REMARKS ON VARIOUS INSECTS. 453 



the knees in mud. This year I obtained about forty pupae in 

 three hours; of these some turned in the last week of July, 

 more in August, and a few not until September. I do not 

 remember to have captured half a dozen specimens of the per- 

 fect insect in my life, although I have bred scores. From this 

 I infer, that if other localities were well searched, some of the 

 other species of Nonagria would be found to be less rare than 

 they are believed to be ; at any rate, this is well worth the 

 consideration of entomologists, who have means of examining 

 Typhce and other cognate plants in localities where N. Crassi- 

 cornis, pilicornis, Sj-c. have been taken. 



As in all probability this is the last letter I shall trouble 

 you with for some time, I will just mention one or two other 

 trivial matters, which may perhaps amuse some of your readers, 

 who, like me, instead of 



Drinking deep, deep at Philosophy's shrine, 



Their time with the flowers on the margin have wasted, 

 And left their light urns all as empty as mine. 



Several years ago, I fully resolved that I would make out 

 what the larva of Meloe really is. I had read various accounts, 

 not very satisfactory, and felt sure that there was some error, 

 which I could easily detect. I was young then, and had much 

 to learn. It is but rarely that we see a Meloe in this neigh- 

 bourhood (not Colchester), but after diligent search I found a 

 iew proscarabcei of both sexes. These I placed on some 

 light earth, under a bell-glass, giving them plenty of Ranuncu- 

 lus acris to feed upon. The females, in particular, fed well, 

 and grew wonderfully large in the abdomen ; therefore I felt 

 sure that I should soon have lots of good eggs, and then of 

 course lots of larvae, which would not be mere Acaridce, but 

 bond fide young Meloes. Alas! my hopes were too high, and 

 I was doomed to disappointment in this as I have been since in 

 every favourite scheme ! One morning I found that something- 

 particular was going on amongst them. The old ladies, no 

 doubt, with much exertion, had scooped out places in the earth 

 wherein to bury their eggs; and soon after, a lump of bright 

 orange eggs, about the size of a Palma Christi seed, was depo- 

 sited in each, and carefully covered over. This was just what 

 I had expected, from what I had read about this matter. 1 now 

 set the mould aside, keeping it a little moist, and covered up so 



