BLIND BEETLES. 171 



Yet in the Beetle which is shown below we see an 

 insect in which these imaginary privations are the 

 normal state, and which possesses neither eyes nor 

 mouth, and is capable of supporting existence without 

 food. We should, however, be very wrong in suppos- 

 ing that this insect must be miserable because a human 

 being under such conditions would be supremely 

 wretched, and may be sure that, in some mysterious 

 way, this Beetle, which leads a darkling life and is 

 incapable of eating, is just as happy in its way as the 

 brilliant butterfly that basks in the sunshine, and flits 

 from flower to flower, enjoying their lovely colours 

 and sweet juices. 



Whether this insect be possessed of some senses 

 unknown to us, must of necessity be a problem not 

 likely to be solved, but, as far as we can 

 judge, the only sense which it can 

 possess is that of touch. The name 

 Pselaphidae refers to this supposition, 

 and is formed from a Greek w r ord, 

 signifying the groping movements of 

 one who tries to find his way in the dark. 



The name of this Beetle is Claviger 



foveoiatus, the former name signifying 



1 club-bearer/ and given to the insect on Claviser foveolatus - 



account of the form of the antenna, which is boldly 



clubbed, and has only five joints. This Beetle can be 



found in the nests of the yellow ant (Formica flava), 



a very common insect, which makes its nests under 



large stones if it can find them, or, in default of such 



shelter, throws up little mounds of earth. It mostly 



