﻿THE RHYNCHOPHORA, OR WEEVILS. 189 



part between the outer bark and solid timber of fresh- 

 cut fir-trees. In the hole thus formed an egg is depo- 

 sited, the larva proceeding from which eats galleries 

 under the bark until it is full grown, when it closes its 

 retreat with particles of wood, frass, etc., and changes 

 to pupa. The perfect insects are very prettily marked, 

 being rich brown with golden-yellow spots : like Hylo- 

 bius, they cling very tightly to the fingers when handled. 



The species of Magdalinus, — small, oblong, parallel, 

 dull black or bluish insects, — are found in the spring and 

 early summer about dead wood in hedges, etc., or on 

 young trees. They are chiefly conspicuous for the close 

 punctuation of their thorax, and the occasionally spindle- 

 shaped development of the antennae in the male. One 

 species has been reared from larva found in burrows 

 under the bark of willow-trees ; and the female of an- 

 other, M. carbonarius, found in Scotland, has been 

 observed to introduce its eggs into sickly branches of 

 pine-trees, the larva eating its way along the pith for a 

 considerable distance. After undergoing its metaiuor- 

 phosis, the perfect insect escapes by means of a gallery 

 gnawed by the larva through the solid wood, but not 

 penetrating the outer bark. 



Erirhinus (sometimes divided into two genera, — No- 

 taris, wherein, amongst other characters, the femora 

 are unarmed ; and Dorytomus, wherein they have a 

 strong tooth on the under side) comprises several small 

 common species, mostly found in wet places or on wil- 

 lows, poplars, etc. The rostrum in all these is elongate 

 and arched, and they are usually yellowish or dull brown 

 in colour, slightly variegated with ill-defined lighter 

 spots. Their larvae are chiefly found on Water-plants, 

 those of E. festucce (not uncommon on the towing-path 



