The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles 



back, his big belly and his welded wing-cases, 1 

 struggles desperately after a minute or two of 

 inertia. 



The short-legged Beetles, trotting along 

 with tiny steps, ought, one would think, to 

 make up in cunning, more fully than the 

 others, for their incapacity for rapid flight. 

 The facts do not correspond with this ap- 

 parently well-founded forecast. I have con- 

 sulted the genera Chrysomela, 2 Blatta, 3 Sil- 

 pha, Cleonus, 4 Bolboceras, 5 Cetonia, Hoplia, 

 Coccinella, 6 and so on. A few minutes or 

 a few seconds are nearly always long enough 

 for the return to activity. Several of them 

 even obstinately refuse to sham death. 



As much must be said of the Beetles well- 

 equipped for pedestrian escape. Some re- 

 main motionless for a few seconds; others, 

 more numerous still, behave in an ungovern- 

 able fashion. In short, there is no guide to 

 tell us in advance : 



" This one will readily assume the posture 



1 The Cellar-beetle is one of the wingless Beetles. 

 Translator's Note. 



2 Golden-apple Beetles. Translator's Note. 



3 Blackbeetles or Cockroaches. Translator's Note. 

 * A genus of Weevils. Translator's Note. 



5 A mushroom-eating Beetle. Cf. The Life of the Fly: 

 chap, xviii. Translator's Note. 



6 Ladybirds. Translator's Note. 



388 



