THE MIMIC BEETLES. 97 



Tliey Tsall not stir for a long- time, unless the sun be shining 

 powerfully on the paper. • 



The important family of the Histeridse now comes before us. 

 These are flattish square-bodied Beetles, with a sort of steely 

 look about them, and as hard to the touch as if their elytra 

 were veritable pieces of plate armour. It is no easy task to 

 get a fine entomological pin through these creatures, the pin 

 either bending, or its point repeatedly slipping off the hard 

 and polished surface of the Beetle in a manner calculated to 

 injure the temper as well as the pin. I alwaj^s used to keep 

 by me a rather fine needle fixed in a handle, and projecting 

 about one-third of an inch, so that I could pierce the hard 

 elytra with the steel point, and then introduce the pin. This 

 needle was useful in setting many other hard-bodied Beetles, 

 especially some of the weevils. 



These hard and glossy elytra are much shorter than the 

 body, and abruptly truncated ; but below them may be seen 

 a beautiful and wide pair of wings packed away with wonderful 

 neatness. The basal joint of the antennag is very long, and the 

 club is boldly marked, the three last joints being almost fused 

 into a globular and velvety knob. The generic name of Hister 

 is derived from a Latin word signifying an actor or a mimic, 

 and is given to these Beetles on account of their habit of 

 simulating death when alarmed. The popular name of Mimic 

 Beetles is often given to them by entomologists. 



On Plate IV. Fig. 8, may be seen one of the handsomest 

 species of this genus, namely, the Four Spot Mimic Beetle 

 {Hister quadrimaculatus). The colour of this insect is black, 

 but on each elytron is a large C-shaped red mark reaching from 

 the base nearly to the apex. This mark is often divided in the 

 middle, so as to produce the effect of four red spots on the 

 back. A narrower line of the same colour mostly runs along 

 the margin ; but this, like in many other Beetles, is apt to be 

 exceedingly variable in the arrangement of its colouring. 



This, together with the rest of the genus, can be found in or 



under decaying animal matter, patches of cowdung being 



favourite resorts. The pertinacity with which these insects 



" will feig-n death when captured is most remarkable, for they 



will endure almost any amount of rough handling withoul 



H 



