Mr. Westwood on the Genus Stapht/limis. 507 



quently noticed, Messrs. Kirby and Spence consider that the 

 Larva, so destructive to young wheat, of which Messrs. M. and 

 W. gave an account, accompanied with an admirable figure by 

 Sowerby, in the 9th volume of the Linnean Transactions, " may 

 perhaps be one of the numerous tribe of Staphylinidce^ which 

 are not universally carnivorous."* Mr. Walford, who discovered 

 the Larva in question, considered it to be the insect generally 

 called the Wire Worm, which is equally destructive; although he 

 could merely conjecture of what it would ultimately prove to be 

 the young. This Larva is not so large as the one which I have 

 figured as that of Jleochara, and in its general appearance it is not 

 dissimilar to that of Philonthus. It has six strong legs, jointed 

 antennae, the cylindrical tube at the tail, from each side of the 

 base of which arises a four-jointed bristle, longer than the tube; 

 and Mr. Walford ingeniously suggested, that the two last charac- 

 ters bore considerable affinity to a perfect Staphylinus ; " but the 

 Larva of tliat insect," he adds, "is supposed to be carnivorous, 

 and not graminivorous." Mr. Marsham, in his additional obser- 

 vations, clearly shews that this Larva is not the Wire Worm, 

 which he proves to be the young of an Elater; adding, that he was 

 unable satisfactorily to suggest even to what group of Insects the 

 Larva was referrible. I think, however, that the characters which 

 I have mentioned, will satisfactorily establish its claim to be con- 

 sidered as the young of one of the Brachelytra. 



Goedart also, in his usual rude style, has given at No. 120. b. two 

 tolerably accurate figures of the Larva of Creophilus maxillosus, one 

 of the largest species of the group, adding also an account of the 

 ferocious habits of the Larva ; one of the figures of which repre- 

 sents it in the act of devouring some other Larva. He also gives 

 at No. 120. c. two figures of the perfect Insect, one of which is 

 similarly employed, and which he describes in a very interesting 

 manner, under the appellation of " praecedentis vermis con- 

 jugem"!+ 



In the list of Coleopterous Insects given by Swamraerdam, we 



* Introduction to Entomology, vol. i. p. 169t 

 t Lister's Goedart, 298—9. 



