228 



BRITISH BEETLES. 



belong the numerous insects known generally as <c lady- 

 birds " or " lady-cows," so abundant all over the king- 

 dom, but especially in hop-counties and on the coast, 

 and such good friends to us on account of their " blight- 

 destroying habits, for it is upon Aphides, or plant-lice, 

 that these beetles exist, both in their larval and perfect 

 states. 



They have been observed in the southern counties to 

 follow the Aphis in swarms, unexpectedly making their 

 appearance by thousands, and settling upon every avail- 

 able resting-place \ indeed, I have known them to occur 

 in such numbers that it has been necessary to sweep 

 them away from paths and windows. They fly strongly, 

 but are not rapid or strong walkers, and have, both in 

 the condition of larva and perfect insect, a habit of dis- 

 tilling a peculiar and pungent yellow oily fluid, similar 

 to that of certain of the Chrysomelida, and which, also, 

 has been stated to be a specific for toothache. 



Their patches of small yellow eggs can often be seen 

 deposited by the parent insect on plants infested by 

 Aphides ; and the slaty-blue larvae, which are tubercu- 

 lated and spotted, contracted behind, and with six con- 

 spicuous legs in front, may be observed crawling about 

 shrubs in gardens or on walls preparatory to the change 

 to pupa, which is fastened by the tail, and does not gel 

 rid of the skin of the larva. 



The large seven-spot and smaller two-spot ladybii 

 are well known to all observers; the latter insect 

 exceedingly variable, specimens of it occurring of evei 

 intermediate gradation between red with a rudimentai 

 dot on each elytron to entirely black. Oddly enough, 

 it is entremely difficult to obtain a variety of the first 

 mentioned beetle. 



