COLEOPTERA. 323 



The Burying Beetles (SUpha) are more exclusively 

 carcass-eaters. In some mysterious manner they 

 find out any putrescent substance and flock to it in 

 great numbers, where none were to be seen before. 

 If the matter be large, they burrow holes in it, crawl- 

 ing in and out in a disgusting manner ; but if small, 

 as the carcass of a mouse or a sparrow, they exca- 

 vate the earth beneath it until the flesh is actually 

 buried, its grave being gradually dug by these in- 

 dustrious sextons ; the eggs are then deposited in 

 it, and it is left to decay for the benefit of the future 

 progeny. We believe that the "worms," so inse- 

 parably associated with our ideas of the grave, are, 

 if not imaginary, the larvce of these and similar 

 Beetles : certainly they have no kindred with the 

 common Earthworm, as is vulgarly supposed. 



From these carcass-eaters, we proceed to another 

 set of useful scavengers, whose office it is to re- 

 move out of sight ordure, &c., that would other- 

 wise accumulate offensively. The chief of these 

 constituted the immense genus Scarabceus * of Lin- 

 nseus, united however with others, whose habits and 

 forms were essentially different. Of the former, 

 our common Dorr, (Geotrupes^ Stercorarius,) whose 

 steel-blue armour and "drony flight" are well known, 

 is a good example. Many of this very large family 



* Their ancient Latin name. 



f* r5, ge^ the earth, and r^v-rtiuj trupao^ to bore. 



