548 



HISTORY OF IiNSECTS. 



a black colour, and the whole body is covered 

 with a very hard shell, full as thick and as 

 strong as that of a small crab. Its length, 

 from the hinder part to the eyes, is almost 

 four inches, and from the same part to the end 

 of the proboscis, or trunk, four inches and 

 three quarters. The transverse diameter of 

 the body is two inches and a quarter, and the 

 breadth of each elytron, or case for the wings, 

 is an inch and three-tenths. The antennas, or 

 feelers, are quite horny ; for which reason the 

 proboscis, or trunk, is movable at its insertion 

 into the head, and seems to supply the place 

 of feelers. The horns are eight-tenths of an 

 inch long, and terminate in points. The 

 proboscis is an inch and a quarter long, and 

 turns upwards, making a crooked line, ter- 

 minating in two horns, each of which is near 

 a quarter of an inch long ; but they are not 

 perforated at the end like the proboscis of other 

 insects. About four-tenths of an inch above 

 the head, on that side next the body, is a pro- 

 minence or small horn, which, if the rest of 

 the trunk were away, would cause this part 

 to resemble the horn of a rhinoceros. There 

 is indeed a beetle so called, but then the horns 

 or trunk has no fork at the end, though the 

 lower horn resembles this. The feet are all 

 forked at the end, but not like lobster's claws. 

 To this class we may also refer the Glow- 

 worm, that little animal which makes such a 

 distinguished figure in the descriptions of our 

 poets. No two insects can differ more than 



If superiority in certain qualities must be conceded 

 to some other tribes of insects, the Coleoptera certainly 

 surpass them all, as well as the higher races of animals, 

 in variety of form and singularity of structure. Among 

 butterflies, the Hymenoptera, and two-winged flies, 

 nearly as great a uniformity of outline prevails as in the 

 case of birds and serpents. But there appears to be no 

 general type of form according to which beetles have been 

 modelled. They differ as widely among themselves in 

 outward appearance, as separate classes of other animated 

 beings do from each other. Even the great deep, which 

 has ever been regarded as the fertile mother of all mon- 

 strous and all prodigious things, seldom produces an " odd 

 fish" equal in eccentricity to some species of beetles. 

 If we are less struck with the strange proportion of their 

 parts, than with any unusual figure among the larger 

 animals, it is on account of their small size, which is 

 generally too inconsiderable to arrest our attention, and 

 leads us to consider them in a great measure abstract- 

 edly from the idea of physical power with which we are 

 accustomed to regard animated beings of large dimen- 

 sions. But for this circumstance, they would excite the 

 astonishment of the most careless observer, and lead us 

 to fear lest they should realize the anticipations of the 

 poet, 



" Their shape would make them, hnd they bulk and size, 

 More hideous foes then fancy can devise, 

 With helmet-heads, and dragon-scales adorned, 

 The mighty myriads, now securely scorned, 

 Would mock the majesty of man's high birth, 

 Despise his bulwarks, and unpeople earth." 



Naturalist's Library, Vol. II. Beetles. By James 

 Duncan, Edinburgh, 1835. 



the male and female of this species from each 

 other. The male is in every respect a beetle, 

 having cases to its wings, and rising in the 

 air at pleasure ; the female, on the contrary, 

 has none, but is entirely a creeping insect, 

 and is obliged to wait the approaches of her 

 capricious companion. The body of the fe- 

 male has eleven joints, with a shield breast- 

 plate, the shape of which is oval ; the head is 

 placed over this, and is very small, and the 

 three last joints of her body are of a yellowish 

 colour ; but what distinguishes it from all 

 other animals, at least in this part of the world, 

 is the shining light which it emits by night, 

 and which is supposed by some philosophers 

 to be an emanation which she sends forth to 

 allure the male to her company. Most trav- 

 ellers who have gone through sandy countries, 

 must well remember the little shining sparks 

 with which the ditches are studded on each 

 side of the road. If incited by curiosity to 

 approach more nearly, he will find this light 

 sent forth by the glow-worm ; if he should 

 keep the little animal for some time, its light 

 continues to grow paler, and at last appears 

 totally extinct. The manner in which this 

 light is produced has hitherto continued inex- 

 plicable ; it is probable the little animal is 

 supplied with some electrical powers, so that 

 by rubbing the joints of its body against each 

 other, it thus supplies a stream of light, which 

 if it allures the male, as we are told, serves 

 for very useful purposes. 1 



1 We boast of our candles, our wax-lights, and our 

 Argand-lamps, and pity our fellow-men who, ignorant 

 of our methods of producing artificial light, are con- 

 demned to pass their nights in darkness. We regard 

 these inventions as the results of a great exertion of 

 human intellect, and never conceive it possible that other 

 animals are able to avail themselves of modes of illumin- 

 ation equally efficient; and are furnished with the means 

 of guiding their nocturnal evolutions by actual lights, simi- 

 lar in their effect to those which we make use of. Yet many 

 insects are thus provided. Some are forced to content 

 themselves with a single candle, not more vivid than the 

 rush-light which glimmers in the peasant's cottage ; 

 others exhibit two or four, which cast a stronger radi- 

 ance ; and a few can display a lamp little inferior in 

 brilliancy to some of ours. Not that these insects are 

 actually possessed of candles and lamps. You are aware 

 that I am speaking figuratively. But Providence has 

 supplied them with an effectual substitute a luminous 

 preparation or secretion, which has all the advantages of 

 our lamps and candles, without their inconveniences ; 

 which gives light sufficient to direct their motions, while 

 it is incapable of burning ; and whose lustre is main- 

 tained without needing fresh supplies of oil or the appli- 

 cation of the snuffers. 



Of the insects thus singularly provided, the common 

 glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) is the most familiar 

 instance. Who that has ever enjoyed the luxury of a 

 summer evening's walk in the country, in the southern 

 parts of our island, but has viewed with admiration these 

 " stars of the earth and diamonds of the night ?" And if, 

 living like me in a district where it is rarely met with, 

 the first time you saw this insect, chanced to be, as it 

 was in my case, one of those delightful evenings which 



