C0LE0PTEE0T7S INSECTS. 215 



subsists on the leaves of trees, but in the state of 

 grub it consumes the roots of grass and other her- 

 baceous plants. Its ravages, both in the early and 

 final stage of its life, have often been described, and 

 are unhappily better known than any efficient re- 

 medy of easy application. The beautiful species 

 represented (fig. 3, male ; fig. 4, female) is either 

 not of such destructive propensities, or, what is 

 more probable, too limited in numbers to accomplish 

 much mischief. In this country especially, it is of 

 very rare occurrence, and as the few examples that 

 have occurred were generally found on the sea- 

 shore, it has been questioned whether its appear- 

 ance ought not to be ascribed to accidental causes, 

 rather than to its being strictly a native of this 

 country. It is nearly an inch and a half in length, 

 of a dark-brown colour, having the whole upper 

 surface irregularly marked with patches and spots 

 of white. There is a pretty regular line of white 

 down the middle of the thorax, and another, less 

 regular, on each side of it. The antennae and 

 legs are reddish brown. It is found occasionally 

 in France, and in the more southern countries of 

 Europe- 



