40 ORDER (OLXOITCRA. 



liif causf. In Iijuklng murv rloM-ly iuto tht-M* nuitim, <■»« might bv &Murvd, (hat in niost 

 rav^, an riirniy of the iiiMTt wliirh liit.^ (IiMi|i{>^jinHl, has |>nidur«^! lh<- iia|>|>} n-Milt. I ran 

 fiirni-«h touic ppxifs In •(iii>iM>rt <>f thi.t Kjiinl'in. 



* " Thr thicic f"> >Uat;»' "f a fine avcntu* of iw'plars wai all at once attnrki-^t by an inimcnsf 

 quantity of (h«' catrr|>tllHr« <>f liomhyx ilUptir. I tlniught «>f giving thctu the Cu/oiowa 

 tycoyhania ttT r(>n)|>any ; a.-*, like thrui, it ]>{LVif^ its life uiNin thi- tn-«^, fr«Hling uiK>n the 

 catcrptllan wliich it iuM>t.'*, and even di'iKjeits its rggrt in thiir nc«t, that it.H voracious 

 progi-ny may prKurt' nuurishmrnt more easily ami in greater almndaore. Well I this insect 

 utiltiplieil itjielf with a rapidity truly UA^'ni^hing ; and the outerpiihirs disappeared, nith- 

 out th<>»«' who were witne.tju-s to the (l«-^t ruction having the le4i.st id** of the causes which 

 pr<>«iuced it." The author then gives it as his opinion that tlie neighli<>rho<Ml of the city of 

 Touli'US*' is -SO lidle rav»ige«l l>y thi* Mrluluntha vulgaris, which is S<» de.strtjctive in other 

 parts of France, l*-cui;>e the Carabus auratut is Very common in the flehis, meadows and 

 gardens. It is known, he reuutrics, that t!ie Carabus ouralus s»-izes and devours the AttJo- 

 lonthm previous t<> the deix>sition of its eggs ; and that it is more fond of these, than uf any 

 part of the Insect. 



' " One would Ije much ileceived," he continues, " in believing that it is always easy to 

 make an a<l vantage* >us aseof this means of destruction, a profound study of the manners of 

 insects l»eing often indisix-nsiMe to arrive at the end pMix>s«'d." Here is an example : "The 

 most rvihust of our carabi, the Procrustes coriacrus (Linnki s), hail served me admirably in 

 the centre of Franr«- to de>itr>y the little ins«'cts which attack the plants in ganlens : here 

 (in the South) this insect does not dutroy the samt species; and although verv' common, it 

 it unknown, or hanily every met with. The reason is, that in tlie centre, the we*t, and 

 pnji»ably the north of France, this procrustes Is diurnal, re<juiring only cof»l and shady 

 |)lact'S : with us (in the south, under a warmer climate) it is, on the cuntrary, essentially 

 nocturnal, ainl therefore destroys only such ins«'cts a.>* are, like itself, ni>ctumal, or which 

 remain within its reach tUu-ing the oi>scurity of night." 



' " In tran>'iH)rling into my ganlen twenty of the Carabui auratus, I had thought to 

 destroy the collections of Forfitula (no destructive species found in America) which ha*! 

 cItoseD it for the thi-atre of their ravages." To his great astooislinient, the carabi, which 

 will actually destnty the forJirtiJa. were either found starred to death, or left the place ; 

 ami the latter cotitinue<l their devastations I The reason given is, that the forficulm are 

 •■SM-ntially nf>cturnal,nnd, iluring the day, keep themselves hidden in crevices into which 

 the carabi cannot follow them : these latter. lo<>, are only active during the mi<ldle of the 

 day, and in thf heat of the sun. Hut the res<>urre<< of our p«-rsevering entoniol<«ist were 

 i*»t ret exhausted ; his next expe<lient Ix-ing to introduce a smaller carnivon-us ia«ect 

 common in France, the 5/a;i4y/tnia o/r;i.«, which, hf ntu.irks. "flllr*! all tlie nt-ctssjirr 

 c^mditiuiis for the destmction of the Jorfictilmy 



