Insects. 



boscis projecting from the front of the head, at the ex- 

 tremity of which the mouth is situated. As this pro- 

 boscis is not thicker than a fine needle, our readers may 

 form some notion of the minute size of the jaws with 

 which the mouth is furnished ; nevertheless, they are 

 sufficiently powerful to enable the little creature to eat 

 corn and biscuit. In the larva state they are exceedingly 

 destructive to corn in granaries, sometimes abounding to 

 such an extent in a heap of grain as to leave nothing of 

 it but the husks. 



There are an immense number of Wtevils, all of which 

 have the front of the head elongated fhto a proboscis or 

 beak. A very common one is the Nut- Weevil (Balaninus 

 micum), which has a very long and slender beak ; with 

 this the female eats into the soft shells of young nuts, 

 and deposits her eggs in the hole ; the grubs devour the 

 kernel of the nut, and leave nothing but dust in the in- 

 terior of the shell. 



THE LADY BIRD, OR LADY COW. 

 (Coccinella septem-punctata.) 



THE larva of this well-known and beautiful little beetle 

 is disagreeable and almost disgusting in its appearance ; 

 but to compensate for this it is extremely useful in de- 

 stroying the aphis, or green fly. In the perfect insect 

 the elytra are scarlet, beautifully spotted with black ; 

 some species having seven, and others five spots, and 

 one of the most beautiful, eighteen. The head is very 

 small, the antennae and legs very short, and the body 

 nearly round. This beetle is generally regarded with 

 much favour in almost all countries, and in Catholic 

 times was in a manner dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

 Hence its name of Lady Bird. 



