136 THE LONGICORNIA. 



the name of the Typographer Beetle (Tomicus typo- 

 graphus), from the curious form of the galleries exca- 

 vated by its larva ; by this insect alone we are told 

 that in the year 1783 no less than a million and a 

 half of trees were destroyed in the Hartz forest, and 

 so seriously do its ravages threaten the prosperity of 

 the inhabitants of Germany, that prayers are some- 

 times offered in the churches against the extension of 

 the evil, which is there designated the " Wurmtrock- 



From these destructive little lignivorous creatures 

 we may pass without much violence to our feelings to 

 the consideration of the next tribe, that of the LON- 

 GTCORNIA, or Long-homed Beetles, the larvae of which 

 are also for the most part inhabitants of the woody 

 parts of trees. The perfect beetles, which are often 

 of large size, elegant form, and beautiful colour, are 

 usually distinguishable from the other Coleoptera by 

 the great length of their antennse, which are almost 

 always as long as the body, and sometimes several 

 times its length. The tarsi, as in the Khynchophora, 

 are composed of four joints, but the head is never 

 produced into a rostrum ; the mouth is furnished with 

 large powerful mandibles, and the body is usually 

 elongated in its form. Their legs are long and stout, 

 and they are often very active in their movements ; 

 their wings, also, are generally well developed, and 

 they fly with great facility. 



The latter fact is often brought to our notice in the 

 summer months by the sudden settling upon our 

 clothes of a small black beetle, adorned with bright 

 yellow bands, which belongs to this tribe, and is one 

 of its most abundant examples in this country. It is 



