122 
COLEOPTERA. 
and concealed under, or deeply sunk into, the thorax. The 
legs are very short, and hardly seen from above. These 
insects are often gayly colored or spotted, wliich increases 
their resemblance to a tortoise; they creep slowly, and fly 
by day. Their larvse and pupas resemble those of the 
following species in most respects. 
Cassida auriclialcea (Plate I. Fig. 5), so named by Fabri- 
cius on account of the brilliant- brassy or golden lustre it 
assumes, is found during most of the summer months on 
the leaves of the bitter-sweet QSolanum dulcamara)^ and in 
great abundance on various kinds of Convolvulus, such as our 
large-flowered Convolvalm sepium^ the morning-glory, and 
the sweet-potato vine. The leaves of these plants are eaten 
both by the beetles and their young. The former begin to 
appear during the months of ]\Iay and June, having probably 
survived the winter in some place of shelter and concealment, 
and their larvju in a week or two afterwards. The larvae 
are broad oval, flattened, dark-colored grubs 
(Fig. 55), with a kind of fringe, composed of 
stiff prickles, around the thin edges of the 
body, and a long forked tail. This fork serves 
to hold the excrement when voided ; and a 
mass of it half as large as the body of the 
insect is often thus accumulated. The tail, 
with the loaded fork, is turned over the back, 
and thus protects the insect from the sun, and probably also 
from its enemies. The first broods of larvae arrive at their 
growth and change to pupae early in July, fixing themselves 
firmly by the hinder part of their bodies to the leaves, when 
this change is about to take place. The pupa remains 
fastened to the cast-skin of the larva. It is broad oval, 
fringed at the sides, and around the fore part of the broad 
thorax, with large prickles. Soon afterwards the beetles 
come forth, and lay their eggs for a second brood of grubs, 
which, in turn, are changed to beetles in the course of the 
autumn. In June, 1824, the late Mr. John Lowell sent me 
