affecting the Corn- Crvps. 
477 
a violet tinge ; the head is thickly and roughly punctured ; the 
thorax finely and more sparingly ; the clypeus is broad and nearly 
semicircular, the margin reflexed : the 9-jointed antennae are 
ferruginous, the trilobed club and palpi are piceous : the elytra 
are bright tawny, elliptical-ovate, with seven distinct and several 
obscure irregularly punctured striaj on each : wings ample : the 
apex of the abdomen, called the pygidium, is exposed and bottle- 
green : the under side and legs are greenish black, the anterior 
pair being the stoutest, the hinder the longest ; the first pair of 
tibiae are notched externally, forming two distinct lobes or teeth 
in the males, the others are spurred at the apex ; the tarsi are 
5-jointed and spiny beneath, the terminal joint is clavate and 
furnished with unequal claws, the internal one being broad and 
bifid in the two anterior pair, the hinder ones being simple: length 
A\ lines, breadth 2^: fig. 13, the male, magnified. These beetles 
might be collected into bags by children, and after being crushed 
or killed in hot water, they may be given to poultry, which fatten 
well upon them. The best period for this picking is early in the 
morning, as the beetles are torpid and sluggish when the dew is 
upon them. 
It is, however, the larvae which are so destructive, especially to 
pasture lands, and they would therefore more properly form a 
portion of a future essay, but as it will be equally serviceable to 
complete the descriptions and economy of the insect at once, I have 
added a figure of the maggot, which can be referred to when we 
arrive at the insects affecting the artificial and other grasses, at 
which time the best modes of extirpation will be discussed. 
These larvae are very similar to those of the cockchaffer {Melo- 
lontha vulgaris), but much smaller ; they generally lie cui-ved up, 
somewhat in the form of a horseshoe (fig. 14), yet they are rather 
active, and can walk tolerably well, dragging their heavy bodies 
after them : they are of an ochreous white colour, but the head is 
deep ochreous and destitute of eyes; the two little horns are very 
distinct, slender, and 5-jointed, the mandibles are somewhat rust- 
coloured and black at their tips, the body is clothed with a few 
brown hairs, the heavy apex being lead-colour whilst the animal 
is feeding, but it is like the rest of the body when the stomach is 
empty : on the breast and immediately behind the chin are six 
longish legs, clothed with bristly hairs, they are triarticulate, the 
third joint short ; the claws are small and acuminated, with one or 
two bristles on the sides. They form cells of the surrounding 
earth at a considerable depth in the soil they inhabit, where they 
undergo their transformation into delicate pale- colon red pupa?. 
I shall now have to treat of some insects affecting the ears of 
corn, and I shall avail myself of the information obtained from 
