tf^E TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [AuiusT i, 1&91. 
wards the tail, bat flattened at the anterior por. 
tiou. Tlie head proper armed with powerful jaws 
is placed in the oentre of a half-«pbere, and is an 
obluse kuob, about five-one-hundredtbs ( 050) of an inch 
diameter and projection. The underside of the body 
for the first four segments from the bead about three- 
tenths of an inch ( 300) ia quite fiat, the divisions 
between the segments being almost non est. 
The labt four segments are developed into knobs 
with a bUgbt indentation parallel fu the axis of the 
body, dividing each one forming rudimentary feet. 
From point to point the last two segments are 
about one- tenth of an inch apart when the creature 
is at rest, it can, however, bring tJiem together or 
extend them to about two-tenths (-200), 
The humps on the back are not exacrly opposite those 
beneath, but are placed on the half-lap, so that a side 
view suggests a screw. The tail is a protrnberance on 
the last segment, it is about two one-hundredths ('020} 
oi an inch in diameter and projection. Oonuting head 
and tail (here are thirteen segments- 
Fupa : the colour is a yellowish white, which 
becomes darker as the insect approaches its final change. 
A well-developed specimen measured sixty-five one- 
hundredths ('360^ of an inch in length, but some 
are only (•500)balf an inch long. 
The elytra are folded under the second pair of legs 
and overlie the third. The nntenncCi are carried back 
over legs and elytra and extend back as far as the 
posterior portion of the wings wbioh are overlain 
by the former of the seconJ pair of legs. 
Ilie wholu is enclosed in a transparent membrane 
through which the form clearly shoves, all the details 
of the future beetle being discernable. 
The beetle (imago) ]>orfeot insect. — The female is 
a little larger than the male, measuring from fifty-five 
('560 ) tosixty •lhree( 630) hundredtbsof an inch in length, 
while the male is only from fifty (-500) to fifty-five 
(•550); Dr, Bidie gives a good drawing of the insect 
in his book. 
The following is a description of the female ; it applies 
also generally to the male, only as bofofe stated it 
is smaller. The head is depressed, small, flattened 
in front, with two white grey lines, formed by minute 
hairs, esteuding from the roots of the anteunte past 
the eyes. These are larsje, prominent, brilliant, com- 
pound lenses; about forty-oue thousandths ('040), and 
fifteen ("016) to twenty (-020) thousandths of an incii 
in diameter. 
They are placed more to the side tiian to the front, 
just below the antennae, forty-five ('OiS) thousandths 
above the mouth. They command a very wide field 
of view, the insect practically seeing a'l round at once. 
The antennas are two hundred and fifty (-250) 
thousandths to sixty (-2(50) la Jengtli ; filiform (re- 
sembling apiece of black silk thread;; eleveu-jointed, 
covered witu microscopic hairs incurvt?d and pointed 
at the tip. The first joint is heavic r and stronger 
than the rest; the second lohger; the joints taper 
up towards the head, this being nearly twice the 
diameter of the joint which fits into it. 
The mandibles are forty-four thousandths (•044) 
long, thirty-three thousandths ('OSS) broad at the base, 
very powerful, incurved at the point, which is blunt 
and rounded : each one when dissected out is in 
shape like a boar's head, the snout being curved down; 
they are sparsely covered with bristles. 
The back, of the head is black, polished, and smooth 
with minute, concave, rounded indentations; it is 
free from hair. The pro-thorax is one hundred and 
twenty tbOQsaudtbs (-120) long on the underside one 
nunured and eighty ('180; on the back, one hundred 
auU sixty ('160) in diameter ; it is when dissected out 
utarly spherical, a portion being cut ofi' at one end 
to allow of junction with the head, the other end 
is also sliotd off for attachment to the meso-thorax, 
ll is cuvered with minute yellowish gray hairs more 
partioulstly noticeable on the underside, and is marked 
on the bttoK by three black spots the centre one being 
four to five times the.size of the outei; ones, they are 
jubt the size of these full stops .... 
