38 
either together or with other insects in the collecting bottle; a 
great number of them were carrion feeders, and were found in the 
bodies of small dead animals; others were found in rotten fungi 
and decaying vegetable matter; a few under bark, in flowers, or 
parasite upon Hymenopterous insects, &c. One of the families of 
this section (the Oxypoda) is found in the nest of a certain species 
of ants. It is rather a curious fact that ants, which show such 
antipathy to intruders in their homes, as well as their being some- 
what carniverous in their habits, should allow many of the beetle 
tribe to live with them and have the run of their nests. An- 
other family, known as the Bacon Beetle, are great ravagers, 
and on being frightened retract their limbs and counterfeit 
death. Another family, the SBythride, are conspicuous 
from their faculty of packing their limbs; and the last one noticed 
in the section was Hydrans-piecus, often seen in aquaria, and is 
perhaps, the largest British beetle known. Passing on to the next 
section, the Chafers, Mr. Taylor said this section was divided into 
ten families. Of these he mentioned the common Rose Beetle, the 
June Bug, the common Cockchafer, the habits of the larva of which 
he said were unfortunately too well known ; the Clock of Dumble- 
dor, so-called from their rolling up pellets of the excrement of 
animals in which they had deposited their eggs; the Coprede, to 
which belouged the sacred beetle of the Egyptians ; and the well- 
known Stag Beetle, which was very common in the South of 
England, but very seldom seen in the North. Among the section 
Sternoxi are to be found many interesting species. Amongst 
others, Mr. Taylor mentioned the Elateride, which are sometimes 
called ‘‘ skip-jacks ”’ or ‘‘ click beetles,” for their powers of jumping 
when placed on their backs. Having described the mode by which 
this jumping was effected by the insect, Mr. Taylor passed on to 
the next section—Malacodermi, which he said was divided into 15 
families, one of the most prominent being the Lampyridz, genus 
Lampyris, the female of which is the common Glow-worm. Another 
family was the Byturide, genus Byturus, the larva of which was 
found in the fruit of the blackberry, raspberry, &c. In another 
family, Ano-bride, is the cylindrical little Ptilinus Pecticornis, 
whose neat round drills may be frequently observed in old willows. 
This species is noteworthy for the beautiful fan-like structure of 
its antenne in the male. In the next section, Heteromera, con- 
taining 20 families, among the best known are the Cellar, or 
Churchyard Beetle, the Mealworm, the Cardinal (the elytra of which 
are exceedingly beautiful), the Oil Beetle, and the Spanish Fly, or 
Blister Beetle. Of the next section, the Rhynocophora, or 
Weevils, Mr. Taylor said he possessed more species than. any 
other section, and so beautiful were they, that to his mind they 
were, one and all, fit objects for microscopical examination and study. 
