166 ROSE CHAFERS. 



and such excellent friends are they, as often (like an insect 

 Helena and Hermia) to 



" Have with their " jaws " sat working at one flower," 



or at the demolition of one strawberry. 



Now if any of our fair friends should feel disposed to try for 

 themselves the keeping of some of these "loves among the 

 roses " they may lodge them, if they please, in a style of appro- 

 priate elegance. In the stead of a basket let them be provided 

 with a round closely-wired cage, high enough to contain in its 

 centre a branch of roses, and wide enough to admit of a sur- 

 rounding bed of light earth or sand. 



Well, but perhaps say you, when the last rose of summer is 

 departed, and the last strawberry is gathered, what then will 

 become of our rose-beetles ? Why, for lack of summer flowers, 

 the rose, the peony, and e.lder, they must content themselves 

 with flowers of autumn, dahlia, marigold, and aster, and 

 with autumn fruits, the plum and pear. But when winter 

 comes in earnest? Then it is likely that, according to the 

 usage of their out-door brethren, which retire for the season to 

 chambers underground, your domesticated chafers may betake 

 themselves, for the same, to the bed provided them. In the 

 case, however (though this is not, we believe, in favour of their 

 longevity), of their being roused to activity by the warmth of 

 house or fire, a moistened fragment of our " staff of life " will 

 suffice amply to support the light burthen of their vitality. 



Taking a July ramble through the woods or lanes of some 

 of our southern counties Essex, Kent, and Hants especially 

 it is more than probable that we may fall in with a gigantic 

 forester, clad from top to toe in blackish mail, with head 

 broader than his shoulders, and jaws, armed with formidable 

 teeth, longer than his head. 



" Oh ! the horrifying monster ! " exclaims, with a shudder, 

 one of our lady-readers. " You can never, Mr. Cricket, 

 intend to add a Caliban like this to your list of pretenders to 



