THE CLIVINA, 25 



in shape, and this is the case with the Scaritidse. 

 The thorax of these beetles is rather peculiarly 

 shaped, being separated from the abdomen by a sort 

 of neck, or ' pedunculated,' if we use the scientific 

 term. The tibiae of the first pair of legs, which are 

 the tools chiefly used in burrowing, are very hard, 

 very strong, and boldly toothed, and the antennas are 

 short, and have scarcely any distinction between the 

 joints. 



One of the best examples of the Scaritidae is 

 shown in the accompanying \vood-cut, and is an 

 insect called Clivina fossor. The 

 length of this Beetle is rather more 

 than a quarter of an inch. Its 

 colour is exceedingly variable, rang- 

 ing from pitchy-black to chestnut, 

 brown, or even brick-red. This 

 variation in colour depends chiefly 

 upon the exposure to the air, the 

 oldest specimens being the darkest. 

 This gradual darkening by exposure 

 to light is very frequent among ciivina fossor. 

 insects ; and a too familiar example may be found in 

 the common cockroach, which is often seen almost 

 white, darkening gradually until it assumes its well- 

 known red-brown hue. There are only two British 

 examples of this genus. 



Usually, the Clivina is found under stones and in 

 heaps of decaying vegetable matter, but I have taken 

 great numbers out of a large rotten log, which was 

 seen to be full of their burrows as soon as the bark 

 was removed. I took out of the same log both the 



