78 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



having settled it to his mind, begins to shovel in the 

 earth. This is done in a very short time, by means 

 of its broad head. He goes behind the rampart of 

 earth, and pushes it into the grave with amazing 

 strength and dexterity, the head being bent directly 

 downwards at first, and then the nose elevated with a 

 kind of jerk, which sends the earth forwards. After 

 the grave is thus filled up, the earth is trodden in, 

 and undergoes another keen scrutiny all round, the 

 bird being completely hidden ; the Beetle then makes 

 a hole in the still loose earth, and, having buried the 

 bird and his own bride, next buries himself. The 

 female lays her eggs in the carcass of the bird, in 

 number proportioned to its size ; and after this opera- 

 tion is over, and the pair have eaten as much of the 

 savoury viand as they please, they make their way 

 out, and fly away in quest of further adventures.' 



A VERY common species of this genus is the large 

 Necrophorus humator, which may be found in all parts 

 of the country. This is a large, though not brightly- 

 coloured species. It sometimes exceeds an inch in 

 length, and its colour is deep, shining-black, with the 

 three last joints of the antennae reddish-yellow. The 

 fringe-like pads of the tarsi are of the same colour. 



An equally abundant species is Necrophorus 

 vespillo, which is very much smaller than the preceding 

 insect. It is very different in appearance from the 

 Necrophorus humator, the ground colour being black, 

 while two broad, waved bands cross the elytra, one at 

 the base, and the other towards the apex, both being 

 connected by a narrow band of the same colour upon 



