278 NATURAL HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA, 



but you can nowhere, that I have been, meet with the hosts of 

 Curculionites, Elaterites, and Alticites, that we find in England. 

 Some few Mala coder mes, one or two Alticce, a Cniptocephalus, 

 and a few Notoxi, will be all to repay you for the labour of 

 many hours. From May till September you will find multi- 

 tudes of Coleopterous larvae in rotten stumps, on the huge 

 trunks of fallen trees ; but, of the perfect insects you rarely 

 find many. Perhaps, in the trunk of a pine or a hemlock, you 

 may see a Buprestis ditaricata just putting his head out of a hole, 

 or find some Elaterites, or MelandrijcB, or some fungus-eaters, 

 in tolerable abundance. I cannot imagine what becomes of 

 all the larvse ; I suppose they turn to beetles ; I know some 

 of them do so, for they become " horn-bugs," •/. e. Prioni ; of 

 these you see few larvse, in proportion to the number of perfect 

 insects. They are much esteemed as a bait for trout. Although 

 Coleoptera are thus generally rare, some few kinds appear in 

 profusion. Whilst of most species there are but one or two 

 individuals to be found, some appear in countless thousands ; 

 this was the case with two species o{ Melolonthites : the first of 

 these {Rhizotrogus fertens) answers to our common English 

 cockchafer, M. Vidgarls ; the second {Dichelouyx linearis) to our 

 Hoplia^ or Amsoplia, These fairly strip the beeches and maples, 

 especially the young brush-wood, where the woods were a little 

 open, beyond the High Falls. The Melolonthites are called 

 " dor-bugs." 



This season the " Lightning-bugs " {Lampyrites) have not 

 been very common. I think you will find that those I have 

 sent belong to three species : the one most highly coloured 

 gives a reddish light; the others much paler. The flashing 

 light which they emit I have already described. When the 

 insect has settled on a branch, a bright light shows you where 

 he is, but in a moment all is dark ; but if you look very 

 carefully, you will observe a very pale phosphorescence, and 

 then you may capture him. These Lightning-bugs delight in 

 swamps, and swamps are not very well suited for running 

 about by night: this may account for the small number 

 sent. I used to delight to sit in the old porch, with my worthy 

 host Mr. Moore,^ or my friend Goodhere, and watch their 

 bright scintillations in front of the house. 



s In a former letter Mr. Goodhere is spoken of as the owner of the house : this 

 was incorrect. 



