The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles 



their prey, the pot-bellied Pimelia, whose sole 

 defence consists of a strong armour of welded 

 wing-cases. 1 But what can such a cuirass 

 avail against the bandit's ruthless pincers? 



He is indeed a mighty hunter, this Nim- 

 rod of the sea-shore. All black and glossy, 

 like a jet bugle, his body is divided by a very 

 narrow groove at the waist. His weapon 

 of offence consists of a pair of claw-like 

 mandibles of extraordinary vigour. None 

 of our insects equals him in strength of jaw, 

 if we except the Stag-beetle, who is far bet- 

 ter armed, or rather decorated, for the ant- 

 lered mandibles of the inmate of the oak are 

 ornaments of the male's attire, not a panoply 

 of battle. 



The brutal Carabid, the eviscerator of the 

 Pimeliae, knows how strong he is. If I tease 

 him a little on the table, he at once adopts a 

 posture of defence. Well braced upon his 

 short legs, especially the fore-legs, which are 

 toothed like rakes, he dislocates himself in 

 two, so to speak, thanks to the groove that 

 divides him behind the corselet; he proudly 

 raises the fore-part of the body, his wide, 

 heart-shaped thorax and massive head, open- 

 ing his threatening pincers to their full extent. 

 He is now an awesome sight. More : he has 



1 The Pimelia is a wingless Beetle. Translator's Note. 

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