92 PKEJUDICE OVERCOME. 



of family likeness between the sitting " puss " of the willow 

 and the common crawler of the cabbage. 



These were steps of progression ; anol we have now brought 

 her or, perhaps we should say more generously, she has 

 brought herself to look with complacency on our insect 

 menagerie nay, what is more, has brought her fingers to 

 bring us, and with a smile of triumph, what she (poor soul), 

 in spite of all our schooling, takes for something new albeit, 

 perhaps, a caterpillar from a cauliflower, or a cockroach from 

 the kitchen. She even looks with a reconciled eye upon our 

 pet stag-beetle. 



Apropos of this Groliath of British Coleopteri. Though re- 

 puted to live on sap, we have never, during the six weeks of 

 his captivity, seen him extract it from leaf or branch by pres- 

 sure of his pinching jaws. His preferred and chosen fare is 

 the syrup from sugared bread, and the only leaves he cares for 

 are those of which the surface is bespread with honey-dew. 

 He seems, in short, to dispense gladly with all labour inciden- 

 tal by nature to procurement of food, and, provided always 

 that he be defended from the unwelcome intrusion (by a leafy 

 canopy) of daylight, seldom evinces restlessness, not even of 

 an evening, his time when at liberty for taking wing. 



On two occasions only has he shown impatience under con- 

 finement, and these have been previous to and during thun- 

 der-storms, when atmospheric influence has urged to the most 

 energetic efforts at escape. 



