6 THE LIFE OF AN INSECT. 



greatest terror to a number of persons. It was in 

 Bretagne that a large flight of them suddenly made 

 their appearance ; at the same time a dangerous 

 epidemic disease fell upon the inhabitants ; the 

 awful look of the poor insect, together with its 

 strange supernatural noise, filled the ignorant 

 people with alarm, and the disease was considered 

 to be actually caused by the moths. Another 

 insect, the church-yard beetle, which is of a jet 

 black colour, is related by the great Linnaeus as 

 producing the most alarming feelings upon the 

 minds of the superstitious and ignorant among the 

 peasantry of Sweden. 



The death-tick beetle has also a terrible repu- 

 tation for frightening people. This little creature 

 takes up its abode in decayed wood, and thus 

 frequently makes the bed-post its dwelling-place, 

 or ensconces itself in the wainscot of an old room. 

 Now, when, as some entomologists tell us, it wants 

 to give a signal to its mate, the insect begins ham- 

 mering with all its might at the side of the wall, 

 or knocks upon its little floor until the noise is 

 heard, and the mate then begins to hammer, both 

 producing for their size a tremendous noise, but 

 in human ears not sounding louder than the tick 



