52 COLEOPTERA. 



a corresponding cavity behind it. When the insect, by any 

 accident, falls upon its back, its legs are so short, and its 

 back is so convex, that it is unable to turn itself over. It 

 then folds its legs close to its body, bends back the head and 

 thorax, and thus unsheathes its breast-spine ; then, by suddenly 

 straightening its body, the point of the spine is made to strike 

 with force upon the edge of the sheath, which gives it the 

 power of a spring, and reacts on the body of the insect, so 

 as to throw it perpendicularly into the air. When it again 

 falls, if it does not come down upon its feet, it repeats its ex- 

 ertions until its object is effected. In these beetles the body 

 is of a hard consistence, and is usually rather narrow and 

 tapering behind. The head is sunk to the eyes in the fore 

 part of the thorax ; the antennae are of moderate length, and 

 more or less notched on the inside like a saw. The thorax 

 is as broad at the base as the wing-covers ; it is usually 

 rounded before, and the hinder angles are sharp and promi- 

 nent. The scutel is of moderate size. The legs are rather 

 short and slender, and the feet are five-jointed. 



The larva? or grubs of the Elaters live upon wood and 

 roots, and are often very injurious to vegetation. Some 

 are confined to old or decaying trees, others devour the 

 roots of herbaceous plants. In England they are called 

 wire-worms, from their slenderness and uncommon hard- 

 ness. They are not to be confounded with the American 

 wire-worm, a species of lulus, which is not a true insect, 

 but belongs to the class MYRIAPODA, a name derived from 

 the great number of feet with which most of the animals 

 included in it are furnished ; whereas the English wire-worm 

 has only six feet. The European wire-worm is said to live, 

 in its feeding or larva state, not less than five years ; during 

 the greater part of which time it is supported by devouring 

 the roots of wheat, rye, oats, and grass, annually causing a 

 large diminution of the produce, and sometimes destroying 

 whole crops. It is said to be particularly injurious in gar- 

 dens recently converted from pasture lands. We have 



