STRIPED DEATH-WATOH BEETLE. 113 



remained within, breaking the shell, and moving restlessly about day 

 after day. Where the egg had been placed naturally by the female 

 beetle, the greater part remained firmly fixed as a protecting cap over 

 the boring of the larva ; the sides of the egg-shell and of the hole in 

 which it was glued apparently giving points of resistance necessary 

 for the support of the grub in beginning its mining operations. If 

 removed and laid on material similar to that bored by a larva under 

 natural circumstances, the removed grub was totally unable to form a 

 home for itself till a little hole was bored for it to start in ; then, 

 having been placed conveniently for its future operations, as, for 

 instance, with its head in the cavity, it at once went onwards, working 

 itself forwards steadily and rapidly. 



" The larva is white, with brown eyes and tips to the mandibles, 

 six short legs, the head somewhat sunk in the preceding segment; the 

 body sparingly sprinkled with long soft hairs, and the tail incurved ; 

 but in the only instance in which I was able to watch a specimen in 

 the act of burrowing, it did not then preserve the incurved form, but 

 stretched itself straight out whilst working." — (E. A. 0., loc. cit., ante.) 



I had not the opportunity of watching the progress of development 

 of the larvse to beetle condition ; but in the chapter on " Wood-boring 

 Beetles," in the useful work quoted below,* it is stated : — " They 

 become a chrysalis in their burrows, enveloping themselves in a silken 

 cocoon, in which are interwoven particles of the dust they make. On 

 emerging from the chrysailis they remain inactive for some time, not 

 coming out of their burrows, and only gradually acquiring their normal 

 colour and consistency." — (E. A. B.) 



The possession of wings is an important item in the power of the 

 beetles in distributing themselves harmfully to our furniture and 

 woodwork ; but when under observation, I found that they feigned 

 death on being alarmed, and were usually sluggish in their habits, 

 though occasionally temporarily brisk and moderately active. 



The ticking noise, somewhat resembling the ticking of a watch, 

 made at times by various of the Anobium beetles, and from which they 

 take the name of Death-watch, is somewhat annoying, and used 

 formerly to be the cause of a good deal of superstitious alarm relatively 

 to its being considered to forbode a death of some member of the 

 household. This noise, however, is not caused by the maggots, but 

 by the beetles, and is considered to be merely a call to their mates 

 given by strokes of the head, or mandibles on the wood, which, after a 

 few repetitions, may be heard replied to, or even (it is recorded), if 

 dexterously imitated, will attract appearance of beetles from the in- 

 fested wood. 



Anobium tessellatum (now Xestobium tessellatum) is distinguishable 



* ' Our Household Insects,' by Edw. A. Butler, p. 7. 



