Living Artillery. 113 



alarmed, Carabus desists from the attack, and backs slowly 

 away from the tiny blue smoke, while Brachinus, in the con- 

 fusion that ensues, escapes to some place of security for rest 

 and protection. 



Most skilfully has the artist delineated the scene. Cara- 

 bus serratus, the pursuing beetle, is chasing the Bombardier, 

 and has nearly effected his capture, when, all of a sudden, a 

 discharge of artillery has stopped the pursuit, under cover 

 of which the Bombardier will make off. Meanwhile the 

 Carabus, exchanging his rapid advance for a retreat quite as 

 rapid, throws back his antennae, a sign of his defeat, and 

 skulks away to recover his wonted self-possession. 



The volatile fluid, which produces such curious effects, is 

 secreted in a small sac just within the end of the abdomen. 

 Not only is it capable of repelling the larger beetles by its 

 explosion and cloud of blue vapor, but it is also powerful 

 enough to discolor the human skin, as many who have cap- 

 tured Bombardier Beetles by the hand know only too well. 

 Should the fluid get within the eyelids, the pain and irritation 

 produced are very distressing. Some years ago the writer, 

 while searching for carabi underneath stones and in creviced 

 rocks, met for the first time with Brachinus, but was ignorant 

 as a child of his obnoxious property. Placing a little fellow 

 upon his hand for close examination, he soon experienced a 

 burning and painful sensation of the ball of the eye, but did 

 not for a long while attribute the cause to a discharge from 

 the Beetle. Repeated investigations at very short ranges by 

 means of a microscope were attended with similar results, 

 till eventually an inflammation of the visual organs set in, 

 accompanied by a blurring of the sight, which debarred him 

 from reading and study for nearly a fortnight. One learns 

 wisdom by experience, and the wisdom thus acquired serves 

 for a lifetime. 



Even Brachinus has learned by experience, doubtless, to 

 be economical in the use of his resources. The whole of 

 the contents of his tiny magazine are not ejected at one 



