396 MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



attracting the attention of our earliest yeai's. It is curious, also, that 

 they have received nearly similar names of familiarity in other coun- 

 tries ; thus, in France they are called betes de la vierge, vaches k 

 Dieu, &c. These insects are amongst the most variable and difficult, 

 as to their specific discrimination, of all the Coleoptera. The general 

 colours are red or yellow, with black spots, varying greatly in number 

 and size ; or black, with white, red, or yellow spots. As, however, the 

 union of individuals of opposite colours is of constant occurrence, the 

 difficulty of investigating the species may be easily imagined. M. V. 

 Audouin has published some interesting notes upon this subject, which 

 appear to show that tJie result of the union of allied species in this 

 group are sterile eggs. (Atin. Soc. Ent. de France, torn. i. p. 233.) 

 When alarmed, they fold up their legs, and emit a mucilaginous yellow 

 fluid from the joints of the limbs, having a very powerful and disagree- 

 able scent, and which, according to some writers, is an admirable spe- 

 cific against the toothach. They creep but slowly, but fly well ; 

 they are abundant in our gardens and plantations, where, both in the 

 larva and perfect states, they are very serviceable in destroying the 

 aphides upon various plants. And, inasmuch as they occasionally 

 appear in such swarms as to attract public attention, the injury done 

 by the aphides is, by ignorant persons, attributed to the more con- 

 spicuous Coccinellse. The eggs are deposited in small yellow patches in 

 the midst of the plant lice ; so that the larva, when hatched, is in the 

 midst of its food. The larva {fig. 49. 19, larva of C. bipunctata) very 

 closely resembles that of Chrysomela Populi ; it is depressed, and 

 somewhat of an elongate- ovate form and fleshy consistence, having the 

 three anterior segments the largest, and the abdominal segments 

 tubercled and spotted, and emitting a fluid similar to that of the imago, 

 from the tubercles. The head is small ; the antennte very minute 

 and conical, and the maxillary palpi thick. When full grown, it at- 

 taches itself to a leaf by the extremity of the body, casts off its 

 larva skin, which is collected in a mass at the tail, within which 

 the pupa {fig. 49. 20. j also I'cmains attached in this state. It is re- 

 markable for the serrated appearance of the dorsal portion of the 

 abdominal segments. The figures which I have given are those of 

 the larva and pupa of C. bipustulata. Mr. Dillwyn has made an 

 observation relative to these larvae, whence it would appear that 

 they are not exclusively Aphidivorous^, having observed them in 

 unusually great numbers when no aphides were near, and where 



