Saturday, July 24.-Potatoes were planted in the forenoon on a portion of the ground previously ploughed by the Pioneers About noon, President Young, whose delay several days in the mountains was caused by sickness, arrived at the Pioneer encampment on City Creek, accompanied by the brethren who constituted the rear company.

Apostle Wilford Woodruff, in whose carriage President Young was riding at the time they emerged from the moun.

BEETLES, BIG

BEETLES Constitute one of the largest classes of insects; indeed, over a hundred thousand distinct species of beetles are believed to exist. The scientific name for the beetle family is Coleoptera, a word of Greek origin, meaning sheath-winged, and applied to these insects because of the hard and horny nature of the first or

front pair of wings; these are called elytra (singular, elytron). As is usual with most insects, beetles possess each two pairs of wings; but of these Fig. 1. only the hind pair, which are membranous or gauzy, serve as organs of flight, the others being used as a cover or protection.

Among students of insect life, the Coleoptera have ever been in favor, owing to their beauty and diversity in form and color, and to their comparative solidity and the ease with which specimens can be preserved. Beetles show surprising differences in form and size;

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at a time; and before rising, the insect has to inflate its body with air, which it accomplishes by vigorous inhalations through its breathing pores, accompanied by violent agitations of its wings. Cockchafers are destructive insects, both as larvae and as imagos. Sometimes they migrate in immense swarms, devouring all vegetation in their way, and leaving the land barren. It is recorded that in 1574, the insects swarmed in England and fell into the rivers in such numbers as to stop the mills. A hundred years later they darkened the sky in some parts of Ireland.

The male cockchafers usually die early in the summer, the females, however, live till autumn, and deposit their eggs in the ground, burying them from two to four inches deep. The larvae are hatched in five or six weeks, and remain in the ground for many months, in Fig. 5. the case of some species even for years, devouring in the meantime the roots of plants. Figure 2 shows on the left the larva, and on the right the pupa. As pupae, the insects are still: they remain in this stage during a single winter; then, in the succeeding spring the winged beetles emerge and

Fig. 8.

If the body to be buried be found on hard or stony soil, the beetles strive to remove it to a more convenient place; it the ground be suitable, however, they proceed at once. The insects burrow around and under the carcass, projecting the dirt from the hole as they proceed. Sometimes they lower the dead from six to ten inches below the surface of the ground; then they shovel the earth back again, using their stout feet and broad horny heads as tools. The females deposit their eggs in the carcass thus buried so that the larvae, when hatched, will find a good supply of food. The power of discovering the presence of decomposing carcasses is possessed by these beetles in a wonderful degree, oftentimes great numbers of the insects will gather about the body of a bird, mouse, or the like, within a very short time.

Here (figure 6) is represented in two attitudes, the commonest member of the staphylinus class of beetles. These are

all noted for their very small elytra, which suggest the Fig. 9. appearance of a short coat, or waistcoat. The membranous wings, however, are well developed, and as the elytra do not nearly cover them when simply closed, the insect folds them up and tucks them snugly away as soon as it alights. Most of the staphylini when moving upon the ground, elevate the hind part of the body; they have all the power of

Fig. 10.

the water. In the adult form it is amphibious, readily flying from pond to pond; its flight commonly takes place at twilight. Fig. 8 represents the larva of the dytiscus. As larva and as imago this beetle is a voracious creature. It feeds on snails and other small molluscs, tadpoles, and young fish. The pupa stage is passed in the mud at the bottom of the water. On the under side of its body, in the region of the chest, the dytiscus

beetle has a sharp appendage like a spear, directed toward the end of the abdomen. Collectors would do well to beware of this in capturing the beetle, for the insect when seized is apt to move backward, and so wound the holder by driving this pointed appendage into the flesh.

Fig. 11.

