114 Life and Immortality. 



discharge, but there is sufficient to produce a series of 

 explosions, each explosion being perceptibly fainter than its 

 predecessor. By pressing the abdomen of the dead Beetle 

 between finger and thumb these explosions may even be 

 produced. In hot countries, where exceedingly large species 

 abound, the explosions are said to be very loud, and accom- 

 panied with quite a cloud of blue vapor. 



