COLEOPTERA. 41 



arc of a black color; and the antenna? arc very short. The 

 segment wliicli receives the head is short and transverse ; next 

 to it is a large oval segment, broader than long, and depressed 

 or flattened above and beneath. Behind this, the segments 

 are very much narrowed, and become gradually longer; but 

 are still flattened, to the last, which is terminated by a rounded 

 tubercle or wart. There arc no legs, nor any apparatus whicli 

 can serve as such, except two small warts on the under side of 

 the second segment from the thorax. The motion of the grvib 

 appears to be effected by the alternate contractions and elon- 

 gations of the segments, aided, perhaps, by the tubercular 

 extremity of the body, and by its jaws, with which it takes 

 hold of the sides of its burrow, and thus draws itself along. 

 These grubs are found under the bark and in the solid wood 

 of trees, and sometimes in great numbers. They frequently 

 rest with the body bent sidewise, so that the head and tail 

 approach each other. This posture those found under bark 

 usually assume. They appear to pass several years in the 

 larva state. The pupa bears a near resemblance to the perfect 

 insect, but is entirely white, until near the time of its last 

 transformation. Its situation is immediately under the bark, 

 the head being directed outwards, so that when the pupa-coat 

 is cast off", the beetle has merely a thin covering of bark to 

 perforate, before making its escape from the tree. The form 

 of this perforation is oval, as is also a transverse section of the 

 burrow, that shape being best adapted to the form, motions, 

 and egress of the insect. 



Some of these beetles are known to eat leaves and flowers, 

 and of this nature is probably the food of all of them. The 

 injury they may thus commit is not very apparent, and cannot 

 bear any comparison with the extensive ravages of their larvse. 

 The solid trunks and limbs of sound and vigorous trees are 

 often bored through in various directions by these insects, 

 which, during a long-continued life, derive their only nourish- 

 ment from the woody fragments they devour. Pines and firs 

 seem particularly subject to their attacks, but other forest-trees 

 do not escape, and even fruit-trees are frequently injured by 

 these borers. The means to be used for destroying them are 

 6 



