66 THE GEODEPHAGA. 



taking advantage of his filmy wings^ soon shifts his 

 quarters out of the way of peril. Even when you 

 think you have clapped your net over him^ it is ten 

 chances to one that he has made his escape in some 

 unaccountable manner, — vanished like that myste- 

 rious pea which can never be found under the thimble, 

 when some unlucky innocent has been induced by 

 reiterated assurances of fair play to stake his money 

 upon the position of the ubiquitous little ball. When 

 captured he does not give the game up as wholly lost, 

 but boldly tries the temper of his natural weapons 

 upon the fingers of his monstrous enemy, but in vain, 

 — his jaws, although formidable enough in themselves, 

 do not possess sufficient strength to make any serious 

 impression upon the most delicate skin. 



But we v»dll suppose that, in spite of his courageous 

 struggles, the little captive has been duly incarcerated 

 in a pill-box, and that we are now sitting quietly 

 down to his examination. A charming little gem he 

 is, — his whole upper surface of the richest emerald 

 green, with the head and thorax, which are a good 

 deal narrower than the elytra, delicately grained, and 

 the surface of the elytra covered with minute raised 

 points. Each of these wing-cases is also adorned 

 with several cream-coloured spots, of which five may 

 be distinguished on the outer margin, from the 

 shoulder to the suture, and a sixth, a good deal larger 

 and rounded, near the centre. The head bears a pair 

 of very prominent eyes ; the labrum, which is of large 

 size, is white, as is also the base of each mandible. 

 The legs and basal joints of the antennae are of a cop- 

 pery red colour above ; their lower surface exhibits tints 

 of metallic blue and green, and the whole body of the 

 insect beneath is of a shining greenish blue colour. 



