ON LARVJE. 73 



flatter than others, as in many of the Curculionidce 

 among Beetles, and the onisciform or Wood Louse- 

 shaped larvae among Butterflies. Some are large at 

 the head and tapering to the tail, as in those of the 

 "Water Beetle ; while the most marked character of 

 those of Butterflies and Moths is, that they are of 

 the same thickness from end to end, terminating 

 abruptly at the tail as well as the head, no neck 

 being visible ; except in rare instances, as in the 

 larvae of JPieris Jirassicce, for instance, where some- 

 thing like a short neck may be observed when the 

 head is stretched forward. Some few are convex 

 above and flat beneath, and a few others are of such 

 anomalous forms, like that of the " Lobster-moth," 

 so named from the appearance of its Caterpillar, 

 that it is not easy to define or classify them ; the 

 Caterpillar, for instance, of a Lepidopterous insect 

 {Adolius Acanthea) being so curiously decorated by 

 unusual looking spinose excrescences, beautifully 

 feathered, as to present almost the appearance of 

 a Star-fish. 



The Head, in nearly all kinds of larva?, is, as I 

 have said, of a horny nature. It is indeed neces- 

 sarily so, in order to afford a bearing for the for- 

 midable mandibles, and give them the necessary 

 leverage required for cutting through tough leaves 



