From the eggs are hatched, in the space of fourteen days, little whitish grubs, each provided with six legs near the head, and a mouth furnished with strong jaws. When in a state of rest, these grubs usually curl themselves in the shape of a crescent. They subsist on the tender roots of various plants, committing ravages among these vegetable substances, on some occasions of the most deplorable kind, so as totally to disappoint the best founded hopes of the husbandman. During the summer they live under the thin coat of vegetable mould near the surface, but, as winter approaches, they descend below the reach of frost, and remain torpid until the succeeding spring, at which time they change their skins, and reascend to the surface for food. At the close of their third summer (or, as some say, of the fourth or fifth), they cease eating, and penetrate about two feet deep into the earth; there, by its motions from side to side, each grub forms an oval cavity, which is lined by some glutinous substance thrown from its mouth. In this cavity it is changed to a pupa by casting off its skin. In this state, the legs, antennæ, and wing-cases of the future beetle are visible through the transparent skin which envelopes them, but appear of a yellowish-white color; and thus it remains until the month of February, when the thin film which encloses the body is rent, and three months afterwards the perfected beetle digs its way to the surface, from which it finally emerges during the night. According to Kirby and Spence, the grubs of the cockchafer sometimes destroy whole acres of grass by feeding on its roots. They undermine the richest meadows, and so loosen the turf that it will roll up as if cut by a turfing spade. They do not confine themselves to grass, but eat the roots of wheat, of other grains, and also those of young trees. About seventy years ago, a farmer near Norwich, in England, suffered much by them, and, with his man, gathered eighty bushels of the beetles. In the year 1785 many provinces in France were so ravaged by them, that a premium was offered by government for the best mode of destroying them. The Society of Arts in London, during many years, held forth a premium for the best account of this insect, and the means of checking its ravages, but without having produced one successful claimant.

In their winged state, these beetles, with several other species, act as conspicuous a part in injuring the trees, as the grubs do in destroying the herbage. During the month of May they come forth from the ground, whence they have received the name of May-bugs, or May-beetles. They pass the greater part of the day upon trees, clinging to the undersides of the leaves, in a state of repose. As soon as evening approaches, they begin to buzz about among the branches, and continue on the wing till towards midnight. In their droning flight they move very irregularly, darting hither and thither with an uncertain aim, hitting against objects in their way with a force that often causes them to fall to the ground. They frequently enter houses in the night, apparently attracted, as well as dazzled and bewildered, by the lights. Their vagaries, in which, without having the power to harm, they seem to threaten an attack, have caused them to be called dors, that is darers; while their seeming blindness and stupidity have become proverbial, in the expressions, "blind as a beetle," and "beetle-headed." Besides the leaves of fruit-trees, they devour those of various forest-trees and shrubs, with an avidity not much less than that of the locust, so that, in certain seasons, and in particular districts, they become an oppressive scourge, and the source of much misery to the inhabitants. Mouffet relates that, in the year 1574, such a number of them fell into the river Severn, as to stop the wheels of the water-mills; and, in the Philosophical Transactions, it is stated, that in the year 1688 they filled the hedges and trees of Galway, in such infinite numbers, as to cling to each other like bees when swarming; and, when on the wing, darkened the air, annoyed travellers, and produced a sound like distant drums. In a short time, the leaves of all the trees, for some miles round, were so totally consumed by them, that at midsummer the country wore the aspect of the depth of winter.

Another chafer, Anomala vitis F. is sometimes exceedingly injurious to the vine. It prevails in certain provinces of France, where it strips the vines of their leaves, and also devours those of the willow, poplar, and fruit-trees.

a

The animals and birds appointed to check the ravages of these insects, are, according to Latreille, the badger, weasel, martin, bats, rats, the common dung-hill fowl, and the goatsucker or night-hawk. To this list may be added the common crow, which devours not only the perfect insects, but their larvæ, for which purpose it is often observed to follow the plough. In "Anderson's Recreations" it is stated, that " cautious observer, having found a nest of five young jays, remarked, that each of these birds, while yet very young, consumed at least fifteen of these full-sized grubs in one day, and of course would require many more of a smaller size. Say that, on an average of sizes, they consumed twenty a-piece, these for the five make one hundred. Each of the parents consume say fifty; so that the pair and family devour two hundred every day. This, in three months, amounts to twenty thousand in one season. But as the grub continues in that state four seasons, this single pair, with their family alone, without reckoning their descendants after the first year, would destroy eighty thousand grubs. Let us suppose that the half, namely, forty thousand, are females, and it is known that they usually lay about two hundred eggs each, it will appear, that no less than eight millions have been destroyed, or prevented from being hatched, by the labors of a single family of jays. It is by reasoning in this way, that we learn to know of what importance it is to attend to the economy of nature, and to be cautious how we derange it by our short-sighted and futile operations." Our own country abounds with insect-eating beasts and birds, and without doubt the more than abundant Melolonthæ form a portion of their nourishment.

