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TURE [April 24, 1873 
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Irom a sketch by Dr. Hooker, C B., F.RS. 
Possession Islands. 
POSSESSION ISLANDS 
SEEING is believing. The fitness of Possession 
J Islands for the residence of an observing party 
during a whole year may be best judged from the accom- 
panying illustration, which is accurately copied from a 
sketch made by Dr. Hooker at the time a landing was 
effected. (See NATURE, vol. vii. p. 384.) This was 77 
midsummer, and with an exceptionally calm sea. The . 
spot where the crew landed is indicated by an * under- 
neath. A sketch of the place by Captain Davis is given 
at the beginning of chapter vii. in the first volume of 
Ross's Voyage. 
ON THE ORIGIN AND METAMORPHOSES OF 
INSECTS * 
Il. 
IX the Coleoptera, the larvz differ very much in form. 
The majority are elongated, active, hexapod, and more 
or less depressed ; but those of the Weevils (Pl. 2, Fig 6), of 
Scolytus, (Pl. 2, Fig. 4), &c., which are vegetable feeders, 
and live surrounded by their food, as, for instance, in grain, 
nuts, &c., are apod, white, fleshy grubs, not unlike those 
of bees and ants. The larve o! the Longicorns, which 
live inside trees, are long, soft, and fleshy, with six short 
legs. The Geodephaga, corresponding with the Linnean 
genera Cicindela and Carabus, have six-legged, slender, 
carnivorous larve ; those of Cicindela. which waylay their 
prey, being less active than the hunting larve of the 
Carabidze. The Hydradephaga, or water-beetles ( Dyticidz 
and Gyrinidz) have long aud narrow larvz (Pl. 4, Fig. 6), 
with strong sickle-shaped jaws, short antennz, four palpi, 
and six small eyes on each side of the head ; they are 
very voracious. The larvze of the Staphylinidz are by no 
means unlike the perfect insect, and are found in similar 
situations ; their jaws are powerful, and their legs mode- 
rately strong. The larve of the Lamellicorn beetles 
(cockchafers, stag-beetles, &c.) feed either on vegetable 
or on dead animal matter. They are long, soft, fleshy, 
grubs, with the abdomen somewhat curved, and generally 
lie on their side. The larvz of the Elateridz, known as 
wireworms, are long and slender, with short legs. Those 
of the glowworm are not unlike the apterous female. The 
male glowworm, on the contrary, is very different. It 
has long, thin, brown wing-cases, and often flies into 
rooms at night, attracted by the light, which it probably 
mistakes for its mate. 
The metamorphoses of the Cantharidez are very re- 
markable, and will be described subsequently. The 
larva are active and hexapod. The Phytophaga (Crio- 
ceris, Galeruca, Haltica, Chrysomea, &c.) are vegetable 
| feeders, both as larve and in the perfect state. The 
larve are furnished with legs, and are not unlike the 
caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera. 
The larva of Coccinella (the Ladybird) is somewhat de- 
pressed, of an elongated ovate form, with a small head, 
and moderately strong legs. It feeds on Aphides. 
Thus, then, we see that there are among the Coleoptera 
many different forms of larva. Macleay considered that 
there were five principal types. 
1. Carnivorous hexapod larve, with an elongated, more 
or less flattened body, six eyes on each side of the head, 
and sharp falciform mandibles (Carabus, Dyticus, &c.). 
2. Herbivorous hexapod larva, with a fleshy, cylin- 
drical body, somewhat curved, so that the animal lies on 
its side (Lucanus, Melolontha). 
3. Apod grub-like larvae, with scarcely the rudiments of 
antennz (Curculio). 
4. Hexapod antenniferous larve, with a subovate body, 
the second segment being somewhat larger than the others 
(Chrysomela, Coccinella). 
* Continued from p. 446. 
a .* 
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