The following observations upon Hyliirgus 'pinijperda and 

 the drawings illustrating its economj' were communicated by 

 my kind friend John Lindley, Esq., and I have only to regret 

 that the limits of the work will not allow of their beino; sriven 



o o 



complete. 



" For the purpose of observing its proceedings more nar- 

 rowly, I placed a shoot of the Scotch Fir under a glass with 

 the insect. In about three hours after, it had just begun to 

 pierce the bark at the base of one of the leaves ; its mandibles 

 seemed chiefly employed, its legs being merely used as a means 

 of fixing itself more firmly. Four hours after, its head and 

 thorax were completely buried in the shoot, and it had thrown 

 out a quantity of wood which it had reduced to a powder, and 

 which nearly covered the bottom of the glass. In 16 hours 

 more it was entirely concealed and was beginning to form its 

 perpendicular excavation, and was busily employed in throw- 

 ing back the wood as it proceeded in destroying it : there were 

 evidently two kinds of this sawdust, part consisting of shape- 

 less lumps, but the greater pox'tion of very thin semi-trans- 

 parent lamellae or rather shavings, which under a strong lens 

 exhibited the appearance shown at F. I now examined it 

 every day till the 5th, when I found it had emerged through 

 the central buds at about an inch from where it had first com- 

 menced. 



" A, B, C, D, E, are longitudinal sections of the shoots of 

 the Scotch Fir with the various perforations of the insects ; 

 a, where it commences ; b, the aperture which it makes after 

 it has finished its excavation; c, the end of the 1st and the 

 beffinninjT of its 2nd excavation." 



There are 8 or 10 British species of this genus, most of 

 which are found in June, July, and August, under the bark 

 of trees ; amongst which are 



1. Hylurgus piniperda Linn. — Mars. p. 57. n. IS. 



2. rufus Ma7's. 57. 19. 



3. obscurus Mars. 51. 17. 



4. piceus Mars. 58. 21. 



5. angustatus Gyll. — ater Mars. 59. 25. 



6. rhododactylus Mars. 58. 22. 



7. ater Fab. — niger Mars. 59. 24. 



8. Boleti Mars. 59. 27. 



