THE “SKIPJACKS” AND THEIR ALLIES. 165 
wifcli a projection, which in Agrilus is prolonged into 
two horny toothed lateral pieces. In the larva of 
Trachys, however, the head is not sunk in the thorax, 
and has a kidney-shaped eye on each side ; there 
are six widely separated two-jointed legs; and the 
body rapidly contracts behind, each of its segments 
being moreover separated from its neighbours by 
deep incisions, and furnished with an upper and 
lower horny shield, and two lateral fringed tuber- 
cles. 
They feed either in solid wood (especially of dead 
or decaying trees), or under or in the bark. Agrilust 
biguttatus, our largest indigenous species (Plate 
VIII., Pig. 5), may be taken in all its stages at 
Darenth Wood at the end of June : its larvae work 
sinuous galleries in the damp bark of large oak stumps 
in open cuttings, that have been left for about two 
years in the ground, and turn to pupae in cells between 
the outer and inner layers ; the perfect insect remain- 
ing quiescent therein for some time. This species, in 
common with all the Buprestidw, flies during the hot 
sunshine ; and, on the least alarm, packs its limbs 
tight to its body, simulates death, and rolls to the 
ground. The very rare and lovely emerald Anthaxia 
has a similar provoking habit of vanishing from its 
resting-place in the flowers of Hieracium and Ramin- 
culus ficaria in the New Forest, when approached by 
the collector. 
The species of Trachys found on sallows, in moss, 
&c., are very small, triangular, thick, and wiry- 
legged. 
The family Throscid.e has been by several 
authors classed with the Bucnomida, but appears to 
