278 Mr. J. W. Slater's Notes 



blackisTi-brown colour, and is ejected to the distance of 

 about 1^ inch. 



Though more lively on a bright day than in cloudy 

 weather, they often seemed annoyed by the direct light of 

 the sun, and Avould hide imder leaves, flowers and even 

 under slices of apple. Occasionally I have seen them 

 moving about after sunset. At first, when captured, they 

 were very shy, and if touched used to counterfeit death, 

 but in course of time they became, to a certain degree, 

 tame, and ceased to show any alarm if placed upon a 

 fresh slice of apple, or if raised to their feet when they 

 had fallen upon their backs. In shamming death, they 

 generally assumed the uncouth attitude of the dung-beetles 

 when alarmed, but sometimes they folded their legs up 

 beneath the body, as is done by a Byrrhus when touched. 

 Whether there was any different meaning in these two 

 attitudes I have not been able to perceive. Indeed, con- 

 cerning this simulation of death, and the purposes which 

 it serves, we have still something to learn. We know 

 that it is a stratagem common to certain Coleoptera and 

 to spiders,— that it is the more resorted to, the smaller are 

 the locomotive powers of the species, — and that its object 

 must be the escape from enemies. But against what 

 enemies can it serve as a safeguard? Many destroyers 

 of insects prey upon the living and the dead quite indis- 

 criminately, as, for instance, moles, hedgehogs, rats, mice 

 and birds. A Byrrhus, indeed, when shamming death, 

 might very easily be mistaken by predatory creatures for 

 a pebble or a small clot of dirt. But a Geotrupes, with 

 its legs stuck stiffly out, at once proclaims its organic and 

 animal nature to all comers. 



Kirby and Spence, indeed, maintain that rooks will not 

 prey upon dead beetles, and that the Geotrupes may hence 

 often escape their attentions by simulating death. This 

 will seem a priori improbable if we consider that birds of 

 the crow tribe are particularly given to preying upon dead 

 animal matter. But in addition to the mere improbability, 

 I have met with one direct instance to the contrary. 

 I have seen a dead Geotrupes lying on the ground, have 

 satisfied myself that it was actually dead, have noticed 

 afterwards some rooks busy about the place, and have 

 subsequently found the remains of the Geotrupes pecked 

 to pieces. I place the higher value upon this instance as 

 the rooks were not in captivity, and thus no one can urge 

 that their natural habits had been modified. 



