610 COLEOPTERA. 



thus enabling the insect, when laid upon its back, to spring up 

 with great force and agility, in order to regain its position. 

 Their larvae are known in New England and Nc3W York, by the 

 name of Wire-worms, and are injurious to corn and herbaceous 

 roots. One species, Elater noctilucus, (Lat. shining by night ) 

 is one of the most brilliant of the fire-flies which inhabit South 

 America and the West India islands. In Cuba, ladies use these 

 phosphorescent insects as ornaments for the hair. (See Chart.) 



13. WOOD-BORERS, Ptimda, (genus Ptinus,] is a rather nu- 

 merous family of insects, of small size, oval form and destruc- 

 tive habits. They are of obscure colors, and counterfeit death 

 by withdrawing their head arid antennae, and contracting their 

 legs. The Wood-Borers are found in old houses, which their 

 larvae perforate in every direction ; also among furniture, 

 books, &c. 



The DEATH-WATCH, Anobium, (Gr. and, I end ; Uos, life,) 

 tessellatum, (tesselated or checkered,) is of this family. It 

 strikes its jaws upon the wood in which it has its abode, so as to 

 imitate the ticking of a watch. The generic name we suppose 

 to refer to the superstitious notion that when its beating is heard 

 it is a sign that some person in the house will die within a 

 year, and hence is derived the name Death Watch. (See Chart.) 



14. FIRE-FLIES, or GLOW-WORMS, Lampyrida, (leading genus 

 Lampyris, Gr. lampuris, a glow-worm ) have a lengthened, 

 depressed body, and flexible elytra. In some species the 

 females are wingless, and in others they have only short elytra. 

 They prey, in the larva state, upon the bodies of snails, and not 

 upon plants. When alarmed, they draw in their antennae and 

 legs, and remain motionless, as if dead. The common Glow- 

 worm, seen in the Middle States of the Union, is the female of 

 the species Photuris, (Gr. phos, light; oura, tail.) versicolor, 

 (Lat. of changeable color.) 



15. CORN and NCJT WEEVILS, Curculionida, (Carculio, a corn- 

 worm or weevil.) This family of Snouted Coleopterous insects 

 includes the Diamond Beetles and other splendidly colored spe- 

 cies, as well as the Corn or Grain Weevils. The Nut Weevil, 

 Bitaninus,(Gr. from balanos, acorn or nut.) nucum, (Lat. of nuts,) 

 see Chart, is often found in the Chinquapin nut, and sometimes 

 renders worthless almost the entire crop, which, in a short time, 

 become wormy. 



16. COCKCHAFERS, Melolonthida, (leading gen us Melolontha,) 

 are well known and destructive insects. An instance is given of a 

 farmer whose crops were completely destroyed by the larvee of 



