ODOUR OF THE ROVE BEETLES. 67 



larger species, so menacing an aspect that many persons are 

 afraid to touch so formidable an insect. In reality, the smaller 

 species are more to be dreaded than the larger. I have already 

 mentioned that the Brachelytra take easily to wing, when 

 they may be mistaken for flies, so ample are their wings and 

 so quick their movements. Many of them are very small — 

 not thicker than an ordinary horsehair — and these are almost 

 invariably the little black ' flies ' that are in the habit of getting 

 into the eye on fine summer evenings, and causing an amount 

 of pain which seems quite disproportionate to the size of the 

 insect. Of com-se even a small fly would cause pain if it got 

 into the eye; but Avhen one of these Beetles finds itself 

 imprisoned, it instinctively turns up its pointed tail, and 

 thus causes a double amount of irritation. I believe that, 

 out of every ten ' flies ' that get into the eye, seven are Bra- 

 chelytra. 



Although the larger Brachelytra need not be particularly 

 dreaded, in spite of their fierce looks, it is as well not to handle 

 them without necessity. Their bite, although sharp, is of no 

 particular conseqxience ; but they possess a more formidable 

 weapon than their jaws. At the end of the tail are two tuber- 

 cles, which exude a secretion of the most odious character. 

 Like that of the skunk, it has an odour, or rather a stench, 

 peculiarly — and fortunately so — its own, and which cannot be 

 described by any comparison. That of the common snake, 

 when irritated, comes, perhaps, nearer it than any other ; but 

 even that singularly unpleasant emanation is not so utterly 

 disgusting as the effluvium of an angry Eove Beetle. 



As each group of insects has certain characteristics by which 

 its members can be identified, I will here mention some of the 

 chief characters which mark the Brachelytra. The observer should 

 first note the comparative sizes and shapes of the joints of the 

 antennae, palpi, and tarsi ; then, let him look for the spiracles, 

 or breathing holes, in the prothorax. Next in importance 

 come the quantity and colour of any down that may be on the 

 insect ; while the relati\'e width of the front tarsi will deter- 

 mine the sex. 



The first family is that of the Aleocharidse. In this family 

 the spiracles on the sides of the prothorax are plainly visible, 



r 2 



