ON THE MELASOMA. 5G9 



narrow. Its body is composed of twelve rings, and covered 

 with a yellowish skin, tolerably hard and scaly. The head 

 is oval, a little flatted, fumished with mandibles, antennae, 

 and antennulae. The first three rings are provided with six 

 scaly feet — the last is conical ; we remark at its extremity 

 two small scaly crooks, black and motionless. Between the 

 juncture of this last ring with the one before, there issues 

 forth, when the larva walks, a fleshy, whitish, and tolerably 

 thick mass, furnished with two scaly nipples, a little elon- 

 gated and mobile, which appear to be two small feet, of 

 which, in fact, the larva makes use to advance, resting them 

 on the plan of position. The anus is situated over this fleshy 

 mass, between the two nipples which perform the office of 

 feet. 



These larvae live in flour, bread, sugar, and even on dead 

 and carious wood. Those of Tenebrio moUtor, which are found 

 in this last substance, serve to feed nightingales, and con- 

 stitute almost the only bait by which these shy birds can be 

 taken : a fact the more curious when it is considered that the 

 nightingale, in a state of nature, can seldom or never see 

 these larvae. They are also used to feed cameleons which are 

 exhibited. In English they are vulgarly termed meal-worms. 

 The Tenebrio molitor is found throughout all Europe. 



The insects of the genus Opatrum are almost all of an 

 ashen or earthy gray above, a colour very analogous to that of 

 the places which they inhabit, and which may to a certain 

 degree protect them against their enemies, by deceiving their 

 regards. They live in sandy arid soils, and in the fields. 

 They must not be confounded with the other coleoptera of 

 the same family, which have great relations to them, but 

 which are apterous, such as asida and pedinus ; nor with the 

 cryptici, which are provided with wings, but in which the 

 hood is not notched, and whose labrum is transversal. 



The metamorphoses of these insects have not been observed. 



