252 



Criotfurg 



tractive. Close to this genus is Grimothea, 

 one of the species of which ((?. gregaria) is 

 met with in the Southern seas near the 

 Straits of Magellan, in countless multitudes. 



GALEOPITHECUS. An extraordinary 

 quadrumanous animal of the Lemurine tribe, 

 called the Flying Lemur, and sometimes 

 termed the Coluga ; it is a native of the islands 

 of the Indian Archipelago ; and its chief pe- 

 culiarity consists in the extension of its skin 

 between the anterior and posterior limbs on 

 eacli side, and between the posterior limbs, 

 including also the tail ; by which it receives 

 a parachute-like support in the air, and is 

 enabled to take long sweeping leaps from 



tree to tree, somewhat like flying. They 

 may be considered as connecting the Lemurs 

 with the Bats ; differing generically from 

 the latter in having their fingers, which are 

 armed with trenchant nails, no longer than 

 the toes, so that the membrane which occu- 

 pies their intervals, and extends to the sides 

 of the tail, can only answer the purpose ol 

 floating in the air. The general anatomy 

 agrees very closely with that of the Lemurs. 

 They inhabit lofty trees in dark woods ; to 

 which they cling with all four extremities, 

 and traverse easily by means of their strong 

 and extremely compressed, retractile claws. 

 During the day-time they suspend them- 

 selves like Bats from the branches, witli the 

 head downwards ; but at night they rouse 

 themselves, and make an active search for 

 food, which consists of fruit, insects, eggs, 

 birds, &c. They are very inoffensive ani- 

 mals ; and generally produce two young at 

 a birth. 



GALERUCnWE. A group of leaf-eating 

 beetles, separated from the Chrysomelidcc fa- 

 mily, and consisting mostly of dull-coloured 

 beetles : having an oblong oval, slightly 

 convex body ; a short and rather narrow 

 thorax ; slender antennae, more than half 

 the length of the body, and implanted close 

 together on the forehead ; slender legs, and 

 claws split at the end. They fly mostly by 

 day, and are either very timid or very cun- 



ning, for, when we attempt to take hold of 

 them, they draw up their legs, and fall to 

 the ground. They sometimes do great in- 



iury to plants, eating large holes in the 

 eaves, or consuming entirely those that are 

 young and tender. The larvaj are rather 

 short cylindrical grubs, generally of a black- 

 ish colour, and are provided with six legs. 

 They live and feed together in swarms, and 

 sometimes appear in very great numbers on 

 the leaves of plants, committing ravages, at 

 these times, as extensive as those of the most 

 destructive caterpillars. 



The Galeruca vittata, or striped Cucumber 

 Beetle, a North American species recorded 

 by Dr. Harris in his " Insects of Massachu- 

 setts," is of a light yellow colour above, with 

 a black head, and a broad black stripe on 

 each wing-cover, the inner edge of which is 

 also black, forming a third narrower stripe 

 down the middle of the back ; the abdomen, 

 the greater part of the fore -legs, and the 

 knees and feet of the other legs, are bback. 

 It is rather less than one-fifth of an inch 

 long. Early in the spring it devours the 

 tender leaves of various plants ; and makes 

 its appearance on cucumber, pumpkin, and 

 melon vines, about the end of May or the 

 beginning of June, or as soon as the leaves 

 begin to expand ; and as several broods are 

 produced in the course of the summer, it 

 may be found at various times on these 

 plants, till the latter are destroyed by frost. 

 The females lay their eggs in the ground, 

 and the larvse feed on the roots of plants. 

 Various means have been suggested to pre- 

 vent the ravages of these striped cucumber 

 beetles ; as, wetting the vines with tobacco 

 water, or with infusions of elder, walnut- 

 leaves, or of hops ; others recommend the 

 use of soot, sulphur, Scotch snuff, or pepper, 

 to be sifted upon the plants. In this country 

 several species are found, which will be seen 

 referred to in the works of Messrs. Stephens 

 and Curtis. 



GALICTIS. A genus of Carnivorous 

 animals allied to the Civets and Genets. 



GALLIN7E. The name given to an ex- 

 tensive order of Birds, including all those 

 which constitute what are commonly termed 

 " poultry," and furnishing us with the 

 greater number of our farm-yard fowls, and 

 with much excellent game. The name Gal- 

 linos is applied to them from their affinity to 

 the Domestic Cock, in common with which 

 they have generally the upper mandible 

 vaulted, the nostrils pierced in a large mem- 

 branous space at the base of the beak, and 

 covered by a cartilaginous scale. Their 

 wings are short, their carriage heavy, and 

 their flight laborious. They have an ex- 

 tremely muscular gizzard, and generally a 

 large globular crop. In general they lay 

 and incubate on the ground, on a few'care- 

 lessly arranged stems of straw or grass. 

 Some spccies_ are polygamous, and some mo- 

 nogamous : in the former the male is always 

 larger and more gaily coloured than the 

 female ; in the latter the sexes nearly or 

 quite resemble both in size and colour. 



GALLINACE^E. Some of the most 



