THE SUBSTITUTE. 
203 
These divisions are thirteen in 
number, and are themselves capa- 
ble of being split up into subclivi- 
>sions, sometimes tolerably defined, 
■so great is the diversity of species 
in this complicated genus. Among 
'.the groups which deserve most at- 
itention, I would especially cite 
the third. Entirely composed of 
■species from New Holland, which, 
by their simply pubescent an- 
:tennai, their llattened and very 
-.smooth thorax, their hairy and 
broad tibite, the anterior com- 
pletely devoid of spines, and 
finally the protruding ovipositor 
of certain females, will probably 
■some day be made to constitute a 
distinct genus, when the materials 
for its erection shall be more nu- 
iinerous. 
The group 11, or Spalotis of 
’•M. Boisduval, has certainly also a 
■peculiar aspect, but when I 
'Wanted to find real characters to 
tmake it recognised, I could not 
ifind a single one that was not 
rcomraon to some other species of 
Agrotis. That would have been 
;Bven more difficult for my 12th 
.group, which constitutes the ge- 
nius Chersolis of the same author. 
i'Finally, his genus Opigena of 
'.the group 13tb, though founded 
on more positive organic differ- 
1 3nces, has too much affinity with 
'.this same group 12, to be sepa- 
rated from it without inconve- 
: aience. 
The larvte of the true Agrotes 
ire recognised at a glance: 
>-miooth, thick, the skin shining 
, ind of dirty colours, furnished 
"rvith shining spots, raised and as 
tlhough varnished, with the plates 
' if the neck and anus equally 
skinning, and of a very horny con- 
ssistence : they resemble maggots 
or larvae of insects very unlike 
Lepidoptera. Their mode of life 
is also very peculiar; they are not 
content with hiding by day under 
the low plants, but they literally 
bury themselves in the earth 
among the roots, and when night 
arrives they often only project 
from this tomb the anterior por- 
tion of their body, strictly neces- 
sary to reach their food. It is to 
them especially that what I have 
said in the ghieralile of the 
family applies. Several of them 
are very injurious, especially on 
account of their numbers, and 
particularly exclamalionis, sege- 
tum, valligera, Tritici, aquilina, 
obelisca, ike. One thing which 
happily diminishes their mischief 
is, that they attack almost indif- 
ferently all low plants, so that 
Plantago, Alsine, Rumex, Taraxa- 
cum, and the useless grasses sup- 
port the greater number. Never- 
theless they are very dangerous 
guests in our gardens. It even 
appears that in certain circum- 
stances they attack plants of totally 
different families, and do not dis- 
dain to climb l>y night up woody 
plants. M. Treitschke speaks of 
ravages caused in 1833 and 1834 
on tlie vines in the neighbourhood 
of Vienna by larvae of aquilina, 
which devoured the leaves, the 
the flowers, and the buds : hut I 
have myself seen rose trees at- 
tacked by the larvae of segetum. 
[To be continued.] 
Now ready, price 3s. 6d., 
T he world of insects; 
A Guide to its Wonders. 
By J. W. Douglas, 
John Van Voorst, Paternoster 
Row. 
