THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



99 



anxious to verify any of my remarks about Pulex irritant, I will direct him 

 to what was an excellent locality, in a beautiful part of the country about a 

 dozen miles from Manchester, from whence, although I was collecting insects, 

 I was compelled to retreat after one night in a chaff bed. I can sympathize 

 with Curran, on making his complaint in the morning to the woman of the 

 house. " By heavens ! madam," said he, " they were in such numbers, and 

 seized upon my carcase with such ferocity, that if they had been unanimous, 

 and pulled all one way, they must have pulled me out of bed entirely." 



WOOD AND BARK-FEEDING INSECTS. 



I will endeavour to point out the species of insects which feed on wood 

 and bark, some of which are very destructive. The species to which I allude 

 are mostly British. I will first deal with the Coleoptera or beetles. 



Nemosoma eloilgata is a very elongated species. It feeds under the 

 bark of old elm rails, where the bark is quite firm. Mr. Joseph Sidebotham 

 met with this insect at Burton-on-Trent, and kindly supplied me with speci- 

 mens. 



Lucanus cervus (the stag beetle) is well known in the South of Eng- 

 land. The larvae feed on the solid wood of oak and willow, where they are 

 very destructive ; the perfect insect is on the wing towards evening. These 

 insects are found in the day on the trunks of trees. The females seldom fly. 

 The mandibles of the males are very largely developed ; the head is very 

 large, and the prothorax is short in proportion, which is generally the case 

 in all animals with very large heads; they have short necks. These insects 

 live but a short time in the perfect state : the larvse are said to live from four 

 to six years. The body of the larva is curved, so that it is compelled to lay 

 on its side ; when full-fed it forms a cocoon of chips and dust which it has 

 knawed, in which it changes to pupa. The larva is said to be the Cossus of 

 the Romans, which was eaten as a delicacy. 1 kept some of these insects 

 alive for several weeks, which I received from the South of England, I forgot 

 them a short time, and when I looked at them they had dismembered each 

 other. The jaws were formerly used in medicine, under the name of the 

 " Horns of Scarabsei," and according to Pliny, they were formerly suspended 

 round the necks of children as amulets. 



Dorcus parallelopipidus is a smaller species than the preceding ,and 

 the mandibles are not so fully developed. The larva feeds in decayed trees, 

 especially ash, in the South of England. 



Sinodendron cylindricum is one of the Lucanidse. The male when 

 fully developed has a stout horn on its head. Generally it feeds in decayed 



