The Cetonia-larva 



By means of wriggling movements and the 

 purchase afforded by the dorsal bristles, it 

 makes its way belly upwards, with its legs 

 kicking the empty air. The spectator to 

 whom these topsy-turvy gymnastics are a 

 novelty thinks at first that the creature must 

 have had a fright of some sort and that it is 

 struggling as best it can in the face of dan- 

 ger. He puts it back on its belly; he lays 

 it on its side. Nothing is of any use; it 

 obstinately turns over and resumes its dorsal 

 progress. That is its manner of travelling 

 over a flat surface; it has no other. 



This reversal of the usual mode of walk- 

 ing is so peculiar to the Cetonia-larva that 

 it is enough in itself to reveal the grub's 

 identity to the least expert eyes. Dig into 

 the vegetable mould formed by the decayed 

 wood in the hollow trunks of old willow- 

 trees, search at the foot of rotten stumps or 

 in heaps of compost; and, if you come upon a 

 plumpish grub moving along on its back, 

 there is no room for doubt: your discovery 

 is a Cetonia-larva. 



This topsy-turvy progress is fairly swift 

 and is not less in speed to that of an equally 

 fat grub travelling on its legs. It would 

 even be greater on a polished surface, where 

 walking on foot is hampered by incessant 



lOI 



