274. TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS. 
preventing the wanton destruction of the birds that keep down 
these insect pests. 
The engraving describes the metamorphoses of the cockchafer. 
The larve are seen in different stages, and there is a nymph 
underground also, whilst the perfect insects are crawling above. 
There was at one time a speculation by which people hoped to 
make money by extracting oil from cockchafers, which was supposed 
to have extraordinary virtues, and to be useful in many ways; but, 
unfortunately, the expense of manufacturing the oil was too great, 
and the effort came to nothing. 
The species which most resemble the common cockchafer are 
not very widely distributed in Nature, and the mischief they 
perpetrate is not much feared or cared for. One of them may be 
noticed on account of its great size, and its favourite locality. 
Melolontha fullo is a fine beetle whose general colour is brownish, 
and it has little white spots scattered here and there over the whole 
of its surface, especially on the elytra, on which they produce 
curious designs. The males of this kind are always admired on 
account of the great size of the lamelle of their antennz, which 
resemble beautiful feathers. These cockchafers are not found in- 
land, but choose the seaside for their residence, and they may be 
found on the dunes or sand-hills of Dunkirk and the environs of 
Ostend, and they have been noticed on different spots by the sides 
of the Baltic Sea and the neighbouring ocean, as well as all 
round the Mediterranean. They fly with great velocity, and make 
much buzzing; and they appear so fond of noise, that they con- 
stantly produce a sharp sound when they are on the ground or 
amongst the leaves, by rubbing the elytra against the body. 
In the engraving the males may be seen with their great 
antennz, and .the female on the left-hand side of the picture shows 
the white markings on the elytra very distinctly. 
The Rutelide are beautiful beetles, and are intermediate between 
the MWelolonthide and the Scarabeide. The species of some of the 
genera of this tribe have magnificent colours, which hint at their 
existence where the sun shines in all its glory, and where the climate 
is most genial. Some of them live in the hottest countries of the 
world, others in tropical America, and some in Australia. There 
are no Coleoptera in Europe as brilliant as these. The prettiest of 
