208 INSECTS AT HOME. 



Now we come to a family in which most of the species are 

 brilliantly coloured; and even those in which the hue is appa- 

 rently of a sombre cast are seen, wlien closely examined, to be 

 really clothed with as much beauty as their more conspicuous 

 relatives. This family is called the Chrysomelidie, a name 

 which is composed of two Greek words, signifying ' golden 

 apple,' and 's appropriately given to these Beetles on account 

 of the globular shape of their bodies, and the lovely tints with 

 which they are adorned. In these Beetles the head is very 

 far sunk in the thorax, but not so deeply as in the last-mentioned 

 family, and the antennss are stouter, shorter, and more thickened 

 towards the tip. One of these antennse is shown on Woodcut 

 XXII. Fig. a. The body is oval or round, and the legs are of 

 equal size. In the genus Timarcha, from which our example 

 is taken, the wings are not developed, and the elytra are firmly 

 soldered together at the suture, so that they cannot be opened. 



On Woodcut XXII. Fig. o, is represented an insect wliich is 

 very plentiful, and known by the name of Timarcha laevigata. 

 It is better known, however, by the popular name of Bloody- 

 Nose Beetle, because it has a habit of ejecting a large drop 

 of red fluid from its mouth when it is handled. There are 

 only two British species belonging to this genus, and they are 

 by far the largest English representatives of the Chrysomelidse. 

 The present species sometimes nearly reaches a length of three- 

 quarters of an inch, and, as the body is very stout and globular, 

 it may take rank among the larger British Beetles. 



At the first glance, this insect appears to be black, but a 

 careful examination with a magnifying glass, aided by a strong 

 light, shows that the real colour is the deepest indigo-purple, 

 sometimes with a gloss of green. The whole of the upper 

 surface is thickly covered with small punctures, which impart 

 to it a sort of velvety gloss. The tarsi are very broad, and 

 furnished beneath with thick, greyish-yellow pads. There is a 

 very broad impression on the forehead. The second species, 

 Timarcha coriacea, much resembles the present insect. It is 

 not, however, so large, and is rather blacker above. The chief 

 distinction, however, is to be found in the punctures of the 

 elytra, which are deep, and have a tendency to run together, so 

 as to form irregular lines. This formation cannot be seen 

 Without the use of a magnifying glass. 



