GBAMINEOUS CBOPS. 87 



brown, and can be taken up and rolled by. hand." ^ The 

 larva of this insect is an exceedingly fat grub, about an 

 inch and a half in length, and the thickness of one's little 

 finger. It is provided with strong jaws, six jointed legs, 

 and occasions considerable damage to grass lands during 

 the three years it remains in the larval form. In the 

 summer of the third year the grub burrows to a depth of 

 three to four feet below ground; and in this retreat it 

 makes a sort of cocoon formed of particles of the surround- 

 ing materials, agglutinated together by a sticky secretion. 

 Within this cocoon the larva turns to the pupal stage, 



Fig. 35.— CooKOHiTEB {Melolontha vulgaris). 



finally changing to a perfect insect during the summer of 

 the fourth year. The beetle (which feeds on the leaves 

 of the vine, as well as those of the elm, oak, and other 

 trees) is about one inch in length, of a blackish-brown 

 colour. The abdomen has white stripes and ends in a tip 

 (curved ventrally), which projects beyond the elytra (Fig. 

 35). .The antennae are terminated by clubs composed of 

 seven leaf-like joints in the male, and six in the female. 

 " In their perfect state the cockchafers only live about a 

 week, and during this time they frequent trees, and feed 

 upon the leaves. The female, however, when ready to 



1 Wood's Illustrated Natural History, vol. iii. p. 467. 



