THE COCK-TAIL BEETLE. 95 



endued with some fluid of an exceedingly disagreeable 

 odonr^ which may probably often prevent his being 

 destroyed by insectivorous animals. 



As might be expected from his ferocious appear- 

 ance^ his activity, and the formidable weapons with 

 which he is armed, the Ocypus olens is by no means 

 a peaceful member of the entomological common- 

 wealth ; on the contrary, he is one of the most terrible 

 tyrants over his weaker brethren that can well be 

 conceived. His exploits are generally performed in 

 the dark, but nevertheless he may often be seen in 

 the daytime, prowling stealthily amongst the herbage^ 

 and occasionally making a dash upon some unfortu- 

 nate fly, or other small insect, reposing quietly after 

 its gambols in the air. In all its habits, in fact, this 

 beetle exhibits a close resemblance to the larger Geo- 

 dephaga, and this extends even to the structure of its 

 mouth, for the outer lobe of the maxillae forms a 

 jointed palpiform organ, very similar to that which 

 occurs in the true carnivorous ground beetles. 



In point of fact we may regard the Ocypus olens 

 as, for its size, one of the fiercest and most predatory 

 of created beings, and this is equally true both of the 

 perfect insect and the larva. The latter exhibits a 

 great similarity in form to its parent, — it is an elon- 

 gated black creature, with the head and three first 

 segments of the body scaly, and the remainder rather 

 fleshy in their texture; the thoracic segments are 

 provided with six well-developed legs, whilst the large 

 rounded head is armed with a pair of mandibles as 

 formidable as those of the perfect beetle. Its habits 

 appear to present a combination of those of the larvae 

 of the Cicindelce and Carabi ; during the day it is said 

 to remain in a tubular burrow, lying in wait to capture 



