27 



The great naturalist, MacLeay, who has departed both from 

 the cibarian or maxillary system of Fabricius, and someAvhat 

 from the eclectic system of Latreille and Leach, in his arrange- 

 ment of insects, which is called the Quinary system, has laid 

 great stress on the primary forms of larvse. "For the basis of 

 his system he assumes a relation of analogy between the larvse 

 of insects that in the progress of their metamorphosis assume 

 wings, and those that do not, which form his class, Ametahola, 

 so that the prototypes of the former shall be found amongst the 

 latter." I Avill not enlarge on the subject, which you will find 

 well explained in Kirby's third and fourth volumes, and only 

 introduce it now to recall to your recollection the name which 

 you had forgotten, to show the importance which MacLeay's 

 investigations will give to the study of the larvae of insects, 

 and to induce you to embrace every opportunity to ascertain 

 and describe those with Avhich you may become acquainted. 

 Even in the wood-eating coleoptera great differences obtain in 

 the appearances of the larva?. Thus that of Saperda is en- 

 tirely destitute of legs, while those of many other Ccramby- 

 cidce have six small ones. The larva of Bitjjrestis is flattened, 

 vermiform, apod, with an enormous head, while that of the 

 only iSerrojyalpus which I have seen, though flattened, is of the 

 same width with six less and an anal fork. It is found between 

 the loosened bark of trees. The perfect insect very much re- 

 sembles a Cistela, but is more slender. 



In describing the Cicindela from Cambridge, you will please 

 recollect that it was found on the sand near Sweet Auburn, in 

 company with C.formos% Say. No other species appeared to 

 frequent the place. The Cicindela which you gave me from 

 Pennsylvania, I have always supposed to be the decemnotata 

 described by Say in his American Entomology, Vol. I. No de- 

 scription, either in Fabricius, Schonherr or Say, agrees precisely 

 with that of your other species, thovTgh O. p)urpurea^ var. sec- 

 ond, comes nearest to it. It must also greatly resemble O. 

 pulchra Say. In considering it as a new species, I should be 



