58 
the naturalists’ journal. 
of which are known commonly as the Earth flea-beetles. They 
are small in size as a rule, and have the power of taking long 
leaps aided by a pair of thick hind-legs ; hence their synonym. 
The size of the majority is about a line, and the largest of them 
scarcely exceeds a couple of lines. They will be noticed in the 
spring on old walls, etc., where they appear in considerable 
numbers previous to commencing their ravages on various culin¬ 
ary vegetables, the cabbage in particular. The eggs are laid on 
a leaf and this, directly they hatch, is tunnelled by the minute 
larvae. Enclosed between the two epiderms of the leaf they 
devour the succulent cellular tissue and leave the leaf useless and 
dry. They undergo their metamorphoses at the end of a tunnel, 
A. Antliomyia brassicce (mag.) B. Aphis brassicos , female (mag.) 
C. Haltica consobrina, blue cabbage flea or beetle (mag.) 
D. Pupa of ditto (mag.) 
changing first into a little pupa, afterwards into the perfect vora¬ 
cious beetle of an equally small size, the greater number being 
of a shining green colour, with sometimes a brown or yellowish 
tinge. Glancing at the insignificant appearance of the insect, 
one would scarcely be inclined to believe it capable of such 
destructive work as our larval cabbage butterfly delights in. It is 
the immense number of them however that makes the task so 
easy, and as they will often completely riddle a cabbage with 
holes, a quicker way of hastening its destruction than biting the 
edge of the leaf, we can form some idea what enemies they are 
to this and other kindred plants. 
