222 INSECTS AT HOlVfE. 



taught to interchange ideas with their fellow men. But, sup- 

 posing that a man who was incapable of sight or hearing were 

 also found without a mouth, and yet possessing the power of 

 living without food, we should think that such a being must 

 have reached the very abyss of misery — a misery beyond all 

 power of alleviation. 



Yet in the Beetle which is shown on Woodcut XXIV. Fig. 5, 

 we see an insect in which these imaginary privations are tlie 

 normal state, and which possesses neither eyes nor mouth, and 

 is capable of supporting existence without food. We should, 

 however, be very wrong in supposing that this insect must be 

 miserable because a human being under such conditions would 

 be supremely wretched, and may be sure that, in some myste- 

 rious way, this Beetle, which leads a darkling life and is incapable 

 of eating, is just as happy in its way as the brilliant butterfly 

 that basks in the sunshine, and flits from flower to flower, en- 

 joying their lovely colours and sweet juices. 



Whether the insect be possessed of some senses unknown to 

 us, must of necessity be a problem not likely to be solved, but, 

 as far as we can judge, the only sense which it can possess is 

 that of touch. The name Pselaphidae refers to this supposition, 

 and is formed from a Greek word, signifying the groping move- 

 ments of one who tries to find his way in the dark. 



The name of this Beetle is Claviger foveolatus, the former 

 name signifying 'club-bearer,' and given to the insect on 

 account of the form of the antenna, which is boldly clubbed, 

 and has only five joints. This Beetle can be found in the nests 

 of the yellow ant {Formica fiava), a very common insect, which 

 makes its nests under large stones if it can find them, or, in 

 default of such shelter, throws up little mouuds of 'sarth. It 

 can be found plentifully on heaths and hilly distiicts. The 

 colour of the insect is yellow, like that of the ant with which 

 it lives, and it has no wings. The name foveolatus is given 

 to it on account of the deep fovea, or hollow, in the middle of 

 the abdomen. 



