146 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



merdam and Wallis as being the true death-watches, were both 

 capable of producing the tick&ig sound. Writing of his dis- 

 covery, he says, " The other death-watch is an insect in appear- 

 ance quite different from the last (Anobium tesselatum), which I 

 lately discovered about the beginning of this July ; the other 

 death-watch (the beetle) beateth only about seven or eight 

 strokes at a time, and quicker, but this will beat some hours 

 together without intermission, and his strokes are more leisurely 

 and like the beats of a watch. I have several years observed 

 these two sorts of beating, but took it to be made by one and 

 the same animal. The insoct which makes this long beating is 

 a small greyish insect, much resembling a louse when looked 

 on only with the naked eye, for which reason, for want of 

 another name, I call it Pediculus pulsatorius. It is very nimble 

 in running to seek shelter when disturbed. It is very common 

 in all parts of the house in the summer months. They are all 

 extremely shy of beating when disturbed, but will beat freely 

 enough before you, and also answer you when you beat, if you 

 can view them without giving them disturbance or shaking the 

 place where they lie. I cannot tell whether they beat on any 

 other thing, but I have heard this noise only in or near paper. 

 Concerning their noise, I am somewhat in doubt whether it be 

 made by beating their heads, or rather snouts, against the paper, 

 or whether it be not made after some such manner as grass- 

 hoppers and crickets make their noise. I rather incline to the 

 former opinion. But my reason for doubting is because I have 

 observed the animal's body to shake or give a sudden jerk at 

 every stroke, but I could scarce perceive any part of the body 

 to touch the paper. It is possible it might beat the paper and 

 I not perceive it, by reason its body is small, and tear the 

 paper when it beateth, and its motion in beating is sudden and 

 swift." 



Our own observations lead us to the conclusion that both the 

 insects just described unquestionably possess ticking powers, 

 but we do not think the sounds emitted are produced by each 

 insect in the same manner. Mr. Carpenter appears inclined to 

 the same. He writes as follows regarding the sound : " This 

 singular noise proceeds from two different insects. One of these 

 (Anobium tesselatum) is coleopterous, of a dark colour, and 

 about a quarter of an inch in length. It is chiefly in the latter 

 end of spring that it commences its noise, which may be con- 

 sidered analogous to the call of birds. This is caused by beating 

 on hard substances with the shield or fore-part of its head. The 

 general number of successive distinct strokes is from seven to 

 nine or eleven. These are given in pretty quick silccession, and 

 are repeated at uncertain intervals. In old houses, where the 

 insects are numerous, they may be heard, if the weather be 

 warm, almost every hour of the day. In beating the insect 

 raises itself upon its hinder legs, and, with its body somewhat 

 inclined, beats its head with great force and agility against the 

 place on which it stands. This insect, which is the real death- 

 watch of the vulgar, must not be confounded with a minuter 

 insect not much unlike a louse, which makes a ticking noise 

 like a watch, but instead of beating at intervals it continues 

 its noise for a considerable length of time without intermis- 

 sion. This latter insect, the Termes pulsatorius, Linn., be- 

 longs to a very different tribe (Neuroptera). It is usually 

 found in old wood, decayed furniture, museums, and neglected 

 books. 



The female 'lays her eggs, which are exceedingly small, in 

 dry, dusty places, where they are likely to meet with least 

 disturbance. They are generally hatched about the beginning 

 of March, a little sooner or later, according to the weather. 

 After leaving the egg the insects are so small as scarcely to 

 oe discerned without the use of a glass. They remain in this 

 larva state about two months, somewhat resembling in appear- 

 ance the mites in cheese, after which they undergo their change 

 into the perfect insect. They feed on dead flies and other 

 insects, and often, from their numbers and voracity, very much 

 deface cabinets of natural history. They subsist on various 

 other substances, and may often be observed carefully hunting 

 for nutritious particles amongst the dust in which they are 

 found, turning it over with their heads, and searching about 

 somewhat in the manner of swine. Many live through the 

 winter buried deep in the dust to avoid the frost. Here, then, 

 we have clearly enough the natural history of the clear, white, 

 nimble insect ; but as he is unprovided with a hard, shell-like 

 coat of mail, and has no helmet front to protect his delicate 



little head from the hammer, or rather battering-ram-like blows 

 which the ticking beetle appears rather to revel in and enjoy, 

 we are therefore at a loss to account for the sharp, clear, 

 metallic, watch-like ticking which it most assuredly produces. 

