NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



330 



Many or most of the beetle species lodge in 

 holes in the earth, environed by hard, rough sub- 

 stances, and have frequently to squeeze their way 

 through narrow passages; in which situation, 

 wings so tender, and so large, could scarcely have 

 escaped injury, without both a firm covering to de- 

 fend them, and the capacity of collecting them- 

 selves up under its protection."' 



II. Another contrivance, equally mechanical, 

 and equally clear, is the awly or borer, fixed at the 



«S^sss^^sS*se*ai*ss*!«^»> 



specie? of the genus Molorchus, however, do not require such pro- 

 tection for their wings, since they Ifj^ in flowers. The habits of 

 the Sitaris are not so well known; they are said to hve in the 

 nests of certain species of bees. 



In the earwig the elytra do not entirely cover the wings ; but 

 the portion of the wing exposed is of horn-like substance, like th« 

 elytra, whilst the remaining part of the wing is extremely delicate. 



8* A tribe of beetles, coming under the generic name of Hister, 

 forms a good illustration of this mode of existence : in these in- 

 sects the elytra are remarkably hard. 



The species of the genus Hister possess remarkable analogical 

 resemblances to tortoises, which have somewhat similar habits : 

 like them, they are exceedingly hard, of an oval shape, and have 

 the power of retracting the head beneath a horny covering ; they 



