90 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



packed up very much like the joints of a portable 

 easel. The head being at the same time withdrawn 

 into the thorax, the antennae lie pressed closely against 

 its sides, so that when the Beetle has thus packed 

 away all its limbs, it does not bear the least resem- 

 blance to an insect. This mode of concealment, or 

 rather of evasion, is rendered more perfect by the 

 fact, that the surface of the body is covered with fine 

 down, which retains the dust of the roads on which 

 it so often travels, and gives to the Beetle the aspect 

 of a little round dusty stone. And, so pertinaciously 

 does it keep this attitude when alarmed, that it will 

 suffer its limbs to be torn from its body rather than 

 give the least sign of life. 



The typical genus has the antennae rather flattened, 

 and shorter than the thorax, the basal joint being 

 large, the second small and globular, and the third 

 long and slender. The club is formed by a series ot 

 joints regularly increasing in size, the last joint being 

 egg-shaped. The thorax is waved 

 behind, and the body is very con- 

 vex. 



The species which has been 

 chosen for illustration is the 

 BANDED PILL BEETLE (Byrrhus 

 fasciatus\ a figure of which ac- 

 companies this description. The 



Byrrhus fasciatus. 



colour of this Beetle is black, the 

 thorax having a decided golden tinge. Upon the 

 elytra are a number of very short black stripes, and in 

 the middle is a reddish-yellow band, shaped as is seen 

 in the figure. This is a tolerably plentiful species,. 



