t^OLEOPTERA. 53 



but wider than long ; and on each wing-cover there are three 

 slightly elevated longitudinal lines or ribs. This beetle is about 

 four tenths of an inch long. It appears on the wing in July. 



The foregoing beetles, though differing much in form and habits, 

 possess one character in common ; namely, their feet are five- 

 jointed. Those that follow have four-jointed feet. In this great 

 section of Coleopterous insects are arranged the Weevil tribe, the 

 Capricorn beetles or long-horned borers, and various kinds of leaf- 

 eating beetles, all of which are exceedingly injurious to vegetation. 



So great is the extent of the Weevil tribe,* and so imperfectly 

 known is the history of a large part of our native species, that I 

 shall be obliged to confine myself to an account of a few only of 

 the most remarkable weevils, and principally those that have be- 

 come most known for their depredations. Mr. KoUar's excellent 

 " Treatise on Insects injurious to Gardeners, Foresters, and Farm- 

 ers," contains an account of several kinds of weevils that are un- 

 known in this country ; and indeed but few resembling them have 

 hitherto been discovered here. Should future observations lead 

 to the detection in our, gardens and orchards of any like those 

 which in Europe attack the vine, the plum, the apple, the pear, 

 and the leaves and stems of fruit-trees, the work of Mr. Kollar 

 may be consulted with great advantage. 



Weevils, in the winged state, are hard-shelled beetles, and are 

 distinguished from other insects by having the forepart of the 

 head prolonged into a broad muzzle or a longer and more slender 

 snout, in the end of which the opening of the mouth and the small 

 horny jaws are placed. The flies and moths produced from 

 certain young insects, called weevils by mistake, do not possess 

 these characters, and their larvae or young differ essentially from 

 those of the true weevils. The latter belong to a group called 

 Rhynchopiiorid^, literally, snout-bearers. These beetles are 

 mostly of small size. Their antennae are usually knobbed at the 

 end, and are situated on the muzzle or snout, on each side of which 

 there is generally a short groove to receive the base of the antennae 



* See page 19. 



