THE ROSE-CHAFER. 239 



A person near Blois, in France, employed in the 

 year 1785 a number of children and poor persons to 

 destroy the Cock-chafers, at the rate of two liards a 

 hundred. In a few days fourteen thousand were 

 brought to him. Thus, for the moderate sum of 

 about seven shillings and eightpence sterling, he de- 

 stroyed, according to his calculation, near a million 

 and a half of the grubs ; which, had they been al- 

 lowed to be hatched, might, in the course of four 

 years, have done damage to the amount of many 

 thousand pounds *. 



THE FOSE-CHAFERf. 



There are scarcely any of the English Chafers 

 more beautiful than this. The upper parts of the 

 female are of a shining green colour, varying ac- 

 cording to the light in which it is held, and marked 

 transversely on the wing cases with a few short 

 white or yellowish lines. The male is of a burnished 

 copper colour with a greenish cast. These insects 

 are somewhat more than an inch in length. They 

 are to be found on flowers, particularly on those of 

 the rose and peony ; and sometimes in ant's nests. 



The grubs that produce this beetle feed under- 

 ground, most commonly at the roots of trees, 

 and never appear on the surface unless disturbed by 

 digging, or some other accident. They are thought 



* Andersons Recreations of Agriculture, iil. 420. 



+ Synonyms. — Scarabseusauratus. Linn. — Cetoniaaurata. Fabri- 

 cius. Rose May Chafer, Green Beetle, and Brass Beetle, in some parts 

 of England. 



