130 SERRICORNIA. [Lamjyyris. 



species occur iu Europe, of which one is found in Britain ; it is perhaps 

 the best known and most generally observed of all our Coleoptera, and 

 has been mentioned in song and story from the earliest ages of our 

 literature. A full account of the life-history of the insect is given by 

 Wcstwood (Classification, i. p. 250) ; the eggs are large, and are de- 

 posited by the female on moss or grass ; the larva much resembles the 

 perfect female in general appearance, being long, narrow, and flat, with 

 short legs ; the prothoracic segment is semicircular and narrowed in 

 front, completely covering the head, which is retractile ; the last abdo- 

 minal segment is narrower than the rest ; the colour of the larva is black, 

 with a pale spot at the hinder angles of each segment ; the mandibles 

 are strong, and suited to a carnivorous diet, and it appears to be the 

 fact that it feeds chiefly on small molluscs, and to be very probable that 

 it is from this source that it derives its phosphorescent power; the pupa 

 much resembles the larva ; in the female it is quite apterous, whereas 

 in the male it exhibits the rudiments of the elytra and wings ; a very 

 short time is passed by the insect in the pupal state. 



Zi. noctiluca, L. Male with ample elytra and wings, elongate, 

 depressed, parallel-sided, clothed with short grey pubescence, of a 

 greyish- fuscous colour, with the sides of thorax, and sometimes of 

 elytra, lighter ; apex of abdomen and breast of a dirty-yellowish colour ; 

 head concealed by thorax, antennae short and stout, fuscous ; thorax 

 semicircular, about as broad as long, uneven, finely granulate, with a 

 more or less distinct central furrow ; elytra elongate, widened behind 

 middle, dehiscent at apex, rugosely sculptured, with distinct traces of 

 raised lines, which are stronger towards base; legs rather short, fuscous; 

 last dorsal segment of abdomen rounded at sides, sinuate on both sides 

 at apex and obtusely acuminate in the middle. L. 10-12 mm. 



Female larviform, without elytra or wings, fuscous brown, with 

 margins of thoracic and of the other dorsal segments, and more or less 

 of the breast and ventral segments, obscurely yellowish ; the last throe 

 segments are entirely yellowish beneath; the mesothorax is small and 

 rounded behind, but the other segments do not differ much, except the 

 last, which is narrow and rounded behind ; the segments from the 

 second to the penultimate are narrowed in front, and have the posterior 

 angles blunt but marked, so that tho sides of the body appear serrate ; 

 antennae and legs fuscous or fusco-testaceous ; the last ventral segment 

 of the abdomen is triangularly emarginate; the thoracic segments have 

 an obsolete central furrow, and the abdominal segments are furnished 

 with a more or less distinct raised longitudinal keel; the general 

 sculpture is finely rugose. L. 12-16 mm. 



On heaths, grassy and mossy hanks, &c. ; tin male often flies to light; somewhat 

 local, hut generally distributed over the greater part of England ; it appears, how- 

 ever, to be commoner in the southern and south-western counties, and, according 

 to my experience, is very local in some purts of the Midlands although Mr. Blatch has 



