390 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



The jaws of the 



that their muscular power was not sufficient to inflict any pain, 

 female are quite small in comparison. 



Until naturalists have devoted more attention to the habits of the great horn- 

 bearing beetles of other countries, which may throw some light on the uses of these 

 outgrowths, we are compelled to regard them as being merely sexual adornments 

 for the purpose of gratifying the aesthetic sense of their females. One might easily 

 imagine that our native typhaeus beetle ^ by rotating its body on the short central 

 horn marked out the circumference of its tunnel with the two side horns ; but 

 . we are not aware of any observa- 



tions that would justify such an 

 explanation of their existence. 



The Old Lady. 



Manv butterflies and moths 

 are the bearers of remarkable names, 

 and it is not always an easy matter 

 to guess how these names were 

 suggested. In some cases the reason 

 for the name is obvious in some 

 conspicuous mark or colour, or in 

 some habit of the Insect. Old 

 lady, however, appears at first sight 

 to need some special explanation as 

 the name for a moth. Yet, if one 

 comes u]3on this species in the day- 

 time with the fore-wings closed over 

 the hinder pair, as shown in our 

 photograph, and the observer is old 

 enough to remember the fashions 

 of mid-Victorian days, he will get 

 an idea. There is the upper part 

 of the lady of those da^^s who had 

 passed middle age, and covered 

 shoulders with a 

 scalloped along 

 and the scallops 

 bordered and fringed. This must 



have been the origin of the present name. At an earlier date the moth was referred 



to in books as the great brown bar, in allusion to the broad band that crosses the 



wings from front to back ; and later as old maid. 



A singular trait of this rather large moth - is its liking for houses. Many moths 



are attracted into open windows at night owing to the rooms being lighted up ; 



but the old lady rather comes in during the day in order to find an obscure corner 



where she may rest. There she may be seen day after day for a week or more ; 



but it must not be assumed that she does not fly during this time. There is reason 



1 Geotrupes typhaeus. 2 Mormo maura. 



[£. Step, F.L.S. 



Photo by] 



Typhous Beetle. 



One of the dung-beetles or scarabs. It sinks deep pits in tlieeartli, inwhicli 

 it stores rabbit dung for the food of itself and its grubs. Only the male 

 is adorned with the three spines, which are not head ornaments but 

 outgrowths from the fore-body. The photograph is four times the natural 

 size. 



her back and 

 fiounced cape, 

 the lower edge, 



