GOLDEN APPLES. 85 



the rose and willow, to extreme brilliancy of colour), belong, 

 more or less, to the whole order Coleoptera, comprising the 

 numerous varieties of the Beetle tribe. 



Of a smaller size, but in no other way inferior to those 

 above described, there are many others of our natives, which, 

 for handsome exterior, pleasing habits, and as cheerfully asso- 

 ciated with summer sunshine and summer flowers, are well 

 worth looking after, not only without doors but within. Eore- 

 most among these are the Chrysomelida, " Golden Apples" 

 at once the nonpareils and pippins of their kind, so round and 

 plump, and streaked, and shining, and glowing (according to 

 their varieties) in scarlet, azure, gold, and green. Innocently 

 herbivorous, and socially gregarious, the dead nettle and the 

 broom afford some among them with favourite pasture, and 

 may therefore furnish to the gatherer a sprinkling of these 

 golden apples which are now in season. 



Much more common than the above, certain almost to be 

 found on every group of thistles, is the little Tortoise- beetle,*" 

 with wing cases, like an over-lapping shell, and green as the 

 leaf it feeds on. 



Then (a striking contrast with the above rotundities) there 

 is the pretty and many-coloured tribe of Weevilsf of form 

 elongate, and further lengthened by a slender beak or rostrum, 

 employed as a spiggot for the tapping of their favourite sappy 

 wine. One of these, now very abundant, especially on the 



* Cassida equestr/s (Tortoise Beetle.) f Weevil (CercuHo.} 



