1U 
COLEOPTERA. 
bright metallic-green colour, is another example of this 
family ; it is sometimes taken in the South of England, 
but is not considered indigenous. The Oil-beetles 
(JSleloidce) may also be mentioned ; insects of a singular 
appearance and parasitic habits. They are large, heavy, 
slowly-crawling beetles, but of pretty bluish-black 
colour ; when handled they exude a quantity of yellow 
fluid from their joints. The Elytra are about half the 
length of the bod} 7 , and there are no wings. But it is 
in the development and transformation of the Meloe 
where the greatest wonder and interest are excited. I 
cannot do better than transcribe what Mr. Bye has 
written on the subject. 
The female Meloe deposits from two to four separate 
batches of minute yellow eggs, some thousands at a 
time, though the number di¬ 
minishes with each laying. 
The eggs are glued together 
and deposited in small holes 
in the ground, dug by the 
parent beetle. After an in- 
Meloz (Oil-beetle.) , i r xi x i 
terval of three to six weeks, 
according to the temperature, the young larvae are 
hatched, and are extremely like little pedicuU , or bird- 
lice, being yellow, elongate, parallel, flattened, with 
rather long legs, and four long hairs at the apex of 
the last segment. They appear to remain torpid for 
some time, but when once roused by sufficient warmth, 
exhibit extraordinary activity in traversing low plants, 
chiefly Ranunculacecv or Chicoracecc. From these they 
attach themselves, often in great numbers, to the 
hairy covering of bees as they settle on the flowers of 
