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XX. Vivarium Notes on some common Coleoptera. By 

 J. W. Slater. 



[Read 5th September, 1877.] 



It may, perhaps, seem somewhat presumptuous to suppose 

 that anything of vahie can be learnt either concerning or 

 from such very common insects as those on which I am 

 about to speak. Still some, at least, of the facts I have 

 observed may have escaped notice ; and the safer course, 

 therefore, is to lay them before the Society. 



The first species to which I have to refer is the common 

 rose-beetle ( Cetonia aurata). I found one of these insects 

 as early as March 30th, and placed it in my vivarium. 

 As suitable flowers were not at hand I gave it slices of 

 apple, which, I may remark, may be used for the food of 

 very many species of beetles in captivity. It ate the fruit 

 very heartily, making long straight double furrows with 

 its mandibles, and licking up the juice with eagerness. As 

 soon as I could procure suitable flowers, such as hawthorn- 

 blossom, and, later in the season, roses and elder-blossom, 

 I placed these in the vivarium, when the apples were at 

 once neglected. The Cetonia went straight to the flowers, 

 erecting its antennge, and opening the leaflets of the club, 

 and proceeded to eat the ]3ollen with greediness. It seized 

 the stamens sometimes with its fore-pair of legs, and, by 

 the united play of the mandibles, maxillae and palpi, brought 

 the pollen to its mouth. I never observed it eat the petals, 

 nor did it ever seem to search for honey. As the season 

 got later two more specimens of the species were placed in 

 the vivarium, but I could perceive not the slightest differ- 

 ence in their actions. I never saw them use their antennas 

 as organs of touch. When food was placed near them, 

 these appendages were flourished over it rather than ap- 

 plied to it, thus decidedly supporting the view that they 

 are organs of scent. The beetles took no notice whatever 

 of loud noises. 



After being fed, especially on a bright day, they used 

 to fly about within the vivarium, their movements being 

 rapid but clumsy, and accompanied with a very loud Innn- 

 mino;. The excrement of these insects is semi-fluid, of a 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1877. — PART IV. (dEC.) X 



