164 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Dec. 12, IS'lt 



tOK THE NEW KNCI.AND FARMER. 



f ONTUIBUTIONS TO ENTOMOLOGY. 



No. VI. 



GEiNCS DYTisci., [Concluded.] 



The Dytisci are said to deposite tlieir eggs in 



the liodies of dead aquatic animals. Roesel states 

 that they are lintched in ten or twelve days ; the 

 larva comes to its growth the same season, when 

 it leaves the water, and forms Cor itself an oval 

 cavity in the earth ; in this it remains ahout iif- 

 teeii days before it becomes u pupa, nnd in fitteeti 

 or twenty days more it is changed to a perfect 

 insect. 



The larva is elongated, convex, thick or swell- 

 ed in the middle and tapering towards the extrem- 

 ities ; it is of a brownish color above, and whitish 

 beneath. The neck is distinct, the head large, 

 with a pair of ])0werful curved jaws, that are a- 

 dapted for suction, being hollow within, and per- 

 forated near the tips with an nbloiig slit. Like 

 most other larva?, it is furnished witli several 

 small eyes, five or six in number on each side of 

 the head. To each of the three first segments 

 Dearest the head is attached a pair of slender 

 legs, finely fringed witli hairs. There are six 

 spiracles on each side of the body, for the pur- 

 pose of expiration. The last segment is conical, 

 the sides fringed with hairs, which give it the 

 power of a fin, it is terminated at tip with two con- 

 ical prominences, each perforateil with a spiracle, 

 through which the air is admitted in inspiration. 

 Beneath the tip, and forming an angle with the 

 body are two moveable, slender and short, conical 

 filaments. Tliose caudal processes serve to sus- 

 pend the larva at the surface of the water, and 

 retain the end of the tail above it, so that the 

 air may enter the anal s])irac!es when the insect 

 wishes to inhale it. They are called natatory la- 

 minae by Mr. Kirby, and are supposed by him to 

 be employed as oars in swimming ; this, however, 

 appears to be i)rinci[ially perfoimed by the vermi- 

 cular motion of the tail. 



Several accounts are given of the voracity of 

 ibe.'e larvpe. Sortie of the large species attain to 

 two and a half inches in length, and are said to 

 attack and destroy fishes much their superiors in 

 size. Having fixed their strong ciuved jaws \n 

 tlieir prey they suck their juices through these 

 perforated organs, and afterwards devour their 

 ffolid parts piecemeal. 



Beside those described here, sevcnil other Dy- 

 tisci are found in this vicinity ; iiHUiely, dytiscus 

 mrticalis, Say, and another equally large species ; 

 iiVTiscus liberus colymbatk3 vemislus, c./enesira- 

 fis, c. ohtusatus, laccophilus maculosus, haliplus 

 l2-pimctatiis, of Mr. Say ; and various other spe- 

 cies at present undetermined. 



If among the insects which we have already or 

 may hereafter publish as new there are any which 

 have been previously described ; — those who are 

 competent to decide are most respectfully request- 

 ed to communicate personally with us on the sub- 

 ject, and their information will be duly and thank- 

 fully acknowledged. 



G£.\U3 COLVMEETES. 



c. *sutureUus. Beneath black ; head and tho- 

 rax pale testaceous, the former with two triangu- 

 lar spots between the eyes, the latter with an ob- 

 long apical ochreous, and (except the margins and 

 suture) widi numerous confluent tortuous lines and 

 sjwts black : pectus pale ochreous ; feet pale pi- 

 ceoiis. 



Length between eight and r.ine twentieths of 

 an inch. 



Specimens nine. Extremely like c. collaris, Gyl- 

 lenhall, and may prove to be a variety of that 

 European species, from which it differs, principal- 

 ly, in being much darker beneath, paler above, 

 and of rather larger size. 



c. *binotatus. Beneath blackish, ventral seg- 

 ments piceous at tip ; head and thorax ochreous, 

 the former with two triangular sjiots between the 

 eyes, the latter with two central subquadrate spots 

 bl.ck : each elytron with four series of punctures, 

 a pale suture and margin, the disc irrorate with 

 black dots and tortuous lines ; three longitudinal 

 series of spots, and a broad fascia behind the mid- 

 dle, obsolete, black. 



Length nine twentieths of an inch. 

 Specimens three. It is possible that this may 

 be the irroratus of Fabricius. 



c. *tceniolatus. Ferruginous ; head at base and 

 a vertical spot black ; thorax greenish black at 

 base and tip, the black portions dilated and conflu- 

 ent in the middle ; elytra greenish black, each with 

 about eight irregular series of deep punctures ; ex- 

 ternal margin, interrupted basal fascia, and three 

 narrow lines pale testaceous: all beneath ferru- 

 ginous. 



Length thirteen fortieths, breadth between six 

 and seven fortieths of an inch. 



Sufficiently distinct from c. venustus, Say, and 

 DYTISCUS inkrrogatus of Fabricius. S|)eciniens 

 six. 



GENUS HAL1PI.C9. 



c. *discohr. Black, minutely and obsoletely 

 granulateil. Head with two basal piceous sj>ots ; 

 elytra fuscous, margin and base pale, epipleura 

 yellowish ; three series of setiferous punctures, 

 which are obsolete behind, on each elytron : ven- 

 tral segments ut tip and feet piceous : nails alike 

 in both sexes. 



