Systematic Course. 27 
nearly up to the eyes, The larve: are flattened footless wood-boring 
grubs, which can easily be recognised by the curious expanded pro- 
thorax. The female is believed to lay her eggs upon the bark, the 
larve tunnelling into the wood. Teak (Zectona grandis), Al (Shorea 
robusta), khair (Acacia catechu), mango (Mangifera indica), and 
chir (Pinus longifolia) have been recorded as attacked by Buprestide 
larve in India, and other timber trees also are likely to suffer. But 
the insects appear to be far less numerous than the Longicorn larve 
which attack timber in a very similar manner. Damaged and 
unhealthy trees are the ones chiefly liable to attack, and the removal 
therefore of such timber from the forest is likely to reduce injury 
from these and similar boring insects. The School Museum contains 
a few Buprestide in various stages of development for the students 
to examine and sketch. 
Elaterid@ (Click-beetles or bow-and-arrow beetles).—These are gene- 
rally small dull-coloured insects. They can be at once recognised by 
their characteristic shape. They have a peculiar spine on the ventral 
portior of the prothorax which is of assistance in leaping. The larve 
are known as wire-worms : they are little hard grubs not unlike pieces 
of slate pencil or bell wire cut into short Jengths. The larva live in 
the ground, where they feed upon the roots of plants. As yet they 
have only been reported as injurious to potato plants in India, but 
considering how much damage they do to other plants in Europe and 
America, the pest is one that should be noticed. With regard to 
treatment, dressings of gas-lime, soot, nitrate of soda, salt, and rape- 
dust for the ground, have all been found useful in England, and are 
likely to be equally effective in India in cases where it is possible to 
employ them. The Museum contains specimens both of the beetle 
and the larva which should be examined by the students. 
Lampyrida. (Fire-flies).—These beetles can generally be recognised by 
their enormous eyes and soft cuticle. They comprise all the common 
species of Indian glow-worms and fire-flies, so should be noticed 
though they are of no practical importance. Thelarve are said to 
be carnivorous, but little is known about their habits in India. The 
phosphorescent apparatus is situated at the posterior of the abdomen, 
anatomically it is said to consist of a fat body thickly beset with 
trachee, The light therefore would seem to be produced by some 
process of slow oxidization. 
Ptinide'.—This family comprises a number of small obscure insects 
which do much damage by tunnelling into wood of all kinds. In 
the beetle the head is usually overhung in a peculiar manner by the 
prothorax, but this character is not always sufficient to determine 
them. The only family with which they are likely to be con- 
1 As defined by Packard, includes the Bostrychid@ of Gemminger and Harold. 
