G2 



vided with two antennce, composed of eight 

 or ten pieces ; the extremities of the antennas 

 are club-shaped, and composed of plates or 

 joints, either disposed like the leaves of a 

 book, or arranged perpendicularly to the 

 axis, like the teeth of a comb. The eyes are 

 large and protuberant, especially in the 

 carnivorous species, and in those, the slow- 

 ness of whose habits makes them need quick 

 powers of sight, for the purpose of avoiding 

 their enemies. Of the three segments of the 

 thorax, the corslet greatly surpasses the two 

 others in size ; and the chief movement of 

 the parts of the trunk upon one another, is 

 between the first and second segments of the 

 thorax. The two fore-legs of beetles, and 

 even the others, in some instances, are den- 

 tated externally, and suited for burrowing. 

 These are the principal characters which 

 distinguish this numerous family ; but it is 

 necessary to observe that nearly all of them 

 are subject to some exceptions. 



The larvcK are soft, flexible, whitish, semi- 

 cylindric worms, having the body divided 

 into twelve rings, and having a scaly head, 

 armed with strong jaws. They have nine 

 stigmata, or breathing-holes, on each side ; 

 and the feet, which are six, are scaly. The 

 body is thicker at the posterior than at the 

 anterior extremity, and rounded, almost uni- 

 formly curved downwards, so that the larva 

 moves with difficulty over an even surface, 

 and frequently tumbles down. The period 

 during which the larvae remain in the state of 

 destructive worms, varies indifferent species; 

 those of some kinds becoming nymphs at 

 the end of several months, and of others not 

 sooner than three or four years. During 

 this period they live in the earth, where they 

 feed upon the roots of vegetables, animal 

 matter in a state of decomposition, &c. It 

 is in this stage of their existence that various 

 species prove exceedingly injurious to 

 farmers and gardeners, from their great 

 numbers and voracity. When about to 

 undergo their change of form, they make an 

 egg-shaped cocoon, from fragments gnawed 

 off wood, &c., which are united by a peculiar 

 glutinous fluid furnished by their bodies. 

 The form of the future beetle is now plainly 

 perceived, the different parts being encased 

 in distinct sheaths. Though the varieties 

 of this genus arising from size and colour 

 are wonderful some being no larger than 

 a pin's head, while others are several inches 

 in length and circumference, their most 

 essential difference proceeds from the stages 

 of their existence, some undergoing all their 

 transformations in a few months, and others 

 requiring nearly four years to complete their 

 production. 



BELEMNITES. A genus of fossil Ce- 

 phalopoda, which at different periods have 

 received the names of Thunderstone, Arrow- 

 head, and Fingerstone. The name is derived 

 from Belemnon (Gr.), a dart or arrow. They 

 abound in several of the older rocks, especi- 

 ally the lias and oolite ; and consist of an in- 

 terior cone divided into partitions connected 

 by a syphon, as in the Nautilus, and sur- 

 rounded by a number of concentric layers, 

 made up of fibres radiating from the axis. 



(B. AOUTOS.) [RESTORED.! 



These layers are somewhat transparent, and 

 when burnt, rubbed,or scraped, give the odour 

 of rasped horn. From the weight of its dense 

 internal shell the Belemnite may be supposed 

 to have usually maintained a vertical posi- 

 tion ; and as its chambered portion was pro- 

 vided with a siphuncle analogous to that 

 which we find in the Nautilus, the animal 

 probably had the power of ascending and 

 descending in the water with facility. The 

 animal, of which the Belemnite was the 

 internal " bone," has been proved by Mr. 

 Owen to have been a dibranchiate eight- 

 armed Cuttle-fish, somewhat resembling the 

 recent genus Onychoteuthis. This he was 

 enabled to do by access to specimens found 

 near Chippenham, in Wiltsliire, during the 

 excavations that were making for the Great 

 Western Railway. The species are now 

 extinct. 



BELL-BIRD. (Procnias carunciiJata.) 

 This is a species of Chatterer, distinguished 

 by a long soft caruncle at the base of its 

 beak ; it is white when adult, greenish when 



BULL-BIRD. (FROONTA.8 CARUNCnL 



young. It is a native of South America 

 the celebrated Campanero or Bell-bird of 

 Guiana the loud sonorous voice of which, 

 heard from time to time in the depths of 

 the forest, during the stillness of mid-day, 

 exactly resembles the tolling of a bell. 



Mr. Waterton, in his hearty " Wanderings 

 in Demerara," often alludes to it. In one 

 passage he says that it " never fails to attract 



