STAG-BEETLE. 167 



our favour." " Most assuredly, dear Madam, we have intro- 

 duced him for the very purpose. Monster, as you call him, 

 he is one of the most harmless and gentle ib the world. Aye, 

 and playful in the bargain. Only give heed, we prythee, to 

 the written character (in a domestic situation) of one whom 

 you are pleased to designate a Caliban." " After a time (says 

 his master) he became quite tame and playful, and sometimes 

 amused himself by tossing about a ball of cotton with his 

 horns. He was very fond of sugar moistened, and the juice 

 of raspberries. There's a pet for you ! so delicate in feeding 

 and playful as a fawn ; and now for his name. He is not a 

 fawn exactly ; but he is a stag Lucanus cervus Stag-beetle. 

 We have said not a word as yet about his horns ; but we have 

 told you of his jaws ; and though of horns he is not destitute, 

 the enormous toothed appendages to which he owes his name 

 are veritable grinders. To look at, they are, in truth, tremen- 

 dous weapons; but they are innocent of all save vegetable 

 blood ; and used only to wound the tender branches of oak, or 

 birch, or chestnut, for extraction of their circulating fluid. It 

 is possible, indeed, that, with intent most harmless, he might 

 mistake a lady's finger for a silver birch-twig, or a peeled band 

 of hazel, and sorely pinch it, even to the flowing of the 

 crimson sap : of this, therefore, let his mistresses beware." 



Like the majority of his Beetle brethren, Lucanus cervus is 

 accustomed to keep within covert during day, and take its 

 flight about the hour of sunset. Its appearance, when on 

 wing, has been likened to that of a flying duck in miniature. 

 The wood of decaying trees is the nursery wherein, as a grub 

 or larva, this insect forester passes the period of its infancy. 

 We have now a Stag-beetle " set up " before us, and we are 

 compelled, as we look upon this insect giant (a dwarf though, in 

 comparison with some of its foreign relatives), to confess that 

 he is a wonderful and admirable creature. So solid so com- 

 pact so perfect so permanent ; he has nothing about him of 

 insect lightness and fragility. Armed, not merely " to the 

 teeth," but to the very eyes, in his encasing panoply of ebon 