Length over three tenths of an inch. 

 Specimens five. Appears to difibr trom ail of 

 the species described by Mr. Say. 



c. *acududus. Oblong oval, black, minutely a- 

 cuducted ; head before, two vertical spots, lateral 

 margins of the thorax, and hnniorous piceous ; pec- 

 tus and feet ferruginous. 



Length over five twentieths of an inch. 

 Oiie individual in the collection of Mr. Oakcs. 

 Easily recognised by the numerous short scratches 

 or acuducted impressions. 



GENUS HYDROPOBUS. 



H. *fasciatu3. Ferruginous, body minutely punc- 

 tured above, with depressed hairs : antenna; black- 

 iiih at tip ; head with a dilated oblique indentation 

 each side in front of the eyes, and a vertical ijlack- 

 ish spot ; thorax black at tip and base ; elytra 

 black, an abbreviated sometimes interrupted fascia 

 near the base, another triraacular behind the mid- 

 dle, and an apical macula ferruginous : post|).'ctus 

 and abdomen at base blackish, punctures dilated, 

 distinct. 



Length over three twentieths of an inch. 



Four specimens. 



GESliS HYPHinRUS. 



H. *punctatus. Distinctly and regularly punc- 

 tured, dull testaceous ; head with two dilated 

 frontal impressions ; thorax blackish at tij) and 

 base ; coleoptra fuscous on the disc, with about 

 four obsolete paler macula; on each elytron. 



Length over one tenth of an inch. 



Specimens twelve. This insect must closely 

 resemble laccophilus ;ju)ic<ate, Say, but cannot 

 belong to tliat genus. 



H. *immaculicoUis. Pale ochreous yellow ; head 

 and thorax immaculate ; each elytron with a di- 

 lated basal spot, tip, and suture near it, three sub- 

 marginal, and two subsutural spots black : The 

 anterior subsutural spot diiatcd and confluent with 

 the corresponding one on the other elytron : stria; 

 with large black punctures. 



Length one tenth of an inch. 



Variety. Elytra pale yellow, basal spot want- 

 ing, central common spot of the coleoptra dilated, 

 triangular, the others less distinct. 



Sjiecimens twenty ; and of the variety three. 

 Cannot be mistaken for the l2-punctaius and tri- 

 opsis, Say, the former of which is common here. 



FOR THE HEW ENGI.ABD FARMER. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF HYACINTHS,. 

 TULIPS, NARCISSUS, &c. 



fFrom Notes lakeu by an American genlleman while in Hol- 

 '■ laml.] 



The proper soil for bulbs, in general, is a light 

 rich soil, mixed with a considerable portion of fine 

 sand ; and the compost generally used, is one third 

 fine sand, one sixth rich loom, one third cowdung 

 and one sixth leaves of trees. The two last to be 

 well rotted, and at least two years old ; with this 

 mixture, the beds are formed two feet deeji, at 

 least, and raised four or six inches above the level 

 of the garden, to turn off rain. The proper time 

 of planting, is in the months of October and No- 

 vember, though it may answer by the first ot 

 December— provided the ground remains sufii- 

 ciently open. 



HvAci.NTUs may be set six inches apart from 

 each other, and each bulb placed in fine sand and 

 covered *ivith it. After the bed is thus planted, 

 cover the whole carefully with earth four inches. 

 When the winter is fairly set in, (say from the 1st 

 to the 10th of December) then cover with leaves, 

 straw, or sea-weed, four or six inches deep, which 

 should be removed early in spring ; a part of it, 

 perhaps as early as the 20th of February, and the 

 remainder during March. With too much pro- 

 tection, the bulbs draw up weak and pale, and are 

 materially injured. During their bloom,"it will 

 be proper to support the bells by small sticks, and 

 protect them from heavy rains and the sun. The 

 flower stems should be cut off as soon as they 

 have faded, and the beds left exposed until the 

 leaves are nearly dried, when the bulbs should be 

 taken up. the leaves cut olF half an inch from the 

 top of the bulb, and then replaced (sideways) with 

 the fibres on and covered with earth, there to dry 

 gradually for a month ; when tlicy are to be taken 

 up, cleaned from the earth and fibres, and each 

 bulb v-rraj^ped in a separate paper in a dry place, 

 and frequently aired, or to be iiacked in dry sand. 

 When wanted for the parlor, they should be plant- 

 ed in September, (if to blow early in the winter) 

 in deep narrow pots, six inches in diameter at the 

 top, and about one third deeper than common 

 flower pots. The soil the same as belore men- 

 tioned, and the bulb to be just covered by it.— 

 They should not be watered from the to)), but the 

 pots should stand, twice a week, in saucers filled 

 with water. Let them have as much air and sun 

 as possible, and not sufter them to feel the direct 

 influence of the fire— for heat forces the stem out 

 before the bells have time to form and acquire 

 vigor and beauty. H'hen the foivers begin to open, 

 give as much water as the earth will imbibe. 



To preserve these bulbs, they should, as soon 



