OF HARTING. 333 



jaws, that when their strength has been unintentionally 

 tested by the Entomological finger, the incident has 

 generally left a lasting impression on the memory of 

 the owner of the latter. Rotten wood is the food of 

 its larvae, we accordingly meet with the perfect insect 

 not uncommonly in the timber-yard, or in old sawpits 

 where an accumulation of sawdust has lain undisturbed 

 for a long time. Dorcas parallelipipedus we have often 

 found in similar habitats, and Sinodendron cylindricum 

 is common in decaying ash trees and stumps. 



Among the true Dung Beetles we have taken many 

 OntlwpJiagi, Typhceus vulgaris (at Downparks), Geo- 

 trupes stercorarius, and several species of Aphodius. 

 The Geotrupes, alias common Dor, or Clock, or Blind 

 Beetle, is that large beetle, black above, violet under- 

 neath, that " hath rung night's yawning peal " any fine 

 summer's evening ever since the days of Shakespeare, 

 and occasionally brought its " droning flight " to an 

 abrupt check against the person of any one indulging 

 in an evening stroll, as if it really were blind. It soon 

 takes wing again, however, and resumes its course, 

 which is generally in a direct line to a recent deposit 

 of cow dung, under which it disappears, and at once 

 sets about boring perpendicularly downwards into the 

 earth. It then partially fills its tunnel with the dung, 

 commits an egg to it, and repeats the operation several 

 times, thus materially aiding in the dispersion of masses 

 of offensive matter which would otherwise injure the 

 herbage and poison the air. We have often seen this 

 useful scavenger infested with a very annoying para- 

 site, an active Mite (Gammasus Coleoptratorwn), one 

 of the privileges of which is that of securely defying 

 the utmost unaided efforts of its victim to dislodge it. 

 When, however, the discomfort of the beetle from this 

 cause has become intolerable, it has. recourse to a sin- 

 gular expedient for ridding itself of its unwelcome 

 companions. It seeks a convenient heap of loose 

 earth, plunges headlong into it, and rapidly bores its 



