PINE BEETLES. l77 



resides while in the larval state. Its name is Lixus hicolor. 

 The genus to whicli this insect belongs is known by its 

 elongated, narrow, cylindrical body, its long and nearly 

 straight beak, and the sharp and strong hook at the end of the 

 tibia3. Tliis singularly beautiful insect derives its name of bi- 

 color, or two-coloured, from the hue of the body, wliich is 

 clothed witli thick scarlet and yellow down. This splendid 

 coat, however, is easily rubbed off, and hence it is difficult to 

 obtain a specimen in really good condition. Thistles and ge- 

 raniums form the usual habitation of this Beetle, which burrows 

 into the interior of the stem, and there remains until it has 

 undergone its changes. Deal is one of the places where this 

 beautiful Beetle is found ; and the best mode of obtaining good 

 specimens is, therefore, to examine carefully the roots and 

 stems of the plants on which it feeds, and if a swelling shoidd 

 appear on any of them, to pull up the plant, take it home, and 

 keep it alive, if possible, until the Beetle makes its appear- 

 ance. Owing to the extreme delicacy of the downy coat, the 

 laurel-bottle is needed for the various Lixi, as, if left to run 

 about in a box or bottle, they would sadly damage tlieir 

 beautiful clothing. Even when the fatal bottle has received 

 them, care should be taken that it be carried steadily, so as to 

 avoid shaking the delicate insect against its sides. 



Mr. Hope mentions in his MS. notes that he has taken 

 two species of Lixus — namely, Lixus paraplecticus, a wonder- 

 fully long and thin Beetle, and Lixus anjustatus — near Oxford, 

 both on flags growing in the Isis. 



On Woodcut XVIII. Fig. 3, is seen a magnified representa- 

 tion of another Beetle belonging to this family. Its name is 

 Pissodes pini. This genus has the beak quite as long as the 

 thorax, and the body is egg-shaped, but long in propoi'tion to 

 its diameter. The species which is represented in the illustra- 

 tion is a northern insect, and is found in Scotland, where it is 

 plentiful among fir-trees. It is a handsome Beetle, its colour 

 being rich red-brown, variegated with golden spots. 



Mr. Eye describes the habits of this insect in the following 

 words : — ' Pissodes . . . frequents pine forests, one species, Pis- 

 sodes pint, abounding in many parts of Scotland, where I have 

 seen the female with her rostrum deeply buried in the soft part 



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