CLASS-BOOK OF ZOOLOGY. 135 



one of the most common insects, is about an inch long, of 

 a black or dark-red color, and appears in large numbers in 

 the first warm evenings of the month of May, fluttering 

 everywhere among the trees. 



§ 553. The May-chafers feed on the leaves and blos- 

 soms of fruit-trees, which they sometimes entirely strip, 

 ruining whole orchards. They should therefore be de- 

 stroyed. 



§ 554. The May-chafers are still more injurious while 

 in the larva state, which lasts four years, for during this 

 time they feed on the roots of corn, wheat, barley, rye, 

 and oats. 



§ 555. The larva of the May-chafer, when full-grown, 

 is an inch and a half long, and of a dirty-yellow color. It 

 is found from three to six feet deep in the ground. This 

 may be ascertained if in a field or a garden we dig up 

 such plants as have become yellow; at their roots we will 

 find the larvae of the May-chafer. 



§ 556. The Stag-beetle, (Lucanus,) thus named from 

 the similarity of its upper jaws to the horns of a stag, is 

 an inch and a half long, and of a chestnut-color. It is 

 found principally on oak-trees, where it licks the juice of 

 the leaves. 



§ 557. The larva of the Stag-beetle is from three to 

 four inches long, of a yellow color, and lives probably 

 six years in the larva state. It is found on oak-trees. 

 The ancient Romans considered this larva, when fried, a 

 great luxury. 



§ 558. The Weevil or Snout-beetle, (Curculio.) con- 

 taining a great number of genera and species, has for 

 the most part a short round body with a solid snout, more 

 or less curved, and is of various lengths. 



J 559. The Weevils are very noxious. Those with 

 very long snouts attack the young fruits of trees, and 

 the others grain and garden-plants, by making an opening 

 in them, and depositing one or more eggs : from these 

 proceed maggots, wdiich live in the fruit, as we see in 

 apples, pears, nuts, peas, and rice. 



§ 560. The great multiplication of the Snout-beetles 



