142 THE PHYTOPHAGA. 



The habits of most of the species are very similar^ 

 but some of them descend into the ground to pass 

 the period of their pupal existence. 



Some of the British species of the genus Chryso- 

 mela (such as C. cerealis, Graminis, and fulgida) are 

 exceedingly beautiful metallic green insects^ as is also 

 the abundant Cryptocej^halus sericeus, in which the 

 head, instead of being exposed, as in most of the 

 species of the tribe, is deeply retracted within the 

 prothorax. The largest of the British species is the 

 Timarcha lavigata, an exceedingly convex, mngless, 

 blackish purple, sluggish beetle, which often attains a' 

 length of nearly three-quarters of an inch, and may 

 be met with not uncommonly upon hedgebanks. 

 This insect crawls slowly along upon the herbage, 

 and, v»^hen alarmed, emits a red fluid from the mouth 

 and the joints of the legs ; from this peculiarity it has 

 received the not very elegant name of the Bloody- 

 nosed Beetle. 



A striking contrast to this large and slow-moving 

 species is presented by some diminutive members of 

 the tribe, in which the hind thighs are much thick- 

 ened, enabling them to leap in a style which has 

 obtained for them the name of Flea-beetles. One of 

 these species, the Haltica nemorum, a minute black 

 beetle, with a broad yellow streak on each elytron, is 

 but too well known to the farmer under the name 

 of the Tarnip-fly, from the injury Avhich it inflicts 

 upon that valuable plant. These beetles attack it in 

 all stages of its growth : the moment the first leaves 

 make their appearance above the ground, the perfect 

 beetles are ready to destroy them; and when the 

 plant has advanced a little further, the larvae hatched 

 from eggs deposited upon its leaves mine into their 



