134 COLEOPTERA. 



beetle is about three twentieths of an iiicli h>ng. Its head, 

 wing-covers, and body beneath are dark blue ; its thorax and 

 legs are dull orange-red ; the upper side of its abdomen is 

 also orange-colored ; and the antennge and feet are blackish. 

 The females have a very odd appearance before they have 

 laid their eggs, their abdomen being enormously swelled out 

 like a large orange-colored ball, which makes it very difficult 

 for them to move about. I have found these insects on the 

 knot-grass in every month from April to September inclusive. 

 The larvge eat the leaves of the same plant. 



Having described the largest, the most elegant, and the 

 most common of our Chrysomelians, I must omit all the rest, 

 except the most splendid, which was called Eitmoljjas auratus 

 by Fabricius, that is, the gilded Eumolpus (Plate II. Fig. 1). 

 It is of a brilliant golden green color above, and of a deep 

 pur[»lish green below ; the legs are also purple-green ; but 

 the feet and the antenna? are blackish. The thorax is 

 narrower behind than the wing-covers, and the rest of the 

 bodv is more oblono; oval than in the foresoino; Chrvsome- 

 lians. It is about three eighths of an inch long. This splen- 

 did beetle may be found in considerable numbers on the 

 leaves of the dog's-bane (^Apoeynum Androscemifoliarii)^ which 

 it devours, during the months of July and August. The 

 larvae are unknown to me. 



The fourth family of the leaf-eating Chrysomelians consists 

 of the Cryptocephalians (Cryptocephalid.e), so named from 

 the principal genus Cryptocephalas, a word signifying con- 

 cealed head. These insects somewhat resemble the beetles of 

 the preceding family ; but they are of a more cylindrical fonn, 

 and the head is bent down, and nearly concealed in the fore 

 part of the thorax. Their larvae are short, cylindrical, whit- 

 ish grubs, which eat the leaves of plants. Each one makes 

 f()r itselt a little cylindrical or egg-shaped case, of a substance 

 sometimes resembling clay, and sometimes like horn, with 

 an ()[) iiing at one end, within which the grub lives, putting 

 out its h^atl and fore legs when it wishes to eat or to move. 



