106 OPEN MURDERERS. 



our figure of a city, we have spoken of various deeds of dark- 

 ness as being also in constant committal within its precincts. 

 Here, indeed, there are, strictly speaking, no evil doings, 

 because each society and each individual is acting under in- 

 stinctive, in other words, Divine guidance overruling all to 

 general good. But though ordered to this end, and free, in 

 themselves, from stain of moral guilt, there are not wanting, in 

 our city of the oak, deeds dark enough in outward seeming 

 murderous treacherous revolting, such as serve to sym- 

 bolize proceedings much too parallel in the communities of 

 man. Where, amongst these, do the weak escape the ravages 

 of the strong ? and, amongst the tribes of an oak, numerous are 

 the helpless which are for ever falling a prey to the powerful. 

 Carnivorous ground beetles are climbing, by day and night, up 

 the rugged sides of the tree, to devour the helpless caterpillars 

 which abound thereon. Of these destroyers, some are dark and 

 grim of aspect (such as the Devil's Coach-horse"*), but there are 

 some of them beautiful as ferocious : one a very demon of 

 destructiveness, with channelled armour, resplendent in green 

 and gold clad, in the phrase of the poet, even as 



" A mailed angel on a battle day." 



But an angel verily of darkness, for ever engaged in attack and 

 slaughter of the defenceless and unarmed. 



This brilliant destroyer is the Calosama Sycophanta, a beetle 

 rarely seen in England ; but a species smaller and darker, the 



Calosama Inquisitor an insect also of no little beauty is not 



* Hose Beetle (Sta/phylinus.) 



