CLASS I. INSECTA: ORDER ]. COLEOPTERA. 



547 



THE rODR-SPOTTED BEETLE : HISTER QDADRIMACDLATUS. 



of their food. Several species are found in the United States : the American Undertaker, N. 

 Americanus, is an inch and a quarter long, and is generally of a shiny-black color. The JSf. tomen- 

 tosus is nearly an inch long, and is quite hairy ; common in July in New England and New 

 York. 



THE HELOCERA. 



The Helocera are distinguished by their flattened contractile limbs, each portion of which folds 

 closely upon its neighbor, the whole, when thus reduced to the smallest compass, being received 



in cavities of the lower surface of the body. 

 This position is always assumed by these beetles 

 when alarmed, and from this assumption of a 

 death-like attitude, some of the commonest spe- 

 cies have received the name of Mimic Beetles. 

 These insects, both in the larva and perfect 

 states, are commonly found in cow-dung ; a few 

 also inhabit rotten wood ; some are to be met 

 with under the bark of trees, and a few in car- 

 rion. This tribe includes two groups — the His. 

 teridce, smallish insects, generally of a black color, with the elytra rather shorter than the body, 



f'f u/fi^i:ff\:^^,_^^^,2s-^s!^ which is usually of a square form; 



' ' '^ ^ " ''^ and the Byrrliidce, with elytra as 



long as the abdomen. The latter 



(\n^' r to^^^^-/^--"-^ V "■ '"^ ^'^il fer fi aii '" ''•'^'' "'' ' ' -^^-^ffl S SP^ ^ '^^ •^'^^ ^ ^^'^ ^'^ ^ round or oval form, whence 



they have received the name of 



' ^ ^''^--^'^i^^-^^^-^^>^'^^m g^mf^ mMmsamms ^^ ^M ' ' m PHi-Beeties. 



THE LAMELLICORNIA. 



The tribe of Lamellicorn Beetles 

 — Lamellicomia — deriving their 

 name from the Latin lamella, a 

 plate, and cornu, a horn, are char- 

 acterized by having the antennaj 

 terminated by a club, composed of 

 several leaf-like joints, laid together 

 like the leaves of a book. This 

 tribe includes an immense number 

 of species, some of which are among 

 the largest and most splendid of 

 insects. In the European Stag- 

 Beetlb, Lucanus ccrvus, as well as 

 the L. dama of our country, called 

 Horn Beetle, the leaves are short 

 and distinct, rendering the club pec- 

 tinated. Li the common Europe- 

 an Cock-Chafer, Melolontha vul- 

 garis, they are of considerable 

 length, especially in the male, and 

 fold up like the leaves of a fan. 

 These insects fly well, but heavily, 

 with a loud whirring noise ; but 

 they generally crawl slowly. The 

 larvae are thick fleshy grubs, fur- 

 nished with a distinct head, and 

 with six jointed feet, and have the hinder part bent down. They live in very various situations, 



THE SCARAB^DS ENEMA. 



(See p. 54y.) 



THE COCK-CHAFER. 