A pair of short Strong legs spring from the pos- 
tenor portion of the pro^ttoras, they are four tenth,' 
The feet are armed with hooked bifid claws ; the 
femur (thigh), in color black browo, is remarkably 
well developed. The meso-thorax is very short and 
wrdged in between the pro- and meta-thorax giving 
just room for the free attachment of the second 
pair of legs. The meta is in shape ovoid ; on the 
underside from the termination the pro-thorax 1 1 
the anterior extremity of the abdomen is two hundred 
thousandths (-200) of an inch. On the back the meso- 
and meta-thorax are covered by the elytra, when 
the insect is at rest. They are in color black-brown 
under the wings. On the underside they are covered 
with a dark gray down ; two lines one oh each sides 
of a yellowish white color, exteudiog from juat below 
the anterior extremity of the elytra, almost on 
the division line of the pro- and meso-thorax ta 
the second pair of lege, from which it curves back- 
wards over the meta-thorax to the third pair. 
The second pair of legs leave the body at the pos- 
terior portion of the meso-thorax close to the first 
pair, they are four hundred and thirty thousandths 
(•430) long. 
The third pair arising from the posterior portion of 
the metn -thorax, have the femur psrtionlarly well 
developed, it is twenty ('020) in length, and as with the 
second pair, of a light brown color. The total length 
of the leg is six hundred and twenty-five thousandths 
(•625). All the tarsi (feet) are armed with olaws, and 
are black in color ; those of the first pair are hooked, 
those of the second and third straight: this giving the 
beetle great power of holding on and forcing itself 
up against the wood itself it is devouring. The short 
stiff hairs on the limbs eoable the insect to clean itself ; 
the great length and strength of the third pair of legs 
enable it to jump a considerable distance and ae it 
springs off it often unfolds its wings. It seems to be 
all eyes and ears and is as active as a flea and re- 
quires no little skill to catch it. 
The elytra (wing-sheaths) spring from the meso- 
thorax; they are thin homy plates, covering the wings 
proper; they are faur-tenths ("400) of an inch long; 
from shoulder tip to shoulder tip two-tenths ('200) 
broad, tapering gently down down to fifteen one-hun- 
dredths ('150) of an inch at the posterior extremity, 
which is squared off. A spike projects about eight one- 
thousandths (-008) of an inch on the outer extremity of 
each one. The marks on the back of the elytra are a 
bronze color, on a black background. Beginning at the 
anterior extremity they consist of a cross line about 
two one-hundredths (-020) broad extending right across 
the back. It has a small, bright-yellow spot in the 
centre. 
Besting on the outer extremity of this oross line are 
two dashes which with it forms a bracket be- 
tween the horns of which a '^J^ wiib a much curved 
top is inserted. The horns nearly touch the enclosed 
angle at the top of the "^N/^, The bottom of this 
almost rests on the yellow spot in the centre of the 
cross line from this point to the top of the "J^^^ is 
fifteen one-hundredths (-ISO). Posterior to this is a 
shorter •'"^^^^ much flattened and spread out e.t the 
top, which has the point coincident with, but twenty- 
three one-hundredths ('230) from the yellow dot. 
A wedge of bronze color measuring one-tenth (•100) of 
an inch base to apex, completes the marks on the elytra 
the base extends from spike to spike. 
The wiogs when the insect is at rest are carefully 
folded under the elytra ; they are rather square at the 
top, tapering in a beautiful curve to a somewhat 
ronnded point. 
The length from the junction with the bodv to the 
extreme tip is four hundred and forty-eight (•448) 
thousandths of an inch, and the extreme breadth is 
across the top one hundred and fifty-five one-thou- 
sandths (-165). 
They are thin transparent irridcesent colorings . The 
midrib of the wing is very powerful, it ends in a jjlf* 
shaped piece which enables the insect to extend or 
fur the wing at will, it is aided by another powerful 
rib at the anterior extremity. The outer edge is fringed 
with miuute hairs which are also Spread over the 
upperside. 
The abdomen is divided into five segments marked 
^itb lateral yallowieh gsef lioe*, It tbpers oft feutl^ 
