684 



The Living Animals of the World 



Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., 

 Regent's Park. 



SKIPJACK BEETLE. 



The larvae of this family are known as 

 Wire-worms. 



low trees soon after sunset, while the 

 smaller COCH-Y-BONDDHU the " Cocker- 

 bun dy " of the angler often appears about 

 the same time in hundreds of thousands. 

 The beautiful 



ROSE - BEETLE, 



too, with its 

 bright golden- 

 green wing- 

 cases marked 

 with wavy 

 whitish lines, 

 may often be 

 seen sunning 

 itself in roses 

 or on the 

 blossoms of 

 pinks. 



The 

 fa m o u s 

 EGYPTIAN 



SCARABjEUS IS 

 also a member 



of this group. It is remarkable not only 

 [Regent's Park. f or the sacred character attributed to it 



by the ancient Egyptians, but also for its 

 curious habit of rolling along balls of dung 

 until it can find a soft spot in which to 

 bury them. When the egg hatches, the grub feeds upon the dung, the quantity provided 

 being exactly sufficient for its requirements. The common DOR BEETLE of Great Britain is 

 allied to this insect; it tunnels 

 down to a depth of 14 or 15 

 inches beneath a patch of ex- 

 crement, and lays its egg at 

 the bottom of the burrow. 



The SKIPJACK BEETLES, 

 parents of the well-known Wire- 

 worms, which cause so much 

 mischief by feeding upon the 

 roots of cultivated crops, repre- 

 sent another group. These 

 beetles owe their popular title 

 to their singular method of re- 

 gaining their feet when they 

 happen to roll over upon their 

 backs. Their bodies being very 

 smooth and polished, and their 

 legs very short, they cannot re- 

 cover' their footing in the 

 ordinary manner. On the lower 

 part of the body, however, is a 

 highly elastic spine, known as 



Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.] 



MALE STAG-BEETLE. 



The males are often 2 inches long ; the females have comparatively small 

 jaws. 





Photo by L. H. Joutel] 



York. 



HERCULES BEETLE FLYING. 



The most remarkable feature about this insect is its huge horn-like projection from the thorax, 

 which is nearly as long as the rest of its body. 



