SKIPJACK AND OIL BEETLES 



are several species, but the one mentioned is a very able 

 representative of its fellows. It is a small, long, narrow 

 insect, and the yellow larva is nearly an inch long when 

 full-grown. It has a hard cylindrical and polished body, 

 with a few short hairs, a hard, dark-coloured head, and 

 strong jaws. The three pairs of legs are placed on the 

 first three segments, and on the last segment there is 

 a lump, or swelling. As the larval state is assumed for 

 at least three years, the amount of damage perpetrated 

 is enormous. Nothing comes amiss to them, and only 

 the efforts of some kinds of birds (such as Jackdaws, 

 Rooks, and Starlings) save us from a plague of these 

 plant-pests. The well-known form of the Oil Beetle 

 {Meloe proscarabums. Fig. 19), is more often seen in 



Oil Be-n^ 



early Spring, when the slow-moving creature crawls 

 from its hiding place for the purpose of feeding, mating, 

 and depositing eggs. On St. Bees Head, Cumberland, 

 I once counted several hundreds of these beetles in 



53 



