1838. HOUSE—No. 72. 61 
bodies of trees. The larve that are known to me have a close re- 
semblance to each other ; a general idea of them can be formed from 
a description of that which attacks the pig-nut tree. It is of a yel- 
lowish white color, elongated and depressed in form, and abruptly 
dilated near the anterior extremity. The head is brownish, small, and 
merged in the next segment ;' the jaws are tridentate at the points, 
and of a black color; and the antennae are very short. The 
segment which receives the head (collar,) is short and transverse ; 
next to it is a large, oval segment, broader than long, depress- 
ed or flattened above and beneath; it forms the thoracic portion 
of the body. Behind this, the segments are very much narrowed 
and, from transverse, become gradually quadrate, but are still flat- 
tened, to the last, which is terminated by a rounded tubercle. There 
are no legs, nor any apparatus which can serve as such, except two 
small tubercles on the under side of the second segment from the 
thorax. The motion of the larva appears to be affected by the 
alternate contractions and elongations of the segments, aided, per- 
haps, by the tubercular extremity of the body, and by seizing hold, 
with the mandibles or jaws, upon the sides of its burrow. These 
larve are found under the bark and in the solid wood of trees, and 
sometimes in great numbers. It is not uncommon for them to bend 
the body sideways, so that the head and tailare approximated. ‘This 
posture those found under bark usually assume. ‘They appeared to 
pass more than one year in the larva state. 
The pupa bears a near resemblance to the perfect insect, but is 
entirely white, until near the time of its last transformation. Its situ- 
ation is immediately under the bark, the head being directed out- 
wards, so that when the pupa coat is cast off, the perfect insect has 
merely a thin covering of bark to perforate, before making its escape 
from the tree. The form of this perforation is oval, as is also a 
transverse section of the burrow, that shape being best adapted to 
the form, motions and egress of the insect. Buprestis Virgin- 
ica is probably our largest species. It inhabits the trunks of the 
Pinus rigida or pitch-pine tree. Buprestis divaricata is exceed- 
ingly injurious to the Prunus Virginiensis or wild cherry-tree, and 
sometimes attacks the peach tree. ‘The perfect insect appears on 
the limbs of these trees in June, July, and August. 
