HOME OF THE MUSK BEETLE. 19o 



absolutely riddled with the burrows of these larva?, which bore 

 deeply into the very heart of the timber, and leave little 

 except a shell of bark surrounding a sort of soft wooden sponge. 



If one of these trees be opened, the scene disclosed is a very 

 remarkable one. In the first place, the scent of the Beetles is 

 overpowering, and in the next, the wood is filled with a 

 wonderful variety of animal life. In some burrows, close to 

 the bark, may be seen the glittering green bodies of newly- 

 developed Beetles, as they lie waiting until their surfaces have 

 acquired sufficient hardness to enable them to face the dangers 

 of the world ; in others the helpless pupae may be seen ; and in 

 others, the white, flat, soft-bodied, hard-headed larvae move 

 themselves restlessly as they perceive the unwonted light. The 

 many Durrows which have been evacuated by their makers are, 

 however, seldom empty, but have plenty of tenants in the shape 

 of woodlice, centipedes, earwigs, spiders, millipedes, and sundry 

 predacious Beetles, the latter having evidently entered the 

 burrows in search of food. 



Those who wish to capture the Musk Beetle will find that 

 they cannot do better than explore the largest, the oldest, and 

 the most rugged willow-trees. The Musk Beetle is not a very 

 active insect, and is fond of clinging to the bark of the willow, 

 and remaining perfectly still for many hours together. I may 

 mention that the surface of this Beetle affords a most gorgeous 

 object for the microscope. 



On Woodcut XX. Fig. 5, is drawn a very pretty Beetle 

 called Callidiuin violaceum. In this genus the head is sunk 

 in the thorax nearly as far as the eyes, which are semilunar. 

 The body is slender, and the legs short. 



The present species derives its specific name from its colour, 

 which is violet, sometimes glossed with green or bronze. 

 Whatever may be the exact hue, a deep, rich, shining violet is 

 always the predominant colour — a violet that would make 

 the fortune of any dyer if he coiild only transfer it to silk. 

 The elytra are thickly and coarsely punctured. This pretty 

 little Beetle is thought to have been introduced into this 

 country from America. It is well known that wood-boring 

 Beetles are often transported from one country to another, the 

 larva or pupa remaining in the wood after the tree is cut down 



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