64 



of prey except in the less disturbed parts of the forest where the latter 

 were more plentiful, and few signs of the former perceptible. 



Melolontha destructor (New Species.) — General form and 

 habitus appertaining to genus ; female slightly larger than male ; length, 

 three-quarters of an inch ; diameter, one quarter of an inch ; prevailing 

 colour of upper part, bright chestnut brown ; head of the female and 

 labrum of male much darker, almost dull black; neutral parts of both 

 sexes a uniform dark brown ; "eyes small, black ; labrum distinct, much 

 developed, edge turned up, well adapted for burrowing ; maxilla 

 slender ; mandibles short, strong, toothed ; antennas in both sexes with 

 seven points and three lamelktf, latter narrow, straw colour with female, 

 brown with male ; prothorax well arched ; flanges toothed and upturned ; 

 scutellum medium-sized; elytra translucent, arched, reaching well down 

 the flauks, but leaving the last abdominal segment nearly uncovered (a 

 little shorter with the male), marked by five longitudinal seams, edges 

 strong (inner one black), the whole dotted over with paintlike minute 

 depressions, arranged diagonally ; ' wings large ; flight sustained and 

 accompanied by a loud humming noise : first and third pair of legs 

 strong, thorny appendages, well adapted for grasping and burrowing; 

 abdomen large, soft ; the third from last segment the largest ; last seg- 

 ment small, triangular, under surface of thorax covered with long tawny 

 hairs ; shorter ones lining the upper interior edge of prothorax, outer 

 edge of elytra, and first joints of antennae ; feeding from point of leaves 

 towards stalk, moving backwards and eating mostly in regular curves. 



