374 DESCRIPTION OF SOME 



stemmata on each side, which are placed behind the base of the 

 antennae. Maxillary palpi three-jointed, the joints short and 

 compact ; labial palpi minute, two-jointed; body twelve-jointed; 

 oblong-ovate, depressed ; the segments are of three descriptions. 

 The prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax are broader (taking 

 the breadth of each segment longitudinally of the insect) than the 

 remaining joints, and without the ridge common to them. The 

 three next joints are very narrow and compact, and have a slightly 

 elevated ridge towards the lower part. Four of the remaining 

 joints are broader than the last mentioned, and have the ridge 

 very much elevated, and forming a base from which the abdominal 

 brush of hairs spiangs ; these hairs, when viewed sideways, pre- 

 sent four distinct layers. The telum is very minute, and placed 

 within the apex of the paratelum. 



Description of the Figure, 

 a The larva magnified, b The same, with the hairs removed, c c Sides 

 of two of the joints at large, showing the part from which the abdominal 

 hairs spring, d Under side of the head, e Part of the side of the head at 

 large, showing the antennas, and position of the stemmata. The line in 

 each figure is the natural size of the larva. 



The power which the larva possesses of erecting the ab- 

 dominal hairs when molested, as the porcupine does its quills, 

 is remarkable. At first it was rather difficult to ascertain how 

 this was accomplished ; but upon examination, after removing 

 the hairs from the larva, I found that the object was attained 

 by an oblique movement of the four abdominal segments, to 

 which these hairs are attached, somewhat after the fashion of 

 the laths of a Venetian blind. These segments are furnished 

 with a loose fold of skin on the under edge, to admit of the 

 above movement. 



I kept one of these larva? for upwards of a month, in com- 

 pany with others of a voracious nature, and observed that, on 

 any of the latter coming in contact with the longer hairs of this 

 larva, it erected its abdominal brush, on which they receded ; 

 this fact seems to prove, that it is only by the sudden move- 

 ment of the brush that the alarm is caused. 



The long brush of hairs springing from the telum, or termi- 

 nal joint of the abdomen, is also of service as a means of 

 defence. When the larva is walking, it is always kept in a 

 tremulous motion, and thus defends it from attack in the rear. 



I would query whether the corneous abdominal segment, 

 which is armed with spines in many of the Coleopterous larvae, 



