DE. F. LEUTHJS'ER ON THE ODONTOLABINI. 401 



grasping at the tip and for piercing in the middled In the amphiodont form the basal 

 teeth might be supposed, from their appearance, to be adapted for mastication. 

 Unfortunately, no observations have been recorded from which we could guess their 

 use ^. In the smallest priodont forms the pincers are converted into saw-like scissors. 



If we consider that it is more than probable that the males fight for the possession 

 of the females ^, we may regard the mandibles of the large forms as offensive, and those 

 of the small ones as defensive weapons **. 



' Numerous injuries were observed in specimens of 0. alces of all sizes ; some of these consisted of deep 

 punctures and indentations, generally in pairs, on the hard prothorax and elytra, which were evidently pro- 

 duced by the middle teeth of the mesodont form. In other cases the tips of the front tibia were amputated ; 

 aud in two instances saw-like impressions were noticed on the side of the elytra, evidently due to the jaws of 

 the priodont forms. In some interesting cases these double wounds were completely cicatrized, as, for inBtance, 

 iu a specimen of 0. cv.vera in Major Parry's collection (oomp. the accompanying woodcut). This shows that 



Elytra of a specimen of Odoniolahis cuvera, J , showing injuries apparently caused by the mandibles 



of a telodont <J of the same species. 



the injuries must have been inflicted when the example had only just emerged from the pupa and was still 

 soft. These impressions, three on each side, agree with the form of the branched telodont mandibles of this 

 species. Such injuries occur more or leas frequently iu all the Lucanidai in which the males are provided with 

 large jaws, as well as in smaller species, such as Heterochthes andamanensis, Westw., aud even in delicate forms 

 like Cefwc7(»s piccMS, Weber. In the Chinese Neolucamis nitidus, Saund., the mandibles are broken off near 

 the base in all the males examined (comp. p. 427). 



^ Our common Stag-Beetle (Lumniis cervus) sucks the exuding sap of oaks, and will also feed on sugar and 

 water or honey by day {Swammerdam). It would probably not reject soft fruit too (comp. Waterhouse, Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Lond. i. p. iv., 1836). It is even asserted by several authors ("Westwood, Mod. Class. Ins. i. p. 187) 

 that it kills other insects, especially smooth catcrjjillars, with its mandibles, in order to suck their juices. 



' This is maintained by Darwin, Schlechtendal (' Jahresbericht des Yereins fiir Naturkuude in Zwickau,' 

 1874, p. 25), Chopin (comp. Brehm's ' Illustrirtes Thierleben,' 2 Auflage, Band ix. p. 74), and others. W. von 

 Reichenau is of a different opinion (' Kosmos,' 1879, Band iv. p. 56); he disputes the fact of the animals 

 fighting among themselves or contending for the females, and maintains that the horns of Lucanidae have 

 not become developed by natm-al selection as weapons, but simply to terrify their enemies. I consider it 

 more probable that both causes have operated simultaneously. 



* Compare Semper, ' Conditions of Existence,' pp. 366-368, fig. 96. 



VOL. XI. — PART XI. No. 3. — November, 18S5. 3 o 



