Verrill — Hercules Beetles from Dominica Island. 307 



a gigantic New England June-beetle larva. It feeds on dead 

 and rotten wood of the La Glui tree, and requires several 

 years to reach maturity. The pupa case is formed from rotten 

 wood and the tough fibers of the bark. The imago when first 

 emerged has the thoracic and occipital appendages but partly 

 developed. They rapidly increase in size, however, and by 

 the time the elytra and other horny parts are hard, the appen- 

 dages have attained their full size. 



Fig.- 2. Lai'va of Dynastes Hercules. Nat. size. 

 Fig. 3. Gra-gru Worm, the larva of Palm Weevil. 



14 uat. size. 



Of the two other new species, Dynastes vulc'an and D. 

 Lagaii (loc. cit., fig. 2), the latter is by far the rarest, only four 

 specimens having been obtained by the writer during three 

 years residence on the island. 



D. vulcan (fig. 1, l>) is rarer than D. Hercules (fig. 1, a), 

 but far more common than D. Lagaii, while of D. argentata 

 only one specimen is known. 



Another noteworthy beetle of the island is the great Palm- 

 Weevil (Rhynchojihorus jpalmarum). It is of interest mainly 

 because the larvae are eaten by the natives. These larvae 

 (fig. 3), which are locally called " Gru-gru worms," feed on 

 the decaying wood of the mountain Cabbage Palm and Gru- 

 gru Palm. They attain a length of 2*15 to 3 inches when fully 

 grown. They are fat, firm, legless grubs, and are considered 

 a great delicacy by the natives, as well as by many foreigners 

 who, having sufficiently overcome their natural repugnance, 



