ORDER I. BEETLES. 21 



The grubs {larva) of the Lady-birds are much the most 

 voracious, and on that account are armed with two very 

 powerful jaws. They creep along on the leaves and 

 branches of plants until they find plant-lice, among which 

 they then ravage like wolves in a sheep-fold. When full 

 grown, their body is generally half an inch long, of an ob- 

 long form and bluish color, with four or six yellow spots, 

 which generally become black spots upon the red wing- 

 covers of the perfect insect. They remain in the condition 

 of larvce about two weeks, when they fasten themselves upon 

 a leaf, cast their skin, and metamorphose themselves into a 

 variegated or ash-colored short cocoon, from which the per- 

 fect Lady-bird issues in about a fortnight. 



A great variety of these insects are foimd throughout the 

 whole world, but the largest species we 

 have in North America is the Northern 

 Lady-bird {Coccinella borealis, Fig. 3), 

 which is principally found upon the leaves 

 of the Pumpkin \'ine, and several other 

 species of gourd {Cucurhitacecc). Here 

 they feed in company with their grubs, 

 not on the leaves of any of these plants, " °^ ^*^™ a y- n . 

 as many believe, but on the plant-lice and the larvae of the 

 Squash-bug which abounds on those vines. 



Many other species of this genus, which are found in this 

 country, are named according to the number and form of 

 the spots on their wing-covers. Thus we have 



it- 



Coccinella bi-punctata, 



" immaculata, 



" iirsina, 



" novem-punctata, 



- and many others. 



) 



These Beetles were, several years ago, recommended as a 

 superior remedy for tooth-ache, which was said to be im- 

 mediately cured by putting one or two mashed Lady-birds 

 into the hollow tooth. I tried this application in two in- 



