HEBCCLES BEETIE. 



THE GREAT STAG-BEETLE. 47 J 



times known, bj means of their jaws, to carry burning coals into 



the houses; 

 and that, in 

 con-sequence 

 of this, dread- 

 ful fires havo 

 been occasion- 

 ed. 



It is a sing- 

 u 1 a r circum- 

 stance respect- 

 i n g t ii e 8 e 

 insects, that 



1 have frequently found several of their heads near together, and 

 alive, while the trunks and abdomens were nowhere to be seen; some- 

 times only the abdomens were gone, and the neads and trunks were left. 

 How this takes place, I never could discover. An intimate and intelli- 

 gent friend of mine supposes, however, thai it must have been in conse- 



qence of severe battles which at times 

 take place among these, the fiercest of 

 the insect tribes: but their mouths not 

 seeming formed for animal food, he is 

 at a loss to conjecture what becomes 

 of the abdomens. They do not fly until 

 most of the birds have retired to rest; 

 and indeed, if we were to suppose that 

 any of these devoured them, it would 

 be difl&cult to say why the heads or trunks should alone be rejected. 



RHINOOBBOUB BKETUS. 



STAG BEETLE. 



The females deposit their eggs in decayed or worm-eaten trees. The 

 larvae, which are round and whitish, with rust-colored head and leo-s, 

 are nourished under the bark. In this state they pass six years. When 

 about to undergo their change into a chrysalis, each insect forms a hard 

 and solid ball, of the form of an egg, and sometimes as large as the 

 hand. When the perfect insect issues forth, it is at fit-st quite^'soft. 



