THE GREAT STAG-BEETLE. 



477 



HKRCTJLBS BEETLE. 



times' known, by means of their jaws, to carry burning coals into 



the houses; 

 and that, in 

 consequence 

 of this, dread- 

 ful fires havo 

 been occasion* 

 ed. 



It is a sing* 

 ular circum- 

 stance respect- 

 i ng these 

 insects, that 



) have frequently found several of their heads near together, and 

 alive, while the trunks and abdomens were nowhere to be seen ; some- 

 times only the abdomens were gone, and the heads and trunks were left. 

 How this takes place, I never could discover. An intimate and intelli- 

 gent friend of mine supposes, however, that it must have been in conse- 



qence of severe battles which at times 

 take place among these, the fiercest of 

 the insect tribes: but their mouths not 

 seeming formed for animal food, he ia 

 at a loss to conjecture what becomes 

 of the abdomens. They do not fly until 

 most of the birds have retired to rest; 

 and indeed, if we were to suppose that 

 any of these devoured them, it would 

 be difficult to say why the heads or trunks should alone be rejected. 



RHINOOEROUS BEETLE. 



8TAO BEETtE. 



The females deposit their eggs in decayed or worm-eaten trees. The 

 lame, which are round and whitish, with rust-colored head and lees 

 are nourished under the bark. In this state they pass six years When 

 about to undergo their change into a chrysalis, each insect forms a hard 

 and solid ball, of the form of an egg, and sometimes as lame as the 

 hand. When the perfect insect issues forth, it is at first quite soft 



