214 BRITISH BEETLES. 



the sun, etc., by covering their backs with their own 

 excrement, gradually pushed from the end of the intes- 

 tinal canal, the opening of which is situated on the back, 

 of the last segment. This coating dries into a hard 

 layer, from which the larva can free itself at pleasure. 

 When full grown it descends to the ground, in which it 

 forms a polished oval cell. 



C. asparagi (Plate XIV, Fig. 3), a smaller and much 

 more abundant species, is very prettily marked, and 

 sometimes does .considerable damage to asparagus, on 

 which its short, fleshy, grey larvae feed. This insect 

 has been observed to make a squeaking noise, similar to 

 that of the Longicornes above-mentioned. 



The CLYTHRID^; have the head vertical, and the an- 

 tennse serrate and short; their larvae live in hairy, 

 leathery cases, which they drag about, with their head 

 and legs protruding from the narrow end; and have, 

 when taken out of their covering, much the appearance 

 of those of the small Lamellicornes. 



Our species are by no means common ; occurring in 

 woods, where they have been bred from ants' nests. C. 

 tridentata, a greyish-brown insect, with blue-black head, 

 thorax, and limbs, has very long front legs ; and C. qua- 

 dripunctata, as its name implies, may be distinguished 

 by its four black spots. 



The little Lamprosoma concolor is so exceeding un- 

 like its allies, both in size, shape, and colour, as to seem 

 at first sight misplaced in this family. Its structure 

 will be readily understood from its old generic name, 

 Oomorphus, or egg-shape ; and it much resembles cer- 

 tain species of Phadon in the Chrysomelida. 



The CRYPTOCEPHALID^E, also, have the head vertical, 

 and sunk in the thorax ; the body being cylindrical, and 



I 



