ORDER I.- — BEETLES. 61 



ative classes throughout the year. Hence in France, Ger- 

 many, Moravia, and Hungary they sow peas in gardens, 

 and cultivate them in extensive fields. 



Leaf Eaters (Chrysomelinae). 



The Leaf Eaters are another species of noxious Bee- 

 tles, who feed mostly on leaves or flowers. They are quite 

 small, from three to five lines long ; their antennse are fili- 

 form and granulated, and their legs generally short. Their 

 mouth does not terminate in a snout, like those we have 

 before described ; but it succeeds in destroying leaves and 

 flowers in great numbers. Their body is oval, and beauti- 

 fully colored, either crimson or blue, golden-green, azure- 

 blue, or variegated. Their larvae, or grubs, have six legs, 

 and live mostly upon leaves, until they change into perfect 

 Beetles. 



This family contains a large number of genera, of which 

 one of the handsomest is 



The Gilded Dandy {Eumolpus auratiis), which is found 

 throughout the United States upon the Dogs- 

 bane {Apocynum androsceniifolium), the leaves 

 of which are covered with them in July and !\ 



August. This Beetle is so brilliant that it is ^.,- 

 impossible to represent its splendid metallic 

 colors in painting, changinor as they do from ^ "^ 



^ °' ° ° -^ Gilded Daudy. 



green to a golden yellow, and from purple to 

 crimson. Its wing-covers would form a beautiful orna- 

 ment for those fancy-boxes I have before described, as its 

 colors are pre-eminently brilliant and showy. 



