Zoology. 



461 



cient dame, even in these days of enlightenment, are thus described by 

 Mr. Carpenter : — This singular noise proceeds from two different insects. 

 One of these, the Anobium tessellatum,is coleopterous, of a dark colour, and 

 about a quarter of an inch in length. It is chiefly in the latter end of spring it 

 commences its noise, which may be considered analogous to the call of birds. 

 This is caused by beating on hard substances, with the shield or fore-part of 

 its head. The general number of successive distinct strokes is from seven 

 to nine, or eleven. These are given in pretty quick succession, and are re- 

 peated at uncertain intervals. In old houses, where the insects are nume- 

 rous, they may be heard, if the weather be warm, almost every hour in the 

 day. In beating, the insect raises itself upon its hinder legs, and, with the 

 body somewhat inclined, beats its head, with great force and agility, against 

 the place on which it stands. This insect, which is the real death-watch of 

 the vulgar, must not be confounded with a minuter insect, not much unlike 

 a louse, which makes a ticking noise like a watch ; but, instead of beating 

 at intervals, it continues its noise for a considerable length of time without 

 intermission. This latter insect, the Termes pulsatorium Linn., belongs to 

 a very different tribe (Neuroptera). It is usually found in old wood, decayed 

 furniture, museums, and neglected books. The female lays her eggs, which 

 are exceedingly small, in dry dusty places, where they are likely to meet 

 with least disturbance. They are generally hatched about the beginning of 

 March, a little sooner or later, according to the weather. After leaving 

 the eggs, the insects are so small as scarcely to be discerned without the use 

 of a glass. They remain in this larva state about two months, somewhat 

 resembling in appearance the mites in cheese; after which they undergo 

 their change into the perfect insect. They feed on dead flies and other in- 

 sects J and often, from their numbers and voracity, very much deface cabi- 

 nets of natural history. They subsist on various other substances, and may 

 often be observed carefully hunting for nutritious particles amongst the dust 

 in which they are found, turning it over with their heads, and searching 

 about somewhat in the manner of swine. Many live through the winter, 

 buried deep in the dust, to avoid the frost. (Giirs Technological' and 



Mici'oscopical JReposilofy.) 



British Pearls {Mpa marfs^ari.ifera Linn., U^nio elongata Lam. {Jig- 112.) 



— In the old and curious translation of Hector Boetius, by Bellenden (edit. 



Edinb. 1541), the 



following notice 



occurs of British 



pearls : — " In the 



horse mussillis are 



generit perlis. 



Thir mussillis air- 

 lie in the morning 



(when the lift is 



cleir and temper- 

 ate), openis thair 



mouthis a little 



aboue the watter, 



and maist gredelie 



swellis the dew of 



heaven, and eftir the measure of the dew thay swellie, they conceive and 



bredis the perle." 



Suetonius gives, as one reason for Caesar's expedition into Britain, the 



search for pearls, which Pliny {Hist. Nat., ix. 35.) seems to confirm, saymg 



that Julius Csesar gave a breastplate covered with British pearls to Venus 



Genetrix, and hung it in her temple at Rome. Pliny adds, that they were 



small and ill-coloured ; and Tacitus says, " subfusca ac liventia. ' "^'^^ 



H H 3 



The 



