ODOUR OF THE BLAPS. 179 



with a little asafletida and any other odour which the reader may 

 happen to dislike ; and as it clings very tightly, and is not 

 easily abolished, even by several washings, the Blaps is an insect 

 to be let alone, especially as it does no harm. 



The present species is found in the country through which the 

 White Nile flows. Its colour is dull black, but when it is illu- 

 minated by a side light a slight wash of purple is perceptible. 

 The whole surface is very flnely punctured. In appearance it 

 differs little from our own species, except that the elytra — instead 

 of being brought to a single sharp point, from which the Beetle 

 has derived its specific name of mucronata, or " dagger-shaped," 

 — diverge from each other at the ends, which are prolonged 

 into two rather long points. 



In Mouffet's "Theatre of Insects" there is a quaint account of 

 the Blaps, in which the author takes for granted that the insects 

 are quite as disagreealjle to each other as to mankind, and are 

 perfectly aware of the fact : — 



" It is of a pure black glistening colour, very slow-paced, as no 

 creature the like, the body so framed and ordered that you would 

 swear it were winged and had sheath-wings ; nevertheless none 

 of them have any wings, no, not the male itself amongst this 

 sort of them (whatever Pliny dreameth to the contrary). 



" It hath thin slender long shanks ; remains in deep cellars ; 

 it creepeth very slowly, but at the least glimpse of light and 

 whisper of talk, she hides herself; a shamefac't creature, cer- 

 tainly, and most impatient of light, not so much- for its ill- 

 favouredness, but the guiltiness of its conscience in regard ot 

 the stinke it leaves behind it, and of its ill behaviour, for it 

 frequents base places, and digs through other men's wals, and 

 doth not only annoy those that stand near it, but oli'euds all the 

 place thereabouts with its filthy savour. The mouth of it is 

 forked, the back covered (as it were) with a sheath- wing ; so soli- 

 tary a creature that you shall scarce find two of them together." 



It is rather remarkable that Mouffet, though he persistently 

 calls the insect which he is describing a "'Blat," and is good enough 

 to place it among the Moths, gives a really fair figure of the 

 Blaps and a very good description of the insect. Alluding to 

 tlie then popular notion that the nnperial purple dye (which was 

 kept a ]>rofound secret by the few dyers who knew how to 

 N 2 



