THE beetle's hum. 65 



"The beetle's drowsy distant hum" is mentioned 

 in one of Hogg's songs, as singing the lullaby of the 

 departing day, and is again described in his amusing 

 little poem " Connel of Dee." 



" The beetle began his wild airel to tune, 

 And sang on the wynd with an eirj'some croon, 

 Away on the breeze of the Dee." 



Vol. II. p. 119. 



The beetle's hum is recorded by Crabbe among 



" the sounds that make 



Silence more awful." 



Shakspeare has Latroduced it with the happiest effect 

 into his " Macbeth." 



" Ere the bat hath flown 



His cloister'd flight ; ere to black Hecate's summons 

 The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums. 

 Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done 

 A deed of dreadful note." 



Macbeth, Act III. Sc. II. 



And here I may be permitted to remark, that a 

 very slight knowledge of Natural History may occa- 

 sionally assist us, iu understanding the description 

 of such authors as record what they themselves have 

 noticed. The beetle is furnished with two large 

 membranaceous wings, which are protected from 

 external injury by two very hard, horny Ming cases, 

 or, as entomologists term them, eljira. The old 

 English name was " shard," and this word was 



p 



