128 INSECTS AT HOME. 



that cannot click. The body is always hard, rigid, and metallic 

 in its colouring. In England, our species of Buprestida3 are 

 comparatively small ; but many exotic species, especially those 

 of South America, are of very large size, and absolutely gor- 

 geous in colour, their bodies having every shade of scarlet, 

 blue, purple, gold, and copper, and their surfaces being in very 

 many cases polished like burnished metal. 



I may here mention that the word Buprestis is of Grreek 

 origin, and signifies ' ox-swelling.' The name was given by the 

 earlier naturalists to a sort of Beetle which, according to 

 popular ideas, was eaten by cattle together with the grass, and 

 caused their bodies to swell to such an extent that the animals 

 died. The name has for many years been applied to this 

 family of Beetles, and, in default of a better, has been re- 

 tained. I need scarcely remark that a banquet on green clover 

 is quite sufficient to cause an ox to swell and perhaps die, with- 

 out the audition of any Beetle whatever. 



Of these insects our example will be Agrilus biguttatus, 

 which is represented on Woodcut XIII. Fig. 4. In the genus 

 Agrilus the body is cylindrical, the thorax is squared, and the 

 basal joint of the antennae is very short. 



This is a lovely insect, and it is a great pity that its beauti- 

 ful colour cannot be properly indicated by black and white. 

 The colour of the upper surface is brilliant-blue or green, with 

 a bronzed gloss, and towards the apex of each elytron, and close 

 to the suture, is a cream-coloured spot covered with thick but 

 short hair. The whole of the upper surface is rendered richer 

 in its colouring by the way in which it is broken up by wrinkles 

 and punctures on the head and thorax, and profuse granulation 

 on the elytra. Beneath, it is also blue or green, with the excep- 

 tion of several pure white down-covered spots on the sides. 

 The legs are of the same colour as the elytra. 



Although this is not a very common species, it is at all 

 events not one of our rarities, and is one of the many beautiful 

 British Beetles which are to be captured in Darenth wood. This 

 is the largest of the British BuprestidsB, and is the best repre- 

 sentation of its gorgeous exotic relations. It flies well, and 

 can be taken on the wing as well as by the sweep-net. As for 

 the hand, it has scarcely a chance against this lovely but pro- 

 voking Beetle, which takes alarm at the least movem(;nt of it? 



