MEANS OF DEFENCE OF INSECTS. 237 



tiiey sometimes, to show their courage, put themselves 

 in a posture of defence, and even have in view the an- 

 noyance as well as the repelling of their foes. The great 

 rove-beetle {Staphi/linus olens, F.) presents an object 

 sufficiently terrific, when with its large jaws expanded, 

 and its abdomen turned over its head, it menaces its ene- 

 mies like a scorpion, some of which this ferocious atti- 

 tude may deter from attacking it. Mr. Bingley informs 

 us that the giant earwis; (Forfjcala giganlea, F.), a rare 

 species that his researches have added to the catalogue 

 of British insects, turns up its abdomen over its head 

 in a similar manner, which being armed at the end with 

 a large forceps must give it an appearance still more 

 alarming''. 



The caterpillars of some hawk-moths (SpJiinj^, L.), 

 particularly that which feeds upon the privet, when 

 they repose, holding strongly with their prolegs the 

 branch on which they are standing, rear the anterior 

 part of their body so as to form nearly a right angle 

 with the posterior ; and in this position it will remain 

 perfectly tranquil, — thus eluding tiie notice of its ene- 

 mies, or alarming them, — perhaps for hours. Ileau- 

 mur relates that a gardener in the employment of the 

 celebrated Jussieu used to be quite disconcerted by tlie 

 self-sufficient air of these animals, saying they must be 

 very proud, for he had never seen any other caterpil- 

 lars hold their head so high''. From this attitude, 

 which precisely resembles that which sculptors ha\e 

 assigned to the fabulous monster called by tluit name, 

 the term Spliinx has been used to designate this genus 

 of insects. — The caterpillar of a moth noticed by the 



' Plate I. Fig. 7. Linn. Tram. \. 'W.— '' IJoaum. ii. 253. 



