Woodworkers 



her head against the end of her burrow in the wood, and 

 awaits an answering tattoo. 



Here let us relate an interesting little story. One of 

 these beetles was made captive in a small glass-topped 

 box, and captivity did not impair its amorous nature. 

 Five taps, on the lid of the box, with a pencil or a similar 

 object, elicited a similar number of taps in reply. Six 

 taps, or four, brought forth no response. Now it has been 

 alleged that the taps are not actually heard by the beetles, 

 but are simply communicated from one to the other by 

 the vibrations of the wood when it is tapped. The little 

 box, therefore, with its inmate, was suspended by a string 

 to the ceiling. Taps on a table below were still answered 

 by the beetle in its aerial prison, thus settling once and 

 for all the question of its hearing powers. The last per- 

 formance of this beetle was a triumph. Its performance 

 was exhibited before the members of a well-known society. 

 It gave a stirring performance, which raised the audience 

 to a high pitch of excitement the members were all 

 entomologists and therefore easily amused applause 

 greeted the beetle's efforts, at the end of its " turn," but 

 the beetle, not to be outdone, answered the applause with 

 a series of taps, a feat which wellnigh overcame the afore- 

 said entomologists. 



But we have digressed. The death-watch bores into 

 timber, our most valued furniture for choice, making little 

 holes therein resembling shot holes. When within the 

 wood, boring operations are carried out with considerable 

 energy, and the female deposits her eggs at the end of each 

 tunnel. The white grubs which hatch from these eggs are 

 armed with strong jaws, enabling them also to carry on 

 the woodwork of their parents. Within the burrows the 

 chrysalids are formed, and the following season a new 

 generation of beetles arises to carry on the work of 

 destruction and scare some country bumpkins with their 

 taps. 



Certain wood-boring beetles, popularly termed Ambrosia 



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