three Paussi. 135 



thirty minutes had elapsed, the Paussi did not avail 

 themselves of their helpless state to devour or injure 

 them. I have several times repeated this experiment. 



I have never seen the Paussus crepitate when attacked 

 and forced to run away hy the workers, hut if touched at 

 the same time with a straw or with the hand, it would 

 give out a series of very audible explosions ; its antennae, 

 prothorax, and elytra suddenly became covered with a 

 yellowish substance, turning almost immediately into a 

 yellow powder, and which is so adhesive that if the 

 Paussus at that time was thrown on his back, it adhered 

 for a short time to the glass. It would then right 

 himself by the aid of one of its antennae acting as a 

 lever. These explosions leave on the fingers a stain 

 very much like that produced by an application of lunar 

 caustic, that will last several days in spite of repeated 

 washings. 



The beetle was always in a torpid state when I dis- 

 covered it, and as soon as touched walked at a slow pace, 

 crepitating all the while, and trusting apparently to its 

 artillery for protection. I think that it is of crepuscular 

 habits rather than nocturnal ; for, if I examined my box 

 at night, I always found it in its torpid state, but a short 

 time after the appearance of the light it began to move 

 about. However, the first P. lineatus I possessed was 

 caught in the middle of a very hot day by a boy, who, 

 feeling on his neck something that he said " stung him," 

 seized the insect. It did not occur to me at the time to 

 examine the spot, but I have no doubt that it was the 

 discharge of the insect that caused the smarting pain 

 the lad complained of. 



The copulating process is rather singular. The male 

 fixes his mandibles in the prothoracic excavation of the 

 female, and, with his hind legs, brings the anal segment 

 of the female towards him, apparently with great diffi- 

 culty and labour ; in order to strengthen himself, he 

 has his antennae passed under hers. I have seen males 

 carried on the backs of females for twenty-four hours 

 without relinquishing their hold, but as soon as placed 

 in the sun they soon accomplished their functions and 

 got separated from the females in a time varying between 

 fifty-six and fifty-eight seconds. After brushing himself 

 with his fore and hind legs the male would go in search 

 of another female. One of my spotted males has thus 

 fecundated no less than five females in four days. 



