The Musk-Beetle and Some Others. 



193 



of the scor}Moii-fly 

 jointed legs. 



except that in boreus the 1 



arva 



has only tlie six true 



The Musk-Beetle and Some Others. 



Among the few groups of beetles that can claim any sort of popularity is the 

 long-horn family.^ The sensitive persons who ordinarily shudder at the sight 

 of a beetle make an exception here, for the usual length and slenderness of the 

 body, combined with the great length of the antennae, give the Insect a graceful 

 air that quite dispels the common prejudice against the race. Then, in addition, 

 many species of these long-liorns are endowed with bright colours or striking marks, 

 which render them more attractive. Finally, in the case of our native musk-beetle, - 

 to the attractions of elegance of form and brilliance of colouring is super-added 

 a delightful fragrance, which often causes ladies to forget their regulation horror 

 of beetles, and to wrap this species in their handkerchief or glove in order that thev 

 may retain its odour. 



Though the musk-beetle 

 from its jaws to the tips of its 

 wing-covers measures onlv an 

 inch and a quarter, the an- 

 tennae alone exceed this length, 

 and so appear to add to the 

 length of the beetle. The colour 

 of the beetle on the upper side 

 is a subdued golden-green, 

 changing locally to blue, and in 

 parts with a reddish tinge, 

 which changes the gold to 

 copper. The antennae consist of 

 eleven joints, most of which are 

 long, and taper to their base. 

 A peculiarity of these antenncC 

 is that they appear to spring 

 out of the eyes. Really the eye 

 ])artially surrounds the first 

 joint of the antenna. By a 

 slight rotating movement of its 

 neck," causing it to scrajie 

 the next division of the middle- 

 body, the beetle is able to pro- 

 duce a squeaking sound. 



In summer we mav have 

 the good fortime to conu' across 

 an ancient willow-tree on whose 



[[■:. sirp. r.r.s. 



The Musk-Beetle. 



IJcsidfS being of graceful form and bright colouring, the niusk-beetle has the 

 broad bole several of these additional attraction of being strongly perfumed. The many-jointed antenna; 

 ... are longer than the combined length of head and bodv — which is about an inch 



beetles may be displaying then- and a quarter only. 



^ Cerambycidae. 



.•\romia moschata. 



