affecting the Turnips, Corn-crops, Sfc. 
185 
thorax (fig. 19, o), which is more or less oval-quadrate, the 
hinder angles produced and forming spines; the wing-cases or 
ehjtra are long and narrow, covering a pair of ain]>le icings, which 
are closed longitudinally like a fan, with the tips folded over when 
n repose. They have also six legs for w alking ; the anterior pair 
is a little the shortest, and the hinder the longest (fig. 14); the 
thighs are stout ; the tibiae or shanks simple ; the tarsi or feet are 
as long and all five-jointed, the basal joint the longest, except in 
the anterior pair, and the last is furnished with two curved acute 
claws. In this state its habits are quite altered ; instead of the 
ravenous and destructive Wireworm it is now become an active 
beetle (figs. 12, 25, and 26), running up the grass and readily 
flying to flowers, to which it resorts for food ; the sexes also pair, 
and the business of the male being accompHshed he probably 
dies, but the female is longer lived; the organs of generation are 
frequently at this period exserted, Mhen they may be easily exa- 
mined with a magnifying glass; those of the male (fig. 15) are re- 
ceived into the apical segments of the abdomen in repose (p) ; 
they are ochreous and shining, formed of two valves rounded at 
the apex with two minute hairs, the central lobe being lanceolate (^) . 
The female has a longish horny ovipositor, which is easily pro- 
truded from the extremity (fig. 16) ; it is flat and linear, the apex 
conical, thickened, and forming two lobes, each of wliich is pro- 
duced and hairy ; at the tips are two minute obovate appendages, 
with two hairs at the apex (r). In Elater obscurus the flattened 
tube is terminated by two horny lobes (fig. 17, s), pear-shaped 
when united, with two hairs outside, and having no appendages ; 
they are capable of distension to allow the eggs to pass. In the 
same species the generative organs are not so long as usual in the 
male (fig. 18) ; the lateral valves are pointed and notched oulside, 
and the central lobe is strap-shaped, the apex conical, with a 
minute notch on each side (t), and this appeared to me to be folded 
back upon the base in a quiescent state. 
We have already alluded to the remarkable power these beetles 
have of recovering their natural position when they fall upon their 
backs; their legs not being long enough for that purpose, they are 
furnished with an apparatus which I will now describe. Fig. 19 
is the underside of the thorax, fig. u showing the cavities in which 
the first pair of legs is inserted ; between them arises a spine with 
two small teeth at the base (u), and sometimes one above, towards 
the apex. Fig. 20 is the underside of the post-pectus or breast, 
with two oval cavities into which the second pair of legs is 
fitted {ic); and behind are the trochanters or hips, to which the 
third pair of legs is attached (.r) : at the anterior margin is a long 
cavity (y), into which the spine (v) is pressed, and the animal, 
w hen on its back, by depressing the head and tail, raises this spine 
