popular Btcttflnarn of Rnimattis $attir. 129 



on birch-trees, is one of the richest of the 

 genus, being entirely of the most brilliant 

 and beautiful grass-green. The species of 

 the genus Chrysomela, and others separated 

 therefrom, are distinguished by the posses- 

 sion of wings, and an oval or rounded body. 

 Among these the Chrysomela Populi is one 

 of the most common species. It is of a blue- 

 black colour, with red elytra, tipped with 

 black. It is found upon the willow and 

 poplar. Its larva is of an oblong-ovate form, 

 of a dirty greenish-white colour, with nu- 

 merous black scaly spots ; its meso and me- 

 tathoracic segments are furnished with two 

 large lateral conical tubercles, and the ab- 

 dominal segments have also two rows of 

 smaller dorsal and lateral tubercles, from 

 I which, as well as from the joints of the legs 

 | and mouth, drops of a fetid fluid are emitted 

 when the larva is alarmed. The eggs are 

 deposited upon the leaves in clusters. The 

 pupa is ovate, having the excuvia of the 

 larvae collected in a mass at the extremity of 

 the body. The larvae of some species of this 

 family feed, in society, upon leaves, pre- 

 serving one or more most orderly rows. 

 ! Among the most elegant species found in 

 j the United States of North America (ac- 

 cording to Dr. Harris) is the Chrysomela 

 Kalant of Leconte, literally the ladder 

 Chrysomela. The head, thorax, and under 

 side of its body are dark green, the wing- 

 covers silvery white, ornamented with small 

 green spots on the sides, and a broad jagged 

 stripe along the suture or inner edges ; 

 the antennae and legs are rust-red ; and the 

 wings are rose-coloured. It is a beautiful 

 object when flying, with its silvery wing- 

 covers embossed with green, raised up, and 

 its rose-red wings spread out beneath them. 

 These beetles inhabit the elm and lime trees, 

 upon which they may be found in April, 

 May, and June, and a second brood of them 

 in September and October. They pass the 

 winter in holes, and under leaves and moss. 

 The trees on which they live are sometimes 

 a good deal injured by them and their larvse. 

 The latter are hatched from eggs laid by the 

 beetles on the leaves in the spring, and, 

 when full grown, are about half an inch 

 long, of a white colour, with a black line 

 along the top of the back, and a row of small 

 square black spots on each side of the body ; 

 the head is horny, and of an ochre-yellow 

 ; colour ; the body is short and very thick, 



the back arching upwards in the middle. 

 j m CHUB. (Cyprinw ccphahts.) This fish 

 is a native of many parts of Europe, and is 



not uncommon in our own island. It fre- 

 quents the deep holes of rivers, and, during 

 the summer season, commonly lies on the 



surface of the water, beneath some tree or 

 bush. In shape the Chub rather resembles 

 the Tench, but is of a more lengthened form, 

 and has a larger head in proportion. It is 

 from fourteen to eighteen inches in length ; 

 its colour silvery, with a bluish olive cast on 

 its upper parts ; the sides bluish white, pass- 

 ing into silvery white on the belly ; the 

 scales very large, and the lateral line nearly 

 straight ; the dorsal fin is rather small, and 

 situated on the middle of the back ; the pec- 

 toral fins are of a pale yellow ; the ventral 

 and anal fins are red ; and the tail is slightly 

 forked, and of a dull bluish-brown colour. 

 It feeds on worms, caterpillars, grasshoppers, 

 beetles, and other coleopterous insects which 

 happen to fall into the water. 



CICADA. The family of insects bearing 

 the generic name Cicadas, or Cicadulce, are 

 nearly all inhabitants of tropical or the 

 warmer temperate regions. The most com- 

 mon European species is the Cicada plebeia of 

 Linnaeus ; an insect often commemorated by 

 the ancient poets, but generally confounded 

 by the major part of translators with the 

 Grasshopper. It is a native of the warmer 

 parts of Europe, particularly of Italy and 

 Greece ; appearing in the hotter months of 

 summer, and continuing its shrill chirping 

 during the greatest part of the day, generally 

 sitting among the leaves of trees. These 

 insects proceed from eggs deposited by the 



MANN AH SI.T. (OICADA ORNI.) 



parent in and about the roots of trees, near 

 the ground ; and after having remained in 

 the larva state nearly two years, cast their 

 skins, and prodnce the complete insect. 



The male Cicada produces a loud chirping 

 note, and much has been written in praise 

 of it by Anacreon and other ancient authors; 

 it is certain, however, that modern ears are 

 offended rather than pleased with its voice, 

 which is so very strong and stridulous that 

 it fatigues by its incessant repetition. That 

 a sound so piercing should proceed from so 

 small a body may well excite our astonish- 

 ment ; and the curious apparatus by which 

 it is produced has justly claimed the atten- 

 tion of the most celebrated investigators. 

 They have found that it proceeds from a 

 pair of concave membranes, seated on each 

 side the first joints of the abdomen : the 

 large concavities of the abdomen, imme- 

 diately under the two broad lamellae in the 

 male insect, are also faced by a thin, pellucid, 

 iridescent membrane, serving to increase 

 and reverberate the sound ; and a strong 

 muscular apparatus is exerted for the pur- 

 pose of moving the necessary organs. 



Among the large and elegant insects in 

 this division is the Cicada h<ematodes, distin- 

 guished by its shining black body, with the 



