242 INSECTS ABROAD. 



group is one which is well worthy of description. Tt is a native 

 of Brazil. When viewed by a dull light, or when merely seen 

 from above, it looks as if it were dull, dead black. It seems as if 

 it must have crawled down the chimney before it could have 

 attained such a depth of blackness, compared with which the 

 blackest velvet seems quite brilliant. 



But let a gleam of sunshine touch its surface, and the insect is 

 at once transformed. Instead of being the dull, sober Beetle 

 that it appeared only a moment ago, it is clothed in robes of 

 imperial purple, so rich, so deep, so piercing, that the eye can 

 scarcely endure its splendour. It is an insect that absolutely 

 fascinates the observer, and one is never tired of shifting it to 

 and fro in the sunbeams, in order to watch the wonderful play 

 of colour over its surface. 



As if to add to its beauty, the elytra are furnished with several 

 broad ridges, elevated very slightly above the rest of the surface. 

 The effect of this structure is, that when the rest of the elytron is 

 deep, velvety purple, the ridges are of the most dazzling azure, 

 shifting in their turn to purple when the insect is moved so as 

 to throw the light into the furrows between the ridges, and to 

 develop the azure splendour of their clothing. It looks, if we 

 may use such a simile, as if stripes of blue satin had been sewn 

 on purple velvet. Add to this, that the wings themselves are- 

 deep, shining green, like those of our demoiselle dragon-flies, and 

 the reader may form some very faint idea of the beauties which 

 lie hidden in this insect until revealed by the light. 



The form of this Beetle is as remarkable as its colour. Tic- 

 head and thorax are small, the latter being boldly spiked at 

 either side. The legs are all rather slender, and moderately 

 long, but the hind pair are much elongated, and the tibia are 

 developed into large flat blades, much resembling in form the 

 head of a racket, having one side much rounded and the other 

 comparatively straight. The similitude is increased by a thickened 

 edge which runs round the flattened portion, like the frame of a 

 racket. Like the elytra, the legs are purple, and have a satiny 

 surface, which is shown by the microscope to be due to a dense 

 clothing of very fine purple down. 



The name of tic insect is Phyllocnema phyllopus. Both words 

 have a similar meaning; the former signifying "leaf-legged," and 

 the latter "leaf-footed." 



