

THE BEETLE, $03 



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Description oi die stag-beetle. 



ease are black. The legs are of the same bluish 

 green colour, but rather paler. Each side of the 

 breast is furnished with a sharp protuberance; 

 between these points are three small tubercles 

 near the wings, and three others towards the 

 head. The cases of the wings are oblong, and 

 have three ribs, somewhat elevated, which run 

 lengthwise. The feelers are as long as tjie body, 

 and are composed of many small joints which 

 decrease in size towards the ends. It frequents 

 the leaves of the willow, and has an agreeable 

 musky smell. 



The stag-beetle is so called from the singular 

 form of its large moveable maxillae, which re- 

 semble the horns of a stag. These instruments 

 project from the head nearly one third of the 

 animal's length, and are broad and flat. In the 

 middle, towards the inner part, they have a small 

 branch, and the ends are forked. These roman- 

 tic horns are supported by a head, short, broad, 

 and irregular; the thorax, intervening between 

 it and the body, is narrower than either, and 

 marginated around. The colour of the whole 

 animal is a deep brown, its shells or cases being 

 perfectly plain, and unadorned with either streaks 

 or lines. The female slag- beetle is distinguished 

 by having horns not above half as large as those 

 of the male. They are both, however, armed on 

 the anterior side with small teeth, through their 

 whole length. In both the male and female the 



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