100 INSECTS. 



screen of the same material, and retain it in its place 

 without the help of the fork, and without encrusting their 

 bodies. 



Concealment is attained in another way by larvae in a 

 family allied to the bloody-nosed beetles, which form for 

 themselves a portable tent o'r case composed of various 

 substances, in this resembling the Caddis-worms, and 

 Clothes moths. 



If the habits of the Caddis-worms and Clothes-moths 

 are represented by the larva? of some beetles, others of 

 the weevil tribe remind us of the gall-making Cynips flies, 

 the knots and lumps so often to be observed in turnips 

 and other roots, and gall-like excrescences upon some 

 leaves being occasioned by them, and serving them as 

 dwelling-places. 



The leaf-mining moths also have representatives 

 among beetles. The destruction caused by the Turnip 

 beetle larvae, arises from their mining the leaves in the 

 early stage, and continuing to do so till the crop is lost. 



The great value to man of the labours of some carrion- 

 eating larvae has already been mentioned. The importance 

 of the aphis-eating Ladybird larva is too evident to be 

 missed ; but there are many larvae commonly considered 

 as mischievous, which, nevertheless, are working 

 assiduously in the interests of man. Thus, the fruit- 

 eating, the root-eating, the tree-killing beetles, are all 

 doing their part towards checking the overcrowding, the 

 overgrowth, and the consequent enfeeblement of the 

 whole vegetable world ; and if sometimes a flight of 

 Locusts abroad, or an unusual multitude of Cock- 

 chafers at home, effects a destruction which for the 

 time appears a simple evil, we should do well to re- 

 member the Fire of London, and other " unmitigated 



