Insects, 411 



Cis, Ilhyzophagus and Thymalus ; and, as if entomological agency 

 alone should complete the total destruction of vegetable materials, the 

 voracious larvae of Melanotus fulvipes devour the rottenness which 

 Rhagium forsakes. The ruin is complete, and thus all things live and 

 die, grow and decay, when Nature works alone. 



Ctenicerus met alliens. Of the elegant genus Ctenicerus we have in 

 the neighbourhood of Leicester four species, C. pectinicornis, cup reus, 

 tessellatus and metallicus. These all occurred in the floods of last 

 May and June, in the greatest profusion. 



The Cteniceri used to be esteemed rare with us. Time was when 

 it was held a treat to see the fine males of two of the species heavily 

 hovering over the rich herbage in those flowery meads which a sandy 

 soil alone can furnish. But, tempora mutant ur ! The love-inspiring 

 creatures may now seek their hidden mates, and poise on quivering 

 wing, without any interruption from us. The floods of last summer 

 swept from the rich meadows of the Soar myriads of specimens, which 

 were floating down with the refuse of the stream, or clustered like 

 bees on the palings and taller herbage. 



We are well situated in time of floods, for our numerous water- 

 courses, from the narrowness or elevation of their beds, readily over- 

 flow, and the contents of many a broad acre are swept along with the 

 turbid waters : — 



" Rapidus vorat asquore vortex 

 " Apparent rari (multi) nantes in gurgite vasto." 



The town serves us for a riddle, through which the waters are sifted, 

 and the living sediment is deposited on the hedges and fences which 

 oppose its progress. Here we have taken about a fourth of the British 

 Harpalidae. 



The Cteniceri are purely pastoral insects. They affect meadows, 

 and are seldom, if ever, seen in the wake of the plough. Herein their 

 connexions with agricultural economy are not of so serious a nature 

 as several other species of the same family. 



There is not a grub better known amongst agricultural people than 

 the wire-worm ; and yet there are still the most erroneous and ludi- 

 crous ideas prevalent respecting its Natural History. The worthy 

 president of the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society, and author 

 of a little work on kindred subjects, once seriously informed both 

 his audience and his readers, that it was the larva of the Harry 

 Long-legs ; and actually produced the two creatures to show their re- 

 semblance ! The wire-worm is frequently very destructive in North- 