 It may be that by rapidly and suddenly raising its body from 

 the well-chosen substance on which it rests, and then bringing 

 it sharply down again by muscular effort, that the sound is 

 given forth. Those of our readers who have had an opportunity 

 of listening to the incredibly loud sound produced by the 

 common wasp when in the act of nipping nest-making materials 

 from the woodwork of a window-sash, will be quite prepared to 

 believe that Atropos pulsatorius, small as he is, is capable of 

 following the example of his rap-delivering fellow-alarmist 

 (Anobium tesselatum), without the aid of either a professed 

 medium or supernatural agency. Fig. 1 in the illustration in the 

 preceding page represents the former insect magnified from one 

 line in length, and Fig. 2 gives an enlarged view of the latter. 



LESSONS IN SPANISH. XVIII. 



THE ADJECTIVE. 

 AGREEMENT AND POSITION OP ADJECTIVES. 



THE adjective must always agree in gender and number with 

 the noun to which it belongs ; as 



hoinbre sabio, the 



El 

 man. 



La muger sabia, the wise woman. 



Participles used as adjectives agree in gender and number 

 with the noun to which they belong ; as 



Los hombres sabios, the wise men. 

 Las mugeres sabias, the wise 



women. 



Las engaiiadas criadas, the de- 

 luded female servants. 



El engaiiado rey, the deluded kiny. 

 La engaiiada reiua, ihe deluded 

 queen. 



An adjective does not agree with the gender of the title of a 

 person, but with the gender of the person to whom it is ap- 

 plied ; as 



Su majestad esta enfermo, his 

 majesty is ill. 



Su majestad esta enferuia, her 

 majesty is ill. 



Nada, nothinj, requires a masculine adjective ; as 

 Nada hay lirnpio, There is nothing jjure. 



Two or more nouns in the singular require the adjective' 

 which belongs to them to be in the plural, and if the nouns are- 

 of different genders, the adjective must be in the masculine ;. 

 as 



Juaua y Maria estau calladas, 

 Jane and Mary are silent. 



Lucia y Carlos estan cansados,, 

 Lucy arid Charles are tired. 



When an adjective comes before or after two or more plural 

 nouns of different genders, it must agree in gender with the- 

 noun nearest to it ; as 



Buenos dicciouarios y gramati- 

 cas, good dictionaries and grammars. 



Dicciouarios y gramaticas hue- 

 uas, good dictionaries and grammars. 



The Spanish Academy recommends that in cases in which an 

 adjective is to be used with two or more nouns differing in 

 gender and number, it would be better to use a different adjec- 

 tive of similar meaning for every noun, or an adjective whichi 

 does not change its ending to form its feminine for the plural. 



The material of which a thing is made, as well as the country 

 in which it is made or produced, are seldom used as adjectives,, 

 but as a noun preceded by the preposition de ; thus 



Paiio de laiia, woollen cloth. 

 Cueros de Mo.jico, Mexican /ud3. 



Hoja de plata, silver leaf. 

 Cerveza de Loudres, London leer. 



The profession or dignity of a person may be qualified by an- 

 adjective derived from the name of a nation preceded by the- 

 preposition as above; thus 



General de Espana, Spanish General Mejicano, Me.riean. 

 general (general of Spain). general. 



The title of the chief ruler of a country is not qualified by an 

 adjective expressing the nation, but by the name of the country, 

 preceded by the preposition ; as- 

 El rey de Espana, the king of I El presidente de los Estados 



Spain. 



La reina de Inglaterra, tlie queen 

 of England, 



Unidos, Ihe president of the United 

 Slates. 



