THE INSECTS OF THE GBEEN LANES. 177 



considerable ease, and flashes past you in the sun- 

 shine before you are aware what it is. Perhaps you 

 endeavour to take a specimen as it creeps over the 

 warm sand, and have found a " tartar." Well does 

 the insect deserve its popular name, for it is one of 

 the pluckiest of its kind. A low magnifying power 

 applied to the golden-green wing-cases, or elytra, 

 causes it to appear so magnificent that an expression 

 of admiration escapes one's lips when it is thus seen 

 for the first time. Its perfume, too, is as unlike 

 that of most of our native beetles as its gorgeous 

 colours : it is faint, but not unlike the smell of 

 sweet-briar. In this respect it resembles another of 

 our native species, which you will most probably 

 meet with near or among the willow-trees of any 

 stream side. On account of its perfume, it goes 

 by the common name of Musk beetle (Cerambyx 

 moschatd). In the breeding season especially, the 

 musky odour omitted by the female is very powerful, 

 so that it will not be difficult to track its where- 

 abouts. This insect, like some others, emits a 

 peculiar sound, not unlike the squeak of a bat, from 

 which circumstance it has acquired the name of 

 " squeaker." The musk beetle is as lovely an object 

 as the preceding species, being of a soft metallic 

 green colour, tinged with blue, gold, and bronze. 

 You may readily distinguish it from the tiger beetle 

 by its larger size, deeper tint, and very long 

 antennae. The Sun beetles again, are very attrac- 

 tive insects, not much unlike in size and shape the 



