71 [ 491 J 



necessarily vary in force when applied to the species of a particular 

 group as compared with each other, accordingly as the species of that 

 group are large or small as compared with the rest of the order ; that 

 is to say, a small species of a group of generally large-sided insects, 

 may be larger than a large species of a small-sized group. 



LARVJE AND PUPJE. 



The larvce of the Coleoptera are usually soft whitish grubs ; naked, 

 or with a few scattered hairs; with a mandibulate mouth not very 

 unlike that of the perfect insects ; usually furnished with six short 

 feet and a single terminal proleg, but sometimes wholly footless. 

 They live in secluded situations, sometimes in the ground, but 

 oftener in the wood or under the bark of decaying trees, or in 

 putrescent animal substances, and not uufrequently in nuts and 

 seeds, and in the pulp of fruits. They are rarely found exposed to 

 the light of day, and therefore they never exhibit the beauty of colora 

 tion, nor the variety of clothing which gives so much interest to the 

 study of the caterpillars, properly so called, which are the larvsB of the 

 moths and butterflies. The larvae of most of the families of Coleoptera 

 are now pretty well known, but owing to the circumstances just men- 

 tioned, they have generally received but little attention from entomolo- 

 gists compared with that which has been bestowed upon the perfect 

 insects. The larvae of the several families will be more particularly 

 described in their proper connections. 



The pupce are never inclosed in cocoons, but the larvae, before chang- 

 ing, simply form cells by turning themselves round and round in the 

 earth or rotten wood, in which they usually undergo their metamor- 

 phoses. The legs are fi-ee, that is not concealed from view under a 

 pupa case, but they are not used, the insects being dormant and motion- 

 less during this stage of their existence. 



THE COLEOPTERA FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW. 



In order to show more clearly the connection between scientific and 

 practical entomology, in classifying the Coleoptera we have taken the 

 food-habits of the several species as the basis of classification, it being 

 in the nature of their food, and their methods of obtaining it, that in- 

 sects come into the most important relationship to mankind, whether of 

 an injurious or a beneficial character. We refer to the Coleoptera par- 

 ticularly, because they exhibit a much greater diversity of food-habits 

 than any of the other orders of insects. Indeed this principle of classi- 

 fication is of value just in proportion as such diversity exists ; and where 

 it is very limited, as especially in the great order of Lepidoptera, it 

 ceases to be available. Even in classifying the Coleoptera upon this 

 ba^s, and at the same time paying the necessary respect to structural 



