THE SCOLYTUS. 145 



although there was no rice among the grain which 

 they so seriously damaged. 



The larva of these Beetles is very short, fat, and 

 thick, and has two recurved hooks at the end of the 

 body. It remains inside the grain throughout its 

 larval and pupal life. 



In the following family of Weevils namely, the 

 Hylesinidce, or ' wood devourers ' the head has but a 

 very short beak, and is globular in shape and deeply 

 sunk in the thorax. The antennae are elbowed, and 

 have a long basal joint and a flattened club. The 

 front tibiae are broad at the tip, and used for digging 

 purposes, and the mandibles are short, strong, sharp, 

 and triangular. They are all timber-feeders, and 

 sometimes work terrible destruction in the forests, 

 even when the trees are still living. 



As a typical example of this group we will take 

 the most destructive wood-eating Beetle that we have 

 in this country. Its name is Scolytns destructor, and a 

 very appropriate name it is, the generic name being 

 of Greek origin, and referring to the winding passages 

 or burrows which it makes when in the larval state, 

 and the specific name explaining itself. There are 

 six species of British Scolyti, but the present example 

 serves as the best type of the whole genus. This 

 genus is distinguished by the shape of its body, which 

 is obliquely cut off behind, and by the club of the 

 antennae, which is three-jointed, solid, and flattened. 

 The last joint but one of the tarsus is cleft. 



The colour of our species is slightly variable, but 

 is mostly as follows : The head is black, wrinkled 



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