BUPEESTID^. 459 



same genus, found under bark of oaks) is greenish black above, 

 with a brassy polish ; it infests the apple and oak, in which it 

 lives one j^ear. C. Harrisii Ilentz inhabits tlie small limbs of 

 the white pine. It is also very injurious to apple -trees and red 

 maples. To prevent its attacks Fitch reconnnends placing a 

 piece of soap in a fork in the tree so that it will be washed 

 down by the rains over the bark, while young trees may be 

 rubbed with soap ; this is an excellent remedy against the 

 attacks of all kiuds of borers. 



The genuine species of Buprestis occur in Europe. The 

 largest species of this family known to us is the Eucliroma 

 Columbica Mann, which occurs in Central and 

 South America. It is two and a half inches 

 long and metallic green. Mr. McNiel has sent 

 to the Museum of the Feubody Academy sev- J 

 eral imuiense white larvae (Fig. 416, natural 

 size), from Nicaragua, which are, without much 

 doubt, the young of this gigantic beetle. 



The small, flattened, ovate, angular Bracliys rig. -tis. 



is probably a leaf miner, as such are the habits of the closely 

 allied genus Trachijs (T. p^'gmsea. Fig. 417, larva; 418, pupa), 

 as observed in Europe where it mines the leaves of the Maha 

 and Alcaia, according to M. Leprieur. 



TiiROSCiD^: Laporte. This small group has been separated 

 from the succeeding family ; the species difter in not liaving 

 the power of leaping, owing to the immovable thorax. In 

 Throscus the antenme are terminated by a three-jointed club. 



Elaterid^e Leach. A very large and easily limited family, 

 in which the serrate, eleven-jointed antennae, are inserted upon 

 or under the margin of the front, in grooves, while the head is 

 retracted, though sometimes free as usual from the prothorax, 

 between which and the mesothorax is a loose articulation, 

 enabling the species to leap in the air by a sudden jerking 

 movement, which Dr. Leconte thus describes: "a few of the 

 species of the first subfamily (Eucnemidae) and a majority of 

 those of the third (Elateridt^), possess the siugular power 

 of springing in the air when placed on the back. This is 



