HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 63 



as they might. A few species are eaten in different parts of the 

 world. The Sacred Beetle is sometimes eaten by the Egyptians ; 

 and the larvae of various large wood-feeding beetles are con- 

 sidered a great delicacy in the West Indies and elsewhere. The 

 Blister Beetles and the Rose-Chafer are sometimes employed in 

 medicine. The splendid green Buprestida of the Tropics, and 

 their near allies, the Elalerida, or Fireflies, are sometimes used 

 as ornaments, for which purpose the former are frequently em- 

 ployed even in Europe. The Diamond Beetles, which are 

 large Curculionid(Z > or Weevils, form magnificent objects for the 

 microscope. 



But much more might be done to make insects useful. The 

 Cockchafer, one of the most abundant and destructive of all our 

 British Beetles, might be made an insect of great commercial 

 value, as has been proved, though more in the way of experi- 

 ment than with any practical result ; for in this age of the world, 

 capitalists prefer to invest their money rather on products of 

 established value than in promoting new conquests from the 

 kingdom of nature. Cockchafers form a very fattening food for 

 fowls ; they will yield oil, which burns with a bright flame ; 

 grease can be obtained from them which is useful for greasing 

 carriage wheels ; and it is even said that a dye can be obtained 

 from them. There is no doubt that with a little patience and 

 experiment, beetles might be made very useful to man in a great 

 variety of ways in which we have at present no idea. 



But we cannot turn insects to any practical value without 

 taking up the study of Entomology seriously, and not simply as 

 an amusement ; for many insects that look very much alike to 

 inexperienced eyes, are really verv different indeed. 



We may find some Dlant in our helds or gardens suffering 

 severely from the attacks of insects, and swarming with some 

 species of insect which, so far from being the real depredator, is 

 busily engaged in diminishing its numbers. In such a case, 

 any one unacquainted with Entomology would probably devote 

 all his energies to destroying his benefactors, while the real 

 authors of the mischief might very possibly escape scot-free. 



It is quite certain, too, that if any one wished to use an insect 

 for any special medical or commercial purpose, and had only 

 a general idea of what it was like, he would be almost certain 

 to pitch upon something else, which might happen to possess 

 very different properties indeed from the insect he was really 

 in quest of. 



The usefulness of a knowledge of Entomology was ludicrously 

 illustrated by the Colorado Potato-Beetle panic some years 



