CLASS L INSECTA: ORDER 1. COLEOPTERA. 
547 
THE POTJE-SPOTTED BEETLE : HISTEU QUADRIMACDLATUS. 
of their food. Several species are found in the "United States : the American Undertaker, JV. 
Americanus, is an inch and a quarter long, and is generally of a shiny-black color. The JV. ionien- 
tosus is nearly an inch long, and is quite hairy ; common in July in New England and New 
York. 
THE HELOCERA. 
The Helocera are distinguished by their flattened contractile limbs, each portion of which folds 
closely upon its neighbor, the whole, when thus reduced to the smallest compass, being received 
in cavities of the lower surface of the body. 
This position is always assimied by these beetles 
when alarmed, and from this assumption of a 
death-like attitude, some of the commonest spe- 
cies have received the name of Mimic Beetles, 
c These insects, both in the larva and perfect 
states, are commonly found in cow-dunff : a few 
also inhabit rotten wood ; some are to be met 
with under the bark of trees, and a few in car- 
rion. This tribe includes two groups — the His- 
teridce, smallish insects, generally of a black color, with the elytra rather shorter than the body, 
which is usually of a square form ; 
and the Byrrhidoe^ with elytra as 
long as the abdomen. The latter 
are of a round or oval form, whence 
they have received the name of 
Pill-Beetles. 
THE LAMELLICOENIA. 
The tribe of Lamellicorn Beetles 
— Lamellicornia — derivino- their 
name from the Latin lamella, a 
plate, and cornu, a horn, are char- 
acterized by having the antennae 
terminated by a club, composed of 
several leaf-like joints, laid together 
like the leaves of a book. This 
tribe includes an immense number 
of species, some of which are among 
the largest and most splendid of 
insects. In the European Stag- 
Beetle, Lucanus cervtis, as well as 
the L. dama of our country, called 
Horn Beetle, the leaves are short 
and distinct, rendering the club pec- 
tinated. In the common Europe- 
an Cook-Chaeer, Melolontha vul- 
garis, they are of considerable 
length, especially in the male, and 
fold up like the leaves of a fan. 
These insects fly well, but heavily, 
with a loud whirring noise ; but 
they generally crawl slowly. The 
larvse are thick fleshy grubs, fur- 
nished with a distinct head, and 
with six jointed feet, and have the hinder part bent down. They live in very various situations, 
THE COCK-CHAFER. 
