ORDER I.——BEETLES. AT 
from beneath, as if to examine the position and progress of 
the dead body ; then, creeping under it again, the work re- 
commences in concert. After about three hours of hard 
labor, the body—for instance, that of a frog—is so far bur- 
ied that it can not be seen from the surface of the ground. 
They then continue their labors in this manner for several 
days, until the carrion is sunk about a foot in the ground, 
and this they do probably in order to prevent the Meat-fly 
from depositing her eggs upon it. 
The female Grave-digger deposits in the carrion about 
thirty eggs, which are white, cylindrical, and have a short 
filament at each extremity. ‘These are hatched in about 
two weeks, and the larve proceeding from them attain their 
full growth after four weeks more. At this period they 
quit the dead body, go deeper into the ground, and form 
their cocoons, from which, after about four weeks, they is- 
sue as perfect Beetles. 
The immortal Rosel, in his “ Jnsecten Belustigung’” 
(Amusements with Insects), 1748-1761, has made some 
very interesting and profound observations with regard to 
this insect, which all would be pleased to hear, but which 
our limits forbid us to relate. 
We proceed, then, to the third natural family of the 
Coleoptera. 
Herbivorous Beetles, or Plant Eaters. 
The Herbivorous Beetles are all provided with a horny 
skin and very hard wing-covers. Both as grubs and as 
perfect Beetles they feed on vegetable substances. Some 
on green wood, as the Spring and Capricorn Beetles; some 
on fruit and seeds, as the different kinds of Weevils or 
Snout Beetles; and others on leaves, as the Cucumber 
Beetle. 
As these insects infringe the privileged prerogatives of 
man, who, like every kingly despot, imagines that every 