A quaint and curious little beetle is that shown in

figure 9; it is

small and comparatively weak, it would seem to be practically at the mercy of more predaceous insects; however, it prossesses a power not shared by other beetles. When attacked, it ejects from the posterior of its body a small quantity of a peculiar liquid, which volatilizes with a slight explosion when thrown into the atmosphere. Mr. Wood, the well-known English entomologist, has given us an amusing description of an attack by a fierce carabus beetle upon the little bombardier (technically called brachinus): Fig. 12. "When the Carabus chases the Brachinus, the latter wait until the former has

nearly reached its prey, and then fires a gun, so to speak, in its face. The effect on the Carabus is ludicrous. The insect seems quite scared at such a repulse, stops, backs away from the tiny blue cloud, and allows its intended Fig. 13. prey to reach a place of safety. Meanwhile, the Carabus, exchanging its rapid advance for a retreat nearly as rapid, throws its antennæ backwards-a movement which is analogous to that of a

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The buprestian beetles, four of which are represented in figure 11, comprise many species. The name is derived from the Greek, meaning "ox-swelling," and so given from the mistaken idea that cattle frequently swallow these beetles with their food, and in consequence, bloat and die. Most of the Buprestidae

Fig. 15.

fly readily, though in walking they seem very clumsy. Many of these insects are of brilliant hues, and it is said that the women of China and of the south of France use them as hair ornaments and as ear drops.

A common and pretty beetle is the little coccinella or lady-bird beetle; figure 12 represents it as larva and as imago.

There are many species of these; most of them red or yellow, with black spots. The sketch shows the seven spotted lady-bird. These beetles render great service to man, killing the aphides or plant lice, which are often so destructive to farm and garden products.

The elaters or spring beetles have the singular power of throwing themselves upward when placed upon their backs, in all cases alighting on their feet. Figure 13 shows the imago and the larva of a large elater, the lightning spring beetle. Though the movements of the beetle when making its leap are too rapid to permit the eye to analyze them, some idea of the way by which the feat is accomplished may be gained from figure 14, which is a side view of a beetle of this kind lying upon his back and ready to spring.

Now let us glance at one of the tropical beetles. The insect sketched in figure 15 is a magnificent example. This is the

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acrocinus, commonly called the harlequin beetle, and, by some people, the capricorn beetle. In color it shows such brilliancy and contrasts, as to suggest the dress of the pantomime clown. The body of the beetle seldom is more than an inch and a half in length, yet this measurement is exceeded by either of the upper two joints of the front legs. Its antennæ are also very highly developed. We will find much of interest in the study of the beetles about us, for their form and habits are of surprising variety; and among them are some of the farmers' best friends, as also many of his most destructive foes.

J. E. Talmage.

He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.

Thou canst not joke an enemy into a friend, but thou may'st a friend into an enemy.

Oh tell me,

dearest mother,

Has night come on again? 'Tis dark around my bedside, To see, I try in vain.

I hear the surging waters

I sense a deathlike gloom, And do these chilly breezes

Salute me from the tomb? Are nights in graveland starless? Won't dawn appear in space? Is rosy-tinted twilight

Ne'er kissed by sunny rays? When the redeemed with singing Shall fill the gloomy mound, Will then the broken silence

With cheerful days abound? When from the silent graveyard

All mists shall disappear, Will then my cheeks be tinged Like yours, my mother dear?

Oh! don't you see that angel,

In purest white arrayed? Across the gloomy gulch, he

A starry bridge has made.

And see, how calm the ocean
Is resting in the cove,
With ripples like the brooklets,
In verdant summer grove.

A glorious light is piercing
The dark and silent cave;

I see the angel placing

A wreath upon a grave.

Oh, loveliest of mothers!

Come kiss my lips once more,
And sing that evening song, which
You oft have sung before;

And breathe it soft and sweetly
As none but you can sing,
Then in my dreams an angel
My soul will comfort bring.
A voice with sweeter cadence

Than yours was not before, 'Twill guide my weary spirit

Beyond the mystic shore.

Your loving cheek, sweet mother, Come press once more to mine, And then good night-to-morrow With God I'm ever thine.