DEVIL'S COACH-HORSE. 77 



different objects, namely, a carrot or parsnip, and a sort of 

 Beetle that gives out an unpleasant odovir. As, however, the 

 insect in question was said to walk about with its tail in the 

 air, entomologists have considered that the term was applied 

 to some of the Brachelytra, and, rightly or wrongly, the name 

 has been accepted by entomologists of all countries. The 

 speciiic name ccesai^eus, given to this insect, is in allusion to its 

 colour, which resembles the ' clotted-blood ' purple of Caesar's 

 imperial mantle. 



There is another insect, which is found in the northern part 

 of England, and which very much resembles this species. It 

 is the Staphi/linus erythropterus, or Kuddy- winged Eove Beetle, 

 and may be distinguished by the fact that the scutellum is 

 covered with gold-coloured hair. The Beetle is tolerably com- 

 mon, and in the summer-time may often be seen on the wing, 

 when it looks something like a reddish, long-bodied bee. It is 

 fond of settling on gravel walks which are exposed to the 

 heat of the sunbeams, partly for the sake of the warmth, and 

 partly because the colour of the gravel harmonises with the 

 ruddy hue of its body. 



Six species of this genus inhabit England. The genus is 

 distinguished by having the whole of the body nearly smooth, 

 the thorax squared, and the antennae slendei- 



Now comes an insect that is very familiar to us, the Devil's 

 CoACir-noRSE, as it is popularly and fancifully called. Its 

 scientific name is Ocypus olens, and it may be recognised by a 

 glance at Fig. 2 on Plate IV., where it is represented in the 

 attitude which it assumes when annoyed or when thinking 

 itself in danger. 



I really think that this is the very ugliest insect in England. 

 It is scarcely so repulsive as the cockroach, its wonderful 

 courage and spirit being redeeming points, but it is so very 

 hideous, that the popular name exactly expresses its appear- 

 ance. Its colour is dull, dead black, its eyes, which scarcely 

 project from the head, have a cold, cruel look about them, and 

 its tail, when raised menacingly like that of a scorpion, pro- 

 trudes two yellow vesicles at the tip, from which emanates the 

 horrible odour that has been already mentioned. Sometimes 

 it finds its way into cellars and larders, if tbey be wholJy or 



