MOTIONS OF INSECTS. 349 
bodies, and that the muscular apparatus that moves them 
is deficient in force. In consequence of which, he ob- 
serves, they take flight with difficulty, and fly very badly. 
The strokes of their wings being frequent, and their flight 
short, uncertain, heavy, and laborious, they can use their 
wings only in very calm weather, the least wind beating 
them down. Yet he allows that others, whose body is 
lighter, rise into the air and fly with a little more ease; 
especially when the weather is warm and dry, their flights 
however being short, though frequent. He asserts also, 
that no coleopterous insect can fly against the wind®*. 
These observations may hold perhaps with respect to 
many species; but they will by no means apply generally. 
The cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris), if thrown into the 
air in the evening, its time of flight, will take wing before 
it falls to the ground. The common dung-chafer (Geo- 
trupes stercorarius)—wheeling from side to side like the 
humble-bee—flies with great rapidity and force, and, with 
all its dung-devouring confederates, directs its flight with 
the utmost certainty, and probably often against the wind, 
to its food. ‘The root-devourers or tree-chafers (Melo- 
lontha, Hoplia, &c.) support themselves, like swarming 
bees, in the air and over the trees, flying round in all di- 
rections. The Staphylinide and Donacie, in warm 
weather, fly off from their station with the utmost ease ; 
—their wings are unfolded, and they are in the air in an 
instant, especially the latter, as I have often found when I 
have attempted to take them. None are more remarkable 
for this than the Cicindele, which, however, taking very 
short flights, are as easily marked down as a partridge, 
a Entomol. i. 1. 
