314 Miscellaneous. 



decidedly with Goniocotes, Goniodes and Lipeurus, not one of which 

 appears to infest Menura. The Nirmus found is I suspect the N. mar- 

 ghialis of Nitzsch and Burmeister, and approaches most nearly to 

 those of the MeruUda. If therefore any weight is to be attached to 

 the constancy of the parasitism of certain genera upon particular 

 families of birds, the result of my inquiry would be that Talegulla 

 really belongs to the Rasores, not far from the turkey, and that Menura 

 is Insessorial. The result in the latter case, which is the most de- 

 bateable, appears to be confirmed from the fact, that the parasites 

 were not from one specimen only of the bird, hut Jive. Mr. Gould 

 very ingeniously took care of this : he sent me two specimens in the 

 first instance from Menura, and afterwards specimens from four dif- 

 ferent individuals of the bird, both old and young, in separate papers, 

 but without any indication from whence they were obtained, to ask 

 if they were new to me and what they approached most nearly to. 

 Phil. Hall, Leeds, March 19, 1811. Henry Denny. 



UPON THE METAMORPHOSES OF ELEDONA AGARICOLA AND DIAPERIS 

 BOLETI. BY M. LEON DUFOUR. 



The larvse of both these insects feed, observes our author, u})on the 

 compact but friable substance of the Boletus imbricatus, in which they 

 perforate cylindrical galleries in different directions, without any re- 

 gularity, and more or less obstructed by a powdery detritus. When 

 the larvae have attained their full growth, they proceed to prepare a 

 nidus, in which to undergo their metamorphoses ; and this is con- 

 structed in the following very singular manner. Having selected a 

 portion of the fungus not traversed by galleries and of a compact and 

 solid structure, the little Eledona, with no other implements tlianits 

 mandibles, contrives yet skilfullj^ to chisel out (by working gradually 

 upon the circumference of a cavity which it first of all commences) 

 a spheroidal piece, until this has become completely isolated from its 

 interior ; feeding the while ujion the materials as it is making in them 

 its circular incision, so that when the work is finished, a white powder, 

 composed chiefly of its egesta, is interposed betwixt the cell and the 

 contained mass. The latter, which is about 7 — 8 millimetres long 

 by 6 — 7 in width, is now perforated from one end to the other by a 

 cylindrical canal adapted to the size of the larva. Here again it de- 

 vours the materials as they are excavated ; and then, after having 

 given the cell its due proportions, and polished its interior for the 

 reception of the delicate nymph, it closes most accurately with its 

 powdery excrement the two apertures, curves upon itself, and be- 

 coming motionless and torj^id, resigns itself to its changes, apart from 

 further observation. The cocoon of the larva of Diaperis is formed in 

 a similar manner, but 1 have never detected in it more than a single 

 aperture, whereas two, as already stated, exist in that of Eledona. 

 There are numbers of larvae which faln'icate a case either purely of 

 silk, or with wood, earth, &c. interblended ; in some even the skin 

 hardens, becomes detached, and so forms a protecting envelope to 

 the pupa; but, to my knowledge, the fact has never before been re- 

 corded of a fungivorous larva making such curious use of the very sub- 

 stance upon which it feeds. — Ann. des Sc. Nat. A. T. 



