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HARDWICKE'S SCI ENCE- GOSSIP. 



der a spirit of devotional awe. The months of 

 August and September may be especially mentioned 

 as suitable periods for the prosecution of practical 

 studies in this interesting department of natural 

 history. The coasts of Scotland, and the northern 

 shores of England and Ireland, are the localities 

 particularly favourable for the lover of sea-birds. 

 At these times, and at these places, the observation 

 and capture of many magnificent specimens of 

 Arctic Gulls (in their young state, as the "Black- 

 toed Gull" of some authors), Northern Divers, 

 Pulmar Petrels, Terns, Skuas, &c, will doubtless 

 crown all persevering efforts with a noble reward. 



P. Q. Keegan, LL.B. 



THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE. 



NOTICED in the June number of your 

 *- Science-Gossip a suggestion that some Ame- 

 rican might send some specimens of the Colorado 

 Potato Beetle (Doryphora decem-lineatu) to Eng- 

 land, to enable entomologists to recognize them 

 should they appear there ; and I also noticed, in 

 the first number of 187-1, an article in which, though 

 in the main correct, there were yet some mistakes 

 which might mislead such as have never seen the 

 beetle in its different stages ; and further, your 

 correspondent has perhaps overdrawn the damage 

 they are doiug, for, although they have been here 

 lor three years, and have this year reached the 

 Atlantic coast, yet we have succeeded in raising 

 very good crops of potatoes. 



The most satisfactory article I have seen upon 

 'I he subject may be found in Dr. Pitch's uiuth 

 Report on the " Noxious Insects of New York," 

 i'rom which I will quote the following description :— 

 "The female in confinement drops her eggs in 

 Utile clusters upon the [under side of the] leaves 

 on which she has been feeding. The eggs are bright 

 yellow, smooth and glossy, 0G in. long and 035 iu. 

 broad, of an oval form, with rounded ends. The 

 larva, when full grown, is over half an inch iu length, 

 and half as thick, being thickest back of the 

 middle, and tapering to a point at its tip. It is a 

 (hick plump grub, strongly arched above, and, when 

 viewed on one side, its outline is nearly the form of 

 a crescent. The head is small and much narrower 

 than the body, and is of a flattened spherical form. 

 Its mouth is furnished with short corneal jointed 

 feelers and large jaws, which are blunt at their 

 ends, with little sharp teeth like those of a saw. 

 Immediately above the mouth, on each side of the 

 head, is a small conical pointed projection, which is 

 the antenna. The thorax has a large transverse 

 space, on the top of the first ring, of a firmer and 

 somewhat coriaceous texture, and broadly margined 

 with black on its hind side, and with dusky at each 

 end. The abdomen is the thickest part of the body, 



and is distinctly divided into nine segments : it is 

 very plump and rounded, but flattened on its under 

 side ; it gradually tapers posteriorly with a conical 

 point, the apex of which is blunt, and serves as a 

 fore leg, two small vescicular processes, on its lower 

 side, at the end, serving as feet. There are six legs, 

 placed anteriorly upon the breast, each leg being 

 composed of three joints, and ending in a snail 

 claw. 



"The larva is of a pale yellow colour, often 

 slightly dusky, or freckled on the back, with minute 

 blackish dots, and along each side are two rows of 

 large black dots, those of the upper row larger, 

 seven in number, and are not continued on the 

 thorax, or the last abdominal ring. Each dot has a 

 small breathing-pore in its centre. 



" The head is black and shining, and more or less 

 mottled on the face, with a dull yellowish colour. 

 The neck, or first ring, has a black band near its 

 hind edge. The second ring has also either a short 

 black band or two blaek dots. The third ring 

 usually shows two small black dots on its back. 

 On the narrow tip of the body are two black bands, 

 the anterior one having at its end, on each side, a 

 small black dot, and beyond a large black dot, which 

 is the last one of the lower row of dots along the 

 side. On the next ring forward is a transverse row 

 of six small dots, equidistant, in addition to the 

 two large dots on each side, whereof the upper one 

 is the last of the upper lateral row, and the lower, 

 the penultimate one of the lower row. 



" The legs are black, and often along the sides of 

 the body ; on the under side is a row of transverse 

 black spots or clouds, and also a row of small black 

 spots upon each side. 



" The beetle, or mature insect, is 0'4 in. long and 

 0'25 in. thick, the female being slightly larger ; it 

 is of a regular oval form, very convex above, and 

 flat beneath, of a hard crustaceous texture, smooth 

 and shining, of a bright straw-colour, the head and 

 thorax being sometimes tawny yellow, which is the 

 colour of the under side ; and it is dotted and 

 marked with black. 



" After death its colours often fade, becoming 

 more dull and dark. 



"The head is nearly spherical and little more than 

 half the width of the thorax, into which it is suuk 

 nearly or quite to the eyes. It is sprinkled over 

 with fine punctures, and shows on the front an 

 impressed medial line, and on each side of this a 

 wide shallow indentation. On the crown is a 

 triangular black spot, the nosepiece, or clypeus, 

 occupying the space between the antenna;. It is 

 nearly semicircular, is placed transversely, and is 

 coarsely and closely punctured. 



"The jaws are coarsely punctured, black at their 

 tips, and have a slender black line along their outer 

 edge. The tips of the palpi, or feelers, are dar 

 brown. The antennae reach nearly to the back of 



