134 



LEAF- BEETLES. 



number of groups. Since all are vegetable feeders, they are more 

 or less injurious, and sometimes, if they attack cultivated plants, 

 they are very much so. Happily but few of them do so ; many 

 others feed upon worthless, even injurious plants, as weeds. 



It is not possible to give a description of many of these beetles 

 in this report, not even of the eleven tribes into which the family 

 is divided. But to give some idea of their classification a few of 

 the more common ones will be described, even if they are not 

 destructive. 



When We pick the flowers of the beautiful water lilies, 

 {Nymphaea), we are apt to find that their leaves are more or 

 less perforated with small holes, and if we look a little more close- 



Fig. 137. — Doaacia — life bistory. — After Brehm. 



ly we find the culprits near by. (Fig. 137.) They are very ac- 

 tive and graceful beetles, usually of a metallic color ; they are 

 generally gregarious, flying about actively in the bright sunshine. 

 They can run over the water, and being protected with a fine 

 pubescence on the under surface of their bodies do not become 

 wet. 



Early in spring, about the time that the maples are in bloom, 

 we find many beetles in such flowers that belong to this family : 

 they are evidently of some good to the plants, for they carry the 



