96 DR. HARRIS’S REPORT. April, 
is another species, however, closely allied to Rhagium salicis of 
Europe, and which was obtained by Mr. Leonard from the sill of an 
old door. ‘This species does not appear to have been described, 
and I, therefore, would call it R. decoloratum, the elytra appearing 
as if their original color had faded away. It is highly probable that 
the other sex may have elytra of a blue color. 
The Crioceride have some resemblance to the capricorn beetles. 
Besides some minute differences, they are distinguished by their short 
antenne, composed of cylindrical or globose joints, which are of the 
same size or even larger towards the extremity ; the eyes do not 
surround the base of the antenne ; the thorax is cylindrical ; and 
the body is of an oblong quadrate form ; the feet are shorter, but 
are furnished, like those of the cerambyx family, with cushions be- 
neath. 
In the genus Crioceris, the eyes are prominent, globose, with a 
minute noich in the anterior margin ; the joints of the antenne are 
very short ; and the thorax is abruptly contracted in the middle. 
When held between the fingers, they make a sound like that of the 
capricorn beetles. They deposit their eggs in parcels of eight or 
ten together, on the leaves of plants. The larve are hatched upon 
these leaves. Their bodies are short and cylindrical; their heads 
are horny; and they have six feet. The vent is situated at the 
upper part of the posterior extremity, so that their excrement falls 
on the back, and, by the contraction and dilatation of the segments, is 
pushed forwards towards the head ; this process is repeated until the 
back is entirely coated with it. This covering shields their soft and 
tender bodies from the heat of the sun, and probably serves to se- 
cure them from the attacks of their enemies. When the mass ac- 
cumulated becomes too heavy or too dry, the insect throws it off, 
but replaces it again in the course of two or three hours. In eating, 
the larve move backwards, never devouring the portion of leaf im- 
mediately before the head, but that which lies under it. In about a 
fortnight the larva attains its full size, crawls from the plant, enters 
the earth, and forms a little cell of grains of earth which are ce- 
mented and lined by a glutinous fluid emitted from the mouth. Fif- 
teen days afterwards the perfect insect throws off its pupa skin, rup- 
tures its cocoon, and ascends from the earth. The pups of the 