We have several Melolonthians whose injuries in the perfect and grub state approach to those of the European cockchafer. Phyllophaga* quercina of Knoch, the May-beetle, as it is gencrally called here, is our common species. It is of a chestnutbrown color, smooth, but finely punctured, that is, covered with little impressed dots, as if pricked with the point of a needle;

* A genus proposed by me in 1826. It signifies leaf-cater. Dejean subsequently called this genus Ancylonycha.

each wing-case has two or three slightly elevated longitudinal lines; the breast is clothed with yellowish down. The knob of its antennæ contains only three leaf-like joints. Its average length is nine tenths of an inch. In its perfect state it feeds on the leaves of trees, particularly on those of the cherry-tree. It flies with a humming noise in the night, from the middle of May to the end of June, and frequently enters houses, attracted oy the light. In the course of the spring, these beetles are often thrown from the earth by the spade and plough, in various states of maturity, some being soft and nearly white, their superabundant juices not having evaporated, while others exhibit the true color and texture of the perfect insect. The grubs devour the roots of grass and of other plants, and in many places the turf may be turned up like a carpet in consequence of the destruction of the roots. The grub is a white worm with a brownish head, and, when fully grown, is nearly as thick as the little finger. It is eaten greedily by crows and fowls. The beetles are devoured by the skunk, whose beneficial foraging is detected in our gardens by its abundant excrement filled with the wing-cases of these insects. A writer in the "New York Evening Post" says, that the beetles, which frequently commit serious ravages on fruit-trees, may be effectually exterminated by shaking them from the trees every evening. In this way two pailfuls of beetles were collected on the first experiment; the number caught regularly decreased until the fifth evening, when only two beetles were to be found. The best time, however, for shaking trees on which the May-beetles are lodged, is in the morning, when the insects do not attempt to fly. They are most easily collected in a cloth spread under the trees to receive them when they fall, after which they should be thrown into boiling water, to kill them, and may then be given as food to swine.

* There is a grub, somewhat resembling this, which is frequently found under old manure heaps, and is commonly called muck-worm. It differs, however, in some respects, from that of the May-beetle, or dor-bug, and is transformed to a dung-beetle called Scarabæus relictus by Mr. Say.

There is an undescribed kind of Phyllophaga, or leaf-eater, called, in my Catalogue of the Insects of Massachusetts, fraterna, because it is nearly akin to the quercina, in general appearance. It differs from the latter, however, in being smaller, and more slender; the punctures on its thorax and wing-covers are not so distinct, and the three elevated lines on the latter are hardly visible. It measures thirteen twentieths of an inch in length. This beetle may be seen in the latter part of June and the beginning of July. Its habits are similar to those of the more abundant May-beetle or dor-bug.

Another common Phyllophaga has been described by Knoch and Say, under the name of hirticula, meaning a little hairy. It is of a bay-brown color, the punctures on the thorax are larger and more distinct than in the quercina, and on each wing-cover are three longitudinal rows of short yellowish hairs. It measures about seven tenths of an inch in length. Its time of appearance is in June and July.

In some parts of Massachusetts the Phyllophaga Georgicana of Gyllenhall, or Georgian leaf-eater, takes the place of the quercina. It is extremely common, during May and June, in Cambridge, where the other species is rarely seen. It is of a bay-brown color, entirely covered on the upper side with very short yellowish gray hairs, and measures seven tenths of an inch, or more, in length.

Phyllophaga pilosicollis of Knoch, or the hairy-necked leafeater, is a small chafer, of an ochre-yellow color, with a very hairy thorax. It is often thrown out of the ground by the spade, early in the spring; but it does not voluntarily come forth till the middle of May. It measures half an inch in length.

Hentz's Melolontha variolosa, or scarred Melolontha, differs essentially from the foregoing beetles in the structure of its antennæ, the knob of which consists of seven narrow strap

* In order to save unnecessary repetitions, it may be well to state, that the Catalogue, above named, to which frequent reference will be made in the course of this treatise, was drawn up by me, and was published in Professor Hitchcock's Report on the Geology, Mineralogy, Botany, and Zoology of Massachusetts, and that two editions of it appeared with the Report, the first in 1833, and the second, with numerous additions, in 1835.