258 THE TIMBER CAPRICORN*. 



solid wood, to the depth sometimes of three inches, 

 and seldom if ever less than two. These holes arc 

 nearly semi-cylindrical, expressing exactly the form 

 of the grub. 



At first sight, one would wonder how so small and 

 seemingly so weak an animal could have strength 

 to excavate so deep a mine ; but when we ex- 

 amine its jaws our wonder ceases : these are large, 

 thick, and solid sections of a cone divided longi- 

 tudinally, which, in the act of mastication, apply to- 

 each other the whole of their interior plane surface, 

 so that they grind the insect's food like a pair of 

 millstones. 



Some of the larvae are hatched in October ; and 

 it is supposed that about the beginning of March 

 they assume their chrysalis state. At the place in 

 the bark, opposite to the hole from whence they 

 descended into the wood, the perfect insects gnaw 

 their way out, which generally takes place betwixt 

 the middle of May and the middle of June. 



These insects are supposed to fly only in the 

 night, but during the day they may generally be 

 found resting on the wood from whence they were 

 disclosed. 



The larvae are destitute of feet, pale, folded, some- 

 what hairy, convex above, and divided into thirteen 

 segments. Their head is large and convex *. 



* Kirby in Linn. Tian. v. 24.6. tab. 3:, 



