THE SPRING-BEETLES. 55 



sides with short spines ; the true legs were six, a pair to 

 each of the first three rings ; and were tipped with a single 

 claw. Soon after this grub was found, it cast its skin and 

 became a pupa, and in due 'time the latter was transformed 

 to a beetle. 



Elater (Pyrophorus) noctilucus, the night-shining Elater, 

 is the celebrated cucuio or fire-beetle of the West Indies, 

 from whence it is frequently brought alive to this country. 

 It resembles the preceding insect somewhat in form, and is 

 an inch or more in length. It gives out a strong light from 

 two transparent eye-like spots on the thorax, and from the 

 segments of its body beneath. It eats the pulpy substance 

 of the sugar-cane, and its grub is said to be very injurious 

 to this plant, by devouring its roots. 



The next two common Elaters, together with several other 

 species, are distinguished by their claws, which resemble lit- 

 tle combs, being furnished with a row of fine teeth along the 

 under-side. The thorax is short and rounded before, and 

 the body tapers behind. They are found under the bark of 

 trees, where they pass the winter, having completed their 

 transformations in the previous autumn. Their 

 grubs live in wood. The first of these beetles is 

 the ash-colored Elater, Plater {Melanotus) cine- 

 reus of Weber (Fig. 28). It is about six tenths 

 of an inch long, and is dark brown, but covered 

 with short gray hairs, which give it an ashen 

 hue ; the thorax is convex, and the wing-covers 

 are marked with lines of punctures, resembling stitches. It 

 is found on fences, the trunks of trees, and in paths, in 

 April and May. 



Mater {Melanotus) communis of Schonherr, is, as its name 

 implies, an exceedingly common and abundant species. It 

 closely resembles the preceding, but is smaller, seldom ex- 

 ceeding half an inch in length; it is also rather lighter 

 colored ; the thorax is proportionally a little longer, not so 

 convex, and has a slender longitudinal furrow in the middle. 



