1412 THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSE 



Longicorns, which live inside trees, are long, soft, 

 and fleshy, with six short legs. The Geodephaga, 

 corresponding with the Linnaean genera Cicindela 

 and Carabus, have six-legged, slender, carnivorous 

 larvae; those of Cicindela, which waylay their prey, 

 being less active than the hunting larvae of the Carab- 

 idae. The Hydradephaga, or water-beetles, have 

 long and narrow larvae, with strong sickle-shaped 

 jaws, short antennae, four palpi, and six small eyes 

 on each side of the head; they are very voracious. 

 The larvae of the Staphylinidae are by no means un- 

 like the perfect insect, and are found in similar situ- 

 ations; their jaws are powerful, and their legs mod- 

 erately strong. The larvae of the Lamellicorn beetles 

 cock-chafers, stag-beetles, etc. feed on vegetable 

 substances or on dead animal matter. They are 

 long, soft, fleshy grubs, with the abdomen somewhat 

 curved, and generally lie on their side. The larvae 

 of the Elateridae, known as wireworms, are long and 

 slender, with short legs. That of the glowworm 

 (Lampyridae) is not unlike the apterous female. 

 The male glowworm, on the contrary, is very differ- 

 ent. It has long, thin, brown wing-cases, and often 

 flies into rooms at night, attracted by the light which 

 it probably mistakes for that of its mate. 



The metamorphoses of the Cantharidae are very 

 remarkable. The larvae are at first active and hexa- 

 pod. The Phytophaga are vegetable feeders, both 

 as larvae and in the perfect state. The larvae are fur- 

 nished with legs, and are not unlike the caterpillars 

 of certain Lepidoptera. 



The larva of Coccinella (the ladybird) is some- 



