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kinds. One is a small beetle, somewhat more than a 

 quarter of an inch long, of a dark brown, and spot- 

 ted, having a large cap on the head, and two feelers 

 springing fro i n beneath the eyes. Dr. Derharn ob* 

 served it to draw back its mouth, and beat with its 

 forehead. He kept two, a male and a female, in a 

 box, for some months, and could bring one of them 

 to beat when he pleased, by imitating its beating. 

 And he soon foand this ticking to be the way, where, 

 by they wooed one another. 



The other kind is a greyish insect like a louse, 

 which beats some hours together without inter, 

 mission, and that slowly ; whereas the former beats 

 only seven or eight strokes at a, time, and much 

 quicker. It is very common in summer in all parts 

 of our houses, is nimble in running to shelter, and shy 

 of beating, if disturbed ; but is free to beat, and to 

 answer your beating, if you do not shake the place 

 where it lies. This commonly, if not always, beats in 

 or near paper. It is at first a small, white egg, 

 like a nit. It hatches in March, and creeps about 

 with its shell on. It is then smaller than the egg it- 

 self, but soon grows to the perfect size. 



That d ath-watchts do woo one another, but not 

 always, we may learn from the account of an accurate 

 observer. " As I was in my study, I happened to 

 hear what is called a death-watch. Inclining my 

 head toward a chair, I found it was beating there. 

 The manner of its beating was this. It lifted up it. 

 self on its hinder Jegs, and extending its neck, struck 

 its face upon the sedge, which was bared upon its 

 outward coat, about the length of half an inch. Ttio 

 impression of its strokes was visible: the outward 

 coat of the sedge being depressed, where it had just 

 been beating, for about the compass of a silver-penny, 

 lam inclined to think it beat* for food. Tlxere were 

 several places on the sedge, where it had been at 

 work, and where it had probably been sojourning for 

 some days. 



4 ' Possibly the insect may sometimes woo its mae 

 by beating tuus ; but it was not the case now, It 



