WIRE-WORM. 
ed,—the basal joint stout and subpyriform,—the 
second minute and nearly globose,—the third 
small and obovate,—and the fourth and six fol- 
lowing, produced internally, and obtrigonate, but 
slightly decreasing in diameter to the apical joint, 
which is spindle-shaped. The mouth is pale 
ferruginous, the labrum and tips of mandibles 
piceous. The head is rather broad, and semi- 
orbicular. The eyes are hemispherical; the cly- 
peus forming a sharp projecting shelf over the 
mouth. The thorax is convex, somewhat semio- 
vate, and almost straight before,—the base nearly 
straight also, the angles forming rather narrow 
lobes, and appearing pointed above, but trun- 
cated laterally; there is also a dorsal impression 
broadest at the base, and a short longitudinal 
channel on each side, close to the lobes. The 
pectoral spine is rather long and narrow. The 
scutel is tongue-shaped. The elytra are thrice 
as long as the thorax, but not broader, linear, 
the apex subovate; and they are more finely 
punctured than the thorax, and there are nine 
punctured striz on each. The costal margin is 
gently hollowed towards the base. The wings 
are ample. The legs are moderately long, and 
chestnut coloured. The tarsi are tapering,—the 
basal joint the stoutest, and a little elongated,— 
the fourth small. The claws are minute. This 
species varies in length from 6 to 9 lines, and in 
breadth from 1? to 23. It sometimes abounds in 
corn-fields, and in hedges and grassy places, and 
appears in May, June, and July; but its larve 
live in decaying trees, and probably do little in- 
jury to crops. 
The reddish-brown spitting click-beetle, A g77- 
otes sputator or Hlater sputator, is confounded in 
name with one of the four species whose larve 
are certainly known to be devastating wire- 
worms, and is nearly allied in natural charac- 
teristics to the dusky click-beetle or Cataphagus 
obscurus. It is clothed with short depressed 
ochreous pubescence. The antenne are scarcely 
so long as the thorax, compressed, and pubescent, 
—the basal joint stout,—the second rather longer 
than the third, which is oval,—the remainder 
short and obovate,—the terminal joint elongated, 
—the apex conical. The head and thorax are 
black, shining, and thickly punctured ; the ante- 
rior margin of the latter, and the hinder lobes, 
reddish-brown. The head is somewhat orbicular ; 
the clypeus narrowed. The thorax is longer than 
broad, narrow, oblong, very convex, with a dor- 
sal impression behind, the posterior angles form- 
ing truncated lobes. The scutel is oval, and 
truncated at the base, The elytra are not broader 
than the thorax, and twice as long, nearly linear, 
the apex ovate; and they are somewhat scabrose, 
with nine strize on each, not neatly punctured, 
and deepest at the base,—the costal margin very 
concave towards the base. The wings are ample; 
the under side castaneous-brown. ‘The angles of 
the thorax and the pectoral spine, which is rather 
long and slender, are ferruginous, The legs are 
moderate and slender; feet tapering,—the basal 
joint a little elongated; the claws slender. ‘The 
length of this insect is 3 lines, and the breadth 
1 line. The colour varies considerably, some speci- 
mens being entirely bright ochreous, whilst others 
have the head and thorax partially variegated 
with black. This species abounds in grass fields, 
and feeds in company with the dusky and the 
striped species.. The perfect insects of it occa- 
sionally occur in multitudes in the rejectamenta 
left by floods in the fen districts of England ; and 
in the months of spring and summer, they are 
abundant everywhere. 
The black click-beetle, Athous niger—called by 
Linneus Hater niger—is boat-shaped, shining 
black, finely punctured, and clothed with yellow- 
ish pubescence, which is not depressed. The an- 
tenne are longer than the thorax, compressed, 
tapering, and hairy, the basal joint stout,—the 
second minute and ovate,—the third obtrigonate, 
—the following similar but larger, produced on 
the inside, but decreasing towards the apical 
joint which is fusiform. The head is suborbicu- 
lar; the clypeus forming a projection over the 
trophi. The thorax is twice as broad, oval, very 
convex, the posterior angles not acute, a little 
divaricating; the pectoral lobe not long and ta- 
pering. The scutel is ovate-trigonate. The ely- 
tra are broader than the thorax, elliptical, the 
apex ovate or sub-conical, with nine punctured 
strie on each, most distinct at the base. The 
wings are ample. The legs are not long. The 
thighs are stoutish ; the three basal joints of the 
tarsi cushioned beneath,—the second and third 
dilated,—the fourth minute,—the fifth slender,— 
the claws small. This species is from 5} to 6 
lines long, and from 1? to 2 broad. It is very 
abundant, during May and June, in corn-fields, 
hedges, and meadows; and it is said to live two 
years in thoroughly rotten or highly decomposed 
horse-dung, so that its larve or wire-worms may 
often be conveyed in this kind of manure into 
fields and gardens. 
The margined click-beetle, Dolopius margina- 
tus—called by Linneeus Hlater marginatus and by 
Marsham Later satwralis—is narrow and ellipti- 
cal, shining, testaceous, and clothed with short 
ochreous pubescence. The antennz are longer 
than the head and thorax, slender, compressed, 
fulvous, and pubescent,—the basal joint the 
stoutest and clavate,—the second and third the 
slenderest and elongated,—the fourth and fol- 
lowing stouter and clavate,—the terminal joint 
subfusiform. The head and thorax are thickly 
and strongly punctured; the former obtuse, con- 
vex, and pitchy; the latter longer than broad, 
very convex, piceous, the anterior and posterior 
margins bright ochreous, including the angles, 
which are very acute and slightly divaricating. 
The scutel is subovate. The elytra are linear, 
thrice as long as the thorax, sometimes rather 
broader, attenuated or ovate behind, ochreous or 
reddish brown, with a space down the suture, 
