70 



INSECTS. 



striking instance of the voracity of one of these insects 

 which, plunged with its prey, a half-dead eft, into strong 

 spirits of wine, continued to eat for twenty minutes or 

 half an hour, during which time he was himself actually 

 dying. Zool. ii. 702. 



The merry little companies of the Whirligig beetle 

 (Gyrinus natator, PI. I. fig. 4) can hardly escape the 

 notice of any haunter of shady pools ; and the means by 

 which the gyrations of these glittering and silvery glo- 

 bules (as they appear when in motion), are described in a 

 foregoing page (p. 36). 



The Gyrinus is small, boat-shaped, and black in colour, 

 Fig 32> and has peculiarities of form be- 



sides that in the swimming appa- 

 ratus. The eyes (fig. 32) are so 

 divided as to give the appearance 

 of a pair on each side of the head 

 one directed upwards, the other 

 down ; a modification which is 

 Side view of head of Gyrinus. found in some Dung beetles. 

 The antennae also, are remarkable in form (fig. 33), 



and the parts of the 

 mouth are well worth 

 examining. The in- 

 sect issupposed to live 

 on small dead insects, 

 which it seizes when 

 floating on the water 

 If neither the swift- 

 ness of the gyrating 

 motion, nor the 

 beauty of the contri- 



Fig. 33. 



Antennae of Gyrinus in different positions, 

 highly magnified. 



vance which produces it, nor the singularity of the other 



