of Buprestidae and Elateridse. 175 



anterior part carrying the organs of the mouth is chitinized, 

 whilst the larger posterior part containing the mandibular muscles 

 is soft and retractile within the prothorax. In some, however, 

 as in the larvae of Diphucrania (New Holland), the prothorax is 

 not distended ; and the larvae of Trachys, which live in the paren- 

 chyma of leaves, where they excavate their burrows, are said to 

 have hard dorsal and ventral shields, free head, two eyes, and 

 short legs. 



Similar to the larvae of Buprestidae are those of Eucnemidae. 

 The larva of Melasis is only distinguished by the structure of 

 the mouth, and by the head consisting of one piece only. The 

 mandibles are not chisel-shaped, as in the larvae of Buprestidae, 

 but short, turned outwards, with a hook on their external margin, 

 close behind the point ; and the other buccal organs, which 

 are free in the larvae of Buprestidae, are in that of Melasis repre- 

 sented by a small plate serrated in front. It is said to live in fresh 

 timber, forming long irregular galleries, with entirely smooth 

 and even walls, a piece of the burrow being rounded off in the 

 shape of a cylinder for the accommodation of the pupa. At the 

 same time, exceptions occur in the group of Eucnemidae as in 

 that of Buprestidae, the larva of Fornax madagascariensis being, 

 according to Coquerel, flat, depressed, and hard, the prothorax 

 not distended, the head hard, flattened in front, with a serrated 

 edge, without perceptible organs of the mouth — nay, without a 

 buccal orifice ; the larva burrows in timber, as that of Melasis. 



Entirely different from these are the larvae of Elateridae. 

 They are long, slender, with a hard skin, cylindrical or a little 

 depressed ; the mandibles are hooked and pointed, with an in- 

 terior tooth; the maxillary lobes and palpi are distinct, the 

 maxillae coalesced with the labium into one piece ; the legs are 

 short and powerful, and the last joint of the body often furnished 

 with prominent teeth. They are supposed to live on vegetable 

 matter, many on decaying timber; sometimes, however, they 

 feed on the other larvae they happen to fall in with. For more 

 than a century the larvae of Agriutes have been known as dan- 

 gerous enemies of several cereals, leguminous and other agricul- 

 tural plants, of which they attack the roots. 



Such is a summary of what science hitherto has taught us as 

 to the history of these larvae; but it is quite clear that these 

 statements do not aflFord the materials for an accurate estimation 

 of the systematic relationships of these creatures. Nay, these 

 statements even contain several details which, on closer exami- 

 nation, cannot but excite doubt and suspicion, and stimulate to 

 new investigations. 



This applies, in the first instance, to the statement that in the 

 larvae of Buprestidae the mandibular muscles are not, as usual. 



