C8 THE NATURALIST ABROAD. 



conqueror, to continue his insatiable ravages. At length Nature demands an 

 armistice ; its back swells, and becomes of a duller colour ; it turns itself round 

 and round on the leaf it occupies, restless and uneasy, and at length fixes 

 itself by the tail, remains quiescent for some time, and assumes the chrysalis state. 

 In ten days,* forth steps a lovely insect, and claims our notice as the well-known 

 Ladybird. First, its soft elytra are of a fine yellow, without any spots ; then 

 seven faint specks appear upon the shells, which by degrees become deeper and 

 brighter, and the usual red hue is finally assumed. It is not indeed on the Hop 

 only that the Coccinellce attack the Aphides ; for some years ago I remember to 

 have observed a bed of Nettles covered with hundreds of the C. sepiempunctata, 

 in the larva, chrysalis, and perfect states. The nettles had been literally loaded 

 with Aphides, which the Ladybirds had nearly cleared away. The chrysalids 

 vary considerably in hue, some being of a bright orange with black spots, others 

 darker, with black patches, and some so very dusky as to appear almost black. 

 When the perfect insects emerge, they are at first of a light orange colour, till the 

 sun gives them their rich red tint. The larva of C. bipunctata is of a dusky brown, 

 with black longitudinal stripes down the body, and three light orange spots 

 arranged in a triangular manner just below the thorax ; some, however, appear with 

 the body covered with small black spots, and four black spots at the corners of the 

 thorax. The chrysalis resembles the larva in colour, the ground being dusky 

 white, with marks of black and brown. When touched, the head of the chrysalis 

 suddenly springs up and falls back again. Although the members of the Cocci- 

 nellidce seem very sociable in their perfect state, and intermarry with each other, 

 it is far otherwise in the larva state, for woe then to the hapless wretch who 

 comes within reach of a stronger cousin's fangs — a death-clutch is his inevitable 

 portion ! It is thus evidently the Hop planter's interest to encourage the increase 

 of the Coccinellce, and, what is not often the case with farmers, I have in general 

 found that to this benefit at least their eyes are pretty well open, and the Lady- 

 birds are preserved- 



A great number of C. bipunctata took the liberty, last winter, of quartering 

 themselves in clusters upon the ceiling of my parlour, hall, and study, where I 

 suffered them to stay till genial spring summoned them off. Though I thus 

 cheerfully gave them the rites of hospitality, not one has returned this winter. 

 It is the way of the world ! 



To say nothing of their utility, the Coccinellidce must be allowed on all hands 

 to be a pretty and most interesting tribe. Endeared to us even by the absurd 

 rhymes of childhood, we are open to their real claims in riper years, and look 



* This was the exact time taken by a larva I bred in confinement; but perhaps some little 

 variation may occur. 



