322 TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS. 



it is stored, and the young grubs burrow into the wheat as soon 

 as they are hatched, each individual occupying a single grain: they 

 eat the whole of it, and only leave the husks. They then undergo 

 their metamorphosis, and at the appointed time come out perfect 

 beetles, to lay their eggs for a second brood. Unfortunately, the 

 mischief is generally unperceived until it is too late to remedy it ; 

 but kiln-drying the grain appears to be the only effective means 

 of destroying these injurious insects. The rice and Indian corn 

 are destroyed by the Rice Weevil, in a similar manner, in the 

 countries where these grains are cultivated. 



When naturalists dilate upon the most beautiful of the Co- 

 leoptera, and upon those which possess the most marvellous 

 richness of colours, and extremely polished and shining bodies, 



Caiandra oiyzu. Calaiidra graiiarta. 



Tlie figtiYes of these weexnls are magnified in the illustration, but the natural size of the 



insects is shown above. 



they refer especially to the Bnprcstidcs ; it is an immense family, 

 containing no less than forty-two genera and 1,500 species. (Dr. 

 Baird). But those that are found in France and in England have 

 very plain decorations, and are very different in their external 

 appearance to their magnificent brethren in the tropics. They 

 are sometimes called Gold-beaters, but doubtless have many other 

 familiar names. 



The brilliant species are not very elegantly shaped ; their 

 bodies are long, the prothorax broad, and their legs are short ; 

 and they have a character which distinguishes them at once 

 amongst the beetles, for their wings are not longer than the 

 elytra. 



The illustration shows one of the Buprcstid(Z, with its wings 

 expamded, and it will be observed that they only equal in length 



