THE HEATHER BEETLE 385 



the mandibles become darkened. Six days later the eyes have 

 become very dark brown, almost black, while the mandibles are 

 of a rich brown tint. When two more days have elapsed, i.e., 

 on the fifteenth day of pupal life, the tips of the mandibles are 

 quite black, while the maxillae have commenced to darken 

 at the tip. On the seventeenth day the wing-cases, legs, and 

 antennae darken in colour, and the markings on the forehead, 

 etc., characteristic of the mature beetle, are plainly seen, while 

 on the eighteenth day the changes are fully accomplished, 

 and the beetle emerges to enjoy a free and active existence. 

 The pupal stage thus lasts, in a typical case, about three weeks. 



The emergence of the beetle from the pupal skin commences 

 with the liberation of the legs from the body, and occupies, 

 judging from an example which was carefully watched, about 

 four hours ; but the elytra (wing-cases) are even at the end of 

 that time quite pale, and only darken and harden quite gradually, 

 assuming their permanent condition several hours later. The 

 anterior legs and the antennae are the first appendages to become 

 capable of free movement, while the whole of the six legs are 

 practically free in the space of an hour. As the struggling 

 movements proceed, it is easy to notice the extreme thinness of 

 the enclosing pupal membrane. It is apparently of consider- 

 able toughness, but is ultimately ruptured by the vigorous 

 movements of the limbs. 



After observing the above details in the transformation of 

 several examples, all the newly emerged beetles, together with 

 a large number of others received from correspondents, were 

 placed in a breeding-cage on a sod of healthy heather. In a 

 very short time they had all disappeared, and in order to 

 ascertain their whereabouts a small piece of the sod (about 4 

 inches square), was detached and torn carefully bit by bit 

 into small fragments. It was found that in this small piece 

 five beetles were lying in a torpid condition in little hollows 

 immediately below the surface of the soil. When the moss, 

 etc., was gently torn off, the beetles were betrayed by their 

 shining elytra, as they lay back upwards. They began to move 



2B 



