Bohemanna, 250

— mirabilis," 250

— regalis, 250
Sternocera sternicornis, 148
Sternoxi, 146

Steropus, 58
Stethorectus ingens, 465
Stigmodera variabilis, 154
Stilbum splendidum, 415
Stizus grandis, 474
- speciosus, 473
Storniza pallicornis, 327
Sugar Weevil, 225
Synagris analis, 484

— cornuta, 483

— mirabilis, 484
Synceca cserulea, 503

— cyanea, 504

SYN
Synonycha duodecim-punc-
! tata, 271

— grandis, 271

— spilota, 271

TABANUS HILARIS, 753
Tachina grandis, 765
Tachytes pompiliformis, 470

— Sinensis, 469
Tanoecia calliphorus, 612

— Pulasara, 612
— Vikrama, 612
Tarsolepis remicauda, 697
Tpfflus Megarlei, 54
Telea Polyphemus, 672
Teramocerus barbicornis, 204
Termes dirus, 376
Tenebrio molitor, 174
Tenthredo coccinocerus, 388
Teracolas Hewitsonii, 581

— lone, 580

— Phlegyas, 581
Teratodes monticoUis, 339
Tesseratoma Javanica, 715

— nocturna, 13

— pallipes, 13
Tetracha punctata, 11
Themesia aurisapilla, 255
Therates labiata, 21
Thespis Boetica, 295

— ingens, 295

- purpurascens, 295

— Xiphias. 296
Thripidse, 348

I Thynnus Australis, 422
Thyreodon cyaneus, 402
Thyreus Abbati, 635

— Nessus, 635
Thyridia ^deria, 590
— Psidii, 589
Thysanoptera, 347
Thysanira Agrippina, 689
Tiger-Beetles, 6
Timarcha tenebricosa, 257
Timetes Corinna, 607

— Crethon, 607

— Egina, 606
Tipula imperator, 749
Tmesisternides, 251
Tomaspis furcata, 743
Tophoderes frenatus, 196
Torneutes pallidicornis, 237
Torneutides, 236
Tortoise-beetles, 261
Tragelophorus contractus, 200

ZYG

I Tragelophorus giraffa, 199
Tragocephalus gemmaria, 251

— nobilis, 251

— phosphorus, 251

— pulchella, 251

— variegatus, 250
Tremex Columba, 392
Trichodes crabroniformis, 170
Tricondyla aptera, 23
Trieopthalma vetelinea, 755
Trigona ruficrus, 527
Trigonalys compressns, 497
Trigonodera angulata, 186
Trigonodes maxima, 699
Tropsea Leto, 676

— Msenas, 676
Trypoxylon alternatum, 477

— intrudens, 477

— rejector, 477
Tryxalis unguiculata, 334
Tsetse, 764
Tumble-bug, 113

TTMBRELLA ANT, 441
U Urania Orientalis, 645

— Sloanus, 626
Uroceridse, 389

\TATES LATIFOLIUM, 323
' Vespa ciucta, 500

— mandarinia, 498

— Orientalis, 501
Vesiculosa, 756

W^

■ASPS, 487

Water Beetles, 67
Weevils, 193
Whirligigs, 69
White Ant, 376

VENOCERUS LINEATUS,
A 197

Xyleutes Robinea, 682
Xylocopa caffra, 521

— morio, 521

— nigrita, 520

— trepida, 521
Xylotrupes dichotomus, 135

ZEONIA BATESII, 626
- - Fainnis, 626
Zographus oculator, 249
Zopherus Bremii, 176
Zygaenidae, 651

K. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, BRKAD STRKET HI

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Insects abroad.