﻿130 
  Thietieth 
  Reeoet 
  on 
  the 
  State 
  Museum. 
  [18] 
  

  

  visible, 
  as 
  the 
  insect 
  by 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  a 
  peculiar 
  muscular 
  arrange- 
  

   ment, 
  has 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  folding 
  them 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  along 
  its 
  

   sides. 
  The 
  body 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  being 
  banded 
  in 
  two 
  

   shades 
  of 
  brown 
  — 
  the 
  darker 
  band 
  being 
  the 
  central 
  portion 
  

   of 
  each 
  ring, 
  and 
  the 
  lighter, 
  the 
  connecting 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   rings, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  incisure. 
  By 
  turning 
  it 
  upon 
  its 
  back, 
  

   the 
  six 
  little 
  legs, 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  makes 
  such 
  good 
  use, 
  can 
  be 
  

   seen, 
  in 
  vigorous 
  efforts 
  to 
  regain 
  its 
  former 
  position 
  — 
  its 
  

   struggles 
  while 
  in 
  this 
  condition 
  sometimes 
  producing 
  a 
  series 
  

   of 
  jumps 
  of 
  about 
  an 
  eighth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length. 
  

  

  Having 
  attained 
  its 
  full 
  growth, 
  it 
  prepares 
  for 
  its 
  pupal 
  

   change 
  without 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  cocoon 
  or 
  any 
  other 
  

   provision 
  than 
  merely 
  seeking 
  some 
  convenient 
  retreat. 
  Here 
  

   it 
  remains 
  in 
  a 
  quiet 
  state, 
  unaltered 
  in 
  external 
  appearance, 
  

   except 
  somewhat 
  contracted 
  in 
  length, 
  until 
  it 
  has 
  nearly 
  com- 
  

   pleted 
  its 
  pupation, 
  when 
  the 
  skin 
  is 
  rent 
  along 
  its 
  back, 
  and, 
  

   through 
  the 
  fissure, 
  the 
  pupa 
  is 
  seen. 
  A 
  few 
  weeks 
  having 
  

   passed, 
  the 
  pupal 
  skin 
  in 
  its 
  turn 
  is 
  split 
  dorsally, 
  and 
  the 
  

   brightly 
  colored 
  wing- 
  covers 
  of 
  the 
  beetle 
  are 
  disclosed. 
  Still 
  

   a 
  few 
  additional 
  days 
  of 
  repose 
  are 
  required 
  for 
  its 
  full 
  devel- 
  

   opment, 
  when 
  the 
  now 
  fully 
  matured 
  beetle 
  crawls 
  from 
  its 
  

   protective 
  coverings 
  of 
  pupal 
  case 
  and 
  larval 
  skin, 
  and 
  appears 
  

   in 
  its 
  perfect 
  form 
  — 
  its 
  final 
  stage. 
  

  

  The 
  earliest 
  beetles 
  emerge 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  October, 
  and 
  

   continue 
  to 
  make 
  their 
  appearance 
  during 
  the 
  fall, 
  winter 
  and 
  

   spring 
  months. 
  Soon 
  after 
  their 
  appearance 
  probably, 
  they 
  

   pair, 
  and 
  the 
  females 
  deposit 
  their 
  eggs 
  for 
  another 
  brood 
  of 
  

   the 
  carpet-eating 
  larvae. 
  

  

  The 
  beetle 
  is 
  quite 
  small 
  — 
  smaller 
  than 
  would 
  ordinarily 
  

   be 
  expected 
  from 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  — 
  being 
  only 
  about 
  

   one-eighth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long 
  by 
  one-twelfth 
  broad. 
  An 
  

   average 
  of 
  five 
  examples 
  before 
  me 
  gives, 
  length 
  .125 
  inch, 
  

   breadth 
  .085 
  inch. 
  Its 
  form 
  is 
  almost 
  a 
  perfect 
  ellipse 
  as 
  seen 
  

   from 
  above 
  ; 
  its 
  back 
  and 
  under 
  surface 
  are 
  quite 
  rounded. 
  

   When 
  turned 
  upon 
  its 
  back, 
  it 
  often 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  moments 
  coun- 
  ' 
  

   terfeits 
  death, 
  with 
  its 
  legs 
  so 
  closely 
  folded 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  as 
  

   scarcely 
  to 
  be 
  seen, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  state 
  the 
  ordinary 
  observer 
  

   might 
  be 
  at 
  a 
  loss 
  to 
  know 
  the 
  lower 
  from 
  the 
  upper 
  side. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  beautifully 
  marked 
  little 
  insect 
  in 
  its 
  contrasting 
  

   colors 
  of 
  white, 
  black 
  and 
  scarlet, 
  arranged 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  The 
  

   edge 
  of 
  each 
  wing-cover, 
  where 
  they 
  meet 
  on 
  the 
  back, 
  is 
  

   bordered, 
  with 
  red 
  (forming 
  a 
  central 
  red 
  line), 
  with 
  three 
  red 
  

  

  