THE BEETLE. 191 



Injurious to the gardener. 



and sometimes in ants' nests. When touched 

 they emit a foetid moisture, which is, probably, a 

 mode of defence against the attacks of their 

 enemies. 



The grubs that produce these beetles, feed 

 under ground, most commonly at the roots of 

 trees, and never appear on the surface unless dis- 

 turbed by digging, or some other accident. They 

 are thought to be injurious to the gardener from 

 their devouring the roots of his plants and trees. 

 The female deposits her eggs in the middle of 

 June. For this purpose she burrows into soft 

 light giound, hollowing out and forming for 

 them a proper receptacle. When the operation 

 is over she returns to the surface, and flies off, 

 but seldom lives more than two months after- 

 wards. The grubs are produced in about four- 

 teen days, and immediately seek out for food, 

 which the parent always takes care to have near 

 the place where she lays her eggs. As soon as 

 they have attained sufficient strength, the young 

 grubs separate, each burrowing a different way 

 in search of roots. They remain four years in 

 this state, annually changing their skin till they 

 become of full growth, when they are of a cream 

 colour, with brown head and feet. During win- 

 ter they eat but little, if at all, and retire so deep 

 into the ground as to avoid the effects of the 

 frost. 



At the end of the fourth year, about the month 

 of March, the grub forms a case of earth, about 



