THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



the fungus, containing white maggots, and one or two pupae : 

 do these produce the beetle ? 



F. Yes : for I once reared one of these pupae to the 

 perfect state ; the toad-beetle was produced on the 1 9th 

 of August ; I had taken it in pupa on the 5th ; how much 

 longer it had been in that state, I have no means of ascer- 

 taining. The habit which some insects have of counter- 

 feiting death, is a singular and inexplicable one. Very many 

 genera of beetles have this practice : when they are touched 

 or disturbed, they suddenly draw in their antennae and palpi, 

 and gather up their legs and feet close to the abdomen : 

 some species have hollows in the abdomen, in which the legs 

 lie on such occasions ; and that so closely, one part fitting 

 in with another, that the eye can scarcely discover them, 

 the whole appearing a smooth surface. The antennae are 

 generally hidden beneath the clypeus, or shield of the head ; 

 but those of most of the Curculionidce, which are situated 

 on the end of a long rostrum or snout, have the first joint 

 much elongated, at the end of which they can be doubled up, 

 the two portions lying parallel with each other, and so close 

 to the side of the rostrum as to be invisible. It has been 

 said that insects on these occasions will allow themselves to 

 be roasted to death over a fire without moving, but my own 

 observation does not agree with this : I have invariably 

 found that the application of heat caused them to sprawl out 

 their limbs pretty quickly. It may, however, be different 

 in some instances. 



C. Has any motive been assigned or conjectured for 

 this habit ? 



F. It is thought that it may be for the purpose of es- 

 caping detection ; as the projecting limbs, and still more the 

 motion of insects often cause them to attract notice, when 

 otherwise they would be overlooked. It is true they 

 do not feign death unless they are actually touched, but 



