62 



fcad not ary other ofifs kind near it. It scorned there- 

 fore to be preparing its fooJ. It was about a quarter 

 of an inch long, of a dark, dirty colour, having a 

 broad helmet over its head, which he can draw up 

 under it, FO that it is a notable defence against the 

 falls, to which he is continually exposed, creeping 

 over rotten and decayed places. 



u The second day after I took it, I ppencd the 

 box, and set it in the sun. It was soon very brisk, 

 and crept nimbly to and fro, till suddenly it struck 

 out its wings, and was going to take its leave ; but 

 on my shading it over, it drew in its wings, and- was 

 q :iet." 



This seems to be the smallest of the beetle-kind. 

 A gentleman -describes one of a very different sort, 

 in the Philosophical Transactions. u On the removal 

 of a large leaden cistern,! observed at the bottom ol it 

 black beetles* One of the largest 1 threw into a cup 

 of spirits, (it being the way of killing and preparing 

 insects for my purpose. ) In a few minutes it appear, 

 cd to be quite div.d. 1 then shut it in a box abcut an 

 inch and a halt diameter, and throwing it into a 

 drawer, thought no more of it for two months, when 

 opening the box, I lourul it alive. and vigorous, though 

 it had no food ali rue time, nor any more air than it 

 could find in so sn.all a box, whose cover shut very 

 close. A few days before, a friend had sent me three 

 or four cock-roaches. 



These 1 put undei a large glass ; 1 put my beetle 

 among them, and fed them with v green ginger, which 

 they ate greedily ; but he would never taste it, for 

 the five weeks they lived there. The cock-roaches 

 would avoid the beetle, and seem frightened at his 

 approach: but he usually htaikod along not at all re- 

 garding whether they came in nis vyay or not. During 

 the two years an a half-thai I have kept him, he has 

 neither eat nor dravk, 



" How then. has he been kept alive ? Is it by the 

 air? There are particles in this, which i#ar:ply a 

 to some species of piautjy as semper we, 



