THE EUPODA, OR PHYTOPHAGA. 213 



exhibiting beautiful shades of dark and light blue, green, 

 copper, purple, and red : there are, in fact, few prettier 

 objects than the broad leaf of a water-lily, rippled over 

 by the clear stream, and studded with these living gems 

 (which, beautiful in death, are a thousand times more 

 so when alive), basking in the summer sun. 



Our other genus, Hamonia, has long straggling legs, 

 the apical joint of the tarsi being very long and pre- 

 hensile. Both the species are found on water-plants 

 (Zostera and Potamogeton}j even beneath the surface; 

 but H. Curtisii (Plate XIV, Fig. 2) is by far the most 

 common. They have the antennae inserted close together, 

 and the apex of the elytra produced into a spine. 



The CRIOCERID^E have the eyes emarginate, with the 

 antennae inserted within their front inner margin ; the 

 mandibles truncate at the tip, with two or three acute 

 teeth, and the labium entire. 



We possess three genera, Zeugophora, Lema, and 

 Crioceris; the two first of which do not require any 

 especial remark, the only peculiarity about either of 

 them being that Z. subspinosa, a little blue-black insect 

 with reddish head and thorax, found on aspens, has a 

 wary habit of folding up its legs and dropping, on the 

 approach of the net. 



The species of Crioceris are, however, more conspicu- 

 ous, both from appearance and economy. One of them, 

 C. merdigera, of great rarity here, though sometimes 

 occurring near London in the flowers of lilies, is, when 

 alive, of a bright scarlet colour, which fades after death. 

 The eggs of this insect are laid on lily-leaves, and glued 

 together ; and the young larvae, when hatched, feed for 

 some time gregariously, though separating as they grow 

 older. These larvae defend themselves from the heat of 



