'18.'] PHTTOPHAOA. 283 



he also gives nn account of the life-history of the insect , which is as follows : " The 

 eggs (eight or ton in number) are deposited upon the leaves of the white and other 

 lilies, fastened near together by a glutinous secretion, which soon hardens. The 

 larvae are hatched in about fifteen days ; at first they feed gregariously upon the 

 parenchyma of the leaf, progressing in regular rows, but separating as they increase 

 in growth ; they are short, thick, and fleshy, with six articulated legs, and the skin 

 of H dirty colour ; as a rule they are entirely covered with a layer of humid matter, 

 resembling macerated leaves, but which is composed of the excrement of the insect, 

 the anal aperture being placed in the dorsal part of the last segment of the body, 

 thus affording a singular, but apparently disgusting, means of defence against the 

 effects of the sun, or the rapacity of insectivorous birds ; the excrement being by 

 degrees pushed forwards and upwards, without adhering to the body of the larva, 

 which is, indeed, able to cast it entirely off at will. The larva attains its full size in 

 about a fortnight, when it descends into the earth, and forms an oval cell, smoothly 

 polished, and coated on the inside with a varnish-like secretion, within which it 

 assumes the pupa state, which lasts about another fortnight." 



The larvae of C. asparagi are short, thick and fleshy, and are narrowed in front ; 

 they are of a dirty slate-colour, with the bead and legs and two oblong spots on the 

 first segment black ; they possess a fleshy proleg at the apex of the abdomen, by 

 which they adhere so closely to their food -plant that it is hard to pull them off; 

 when alarmed they emit from their month a black fluid ; these larvae occasionally do 

 considerable damage to asparagus crops; Miss Ormerod (Manual of Injurious In- 

 sects, p. 2) suggests several remedies; dipping the infested shoots in a mixture of 

 half a pound of soft soap, a quarter of a pound of flowers of sulphur, and about the 

 same quantity of soot, well mixed together in a pail of water, has been found a good 

 remedy ; syringing with water warm enough to make the grubs loosen hold, but yet 

 not of a heat to hurt the foliage, will clear them ; the greater part fall as the water 

 touches them, and the rest on a smart tap being given to the shoot; the ground 

 underneath may be strewed with soot, which prevents their return. 



Of our three British species one is somewhat doubtfully indigenous, 

 and has not been taken for many years, and another is extremely rare. 



I. Thorax very strongly constricted about middle, 



almost cordiform ; elytra entirely red . . . . C. LILII, Scop. 



(merdiyera, F.) 



II. Thorax slightly contracted before base, cylin- 



drical, 

 i. Elytra red, with six small black spots on 



each C. DUODBCIM-PUNCTATA, L. 



ii. Elytra of a deep cceroleous or greenish-coeru- 

 leous colour with the sides, apex, and three 

 large spots at sides of each (sometimes more 

 or less confluent) testaceous C. ASPARAGI, Z 



C. lilil, Scop, (merdigera, F., nee L. ; liliorum, Thorns.). Oblong, 

 rather convex, with the elytra much broader than thorax, of a bright 

 scarlet colour, with the head, antennae, legs, and under-side black ; the 

 scarlet colour fades considerably after death ; head broad, strongly 

 farrowed ; antenna rather long, thickened towards apex ; thorax strongly 

 constricted behind middle and depressed before base, uneven, sparingly 

 puncturrd, with a tolerably regular row of punctures on the central 

 line ; elytra with comparatively fine punctured striae, interstices smooth. 

 L. 68 mm. 



On species of L ilium, chiefly on the large white garden lily ; very rare ; Deptford, 

 Caniberwell, Peckhaui, and one or two other London localities ; Swansea dintrii t ; 



