112 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



devouring the seed-leaves of the plants as soon as they appear 

 above the ground, and continuing their ravages upon new crops 

 throughout the summer. Another small flea-beetle is often 

 very injurious to the grape-vines in Europe, and a larger spe- 

 cies attacks the same plant in this country. The flea-beetles 

 conceal themselves during the winter, in dry places, under 

 stones, in tufts of withered grass and moss, and in chinks of 

 walls. They lay their eggs in the spring, upon the leaves of 

 the plants upon which they feed. The larvte, or young, of the 

 smaller kinds burrow into the leaves, and eat the soft pulpy 

 substance under the skin, forming therein little winding pas- 

 sages, in which they finally complete their transformations. 

 Hence the plants sufier as much from the depredations of the 

 larvae, as from those of the beetles, a fact that has too often 

 been overlooked. The larvae of the larger kinds are said to 

 live exposed upon the surface of the leaves which they devour, 

 till they have come to their growth, and to go into the ground, 

 where they are changed to pupae, and soon afterwards to beetles. 

 The mining larvse, the only kinds which are known to me from 

 personal examination, are little slender grubs, tapering towards 

 each end, and provided with six legs. They arrive at maturity, 

 turn to pupae, and then to beetles in a few weeks. Hence 

 there is a constant succession of these insects, in their various 

 states, throughout the summer. The history of the greater 

 part of our Halticas or flea-beetles is still unknown ; I shall, 

 therefore, only add, to the foregoing general remarks, descrip- 

 tions of two or three common species, and suggest such reme- 

 dies as seem to be useful in protecting plants from their ravages. 

 The most destructive species in this vicinity is that which 

 attacks the cucumber plant as soon as the latter appears above 

 the ground, eating the seed-leaves, and thereby destroying the 

 plant immediately. Supposing this to be an undescribed in- 

 sect, I formerly named it Haltica Cucumeris, the cucumber 

 flea-beetle; but Mr. Say subsequently informed me that it was 

 the pubescens of Illiger, so named because it is very slightly 

 pubescent or downy. Count Dejean, who gave to it the specific 

 name of fiiscula, considered it as distinct from the pubescens; 

 and it differs from the descriptions of the latter in the color of 



