230 Bugs, Butterflies, and Beetles 



beds. It is the larva that does the mischief. Fig. 

 210 illustrates the larder beetle, which is very fond 

 of bacon and ham, and also likes dried beef. Watch 

 for it in May. 



There is another beetle which fits in about here, 

 which is of an adventurous spirit. The beetle is 

 shaped about the same as the carpet beetle (Figs. 

 211, larva and beetle) and lives in the Eastern 

 States ; the males and old-maid females are exceed- 

 ingly active and when the day is hot they collect 

 upon the stones in mid-stream, selecting stones 

 that just peep out above the surface of the rush- 

 ing water. Here they play tag in a most lively 

 fashion, occasionally flying a short distance over 

 the water, but they do not dive beneath it. While 

 they frequent almost submerged objects in the 

 rapid water, they never allow the water to cover 

 them, dodging each wavelet that washes over their 

 particular playground. The favorite location for 

 them is in the dangerous waters just above Niagara 

 Falls. The larvae or babies of this beetle wear a 

 coat of fine hair or do>vn, which holds the air that 

 the babies breathe when they go below water. The 

 larva is shaped like a basin or shallow bowl with 

 an elliptical outline, that means an edge the shape 



