348 THE BEETLES. 



seeming afraid, and letting go as soon as they seized each 

 other. More severe are the battles waged between the 

 rival beetles for the possession of a female, which Darwin 

 (" Descent of Man," p. 21MJ) has described in detail. 



Nagel put four Feromce (a species of common running- 

 beetle) with a Staphyliuus niger. The Staphylinus seized one 

 of them between head and thorax, and a furious struggle 

 took place, the three others looking on quietly for awhile. 

 At last, however, they ran to the wrestlers and attempted 

 intervention, but speedily took to flight when they received a 

 push from the latter. At last one of the Feroiriai took 

 courage, and bit the abdomen of the Staphyliuus. It, how- 

 ever, did cot allow itself to be diverted, but finished its 

 murderous work. This so terrified the three other beetles 

 that they promptly crept into the ground. Could the intel- 

 lectual struggle between fear of an overwhelming foe and 

 the desire to help a comrade in distress have happened other- 

 wise among men? 



A (striking example of the sharpness of a beetle is related 

 by G. Berkeley ("Life and' Recollections," vol. II.,p. 356), 

 without the species of beetle being given. While out 

 walking he saw a beetle pulling along something heavy. 

 Kneeling down, he observed that it was the body of a large, 

 brown, apparently dead spider, and that the beetle was 

 more than half -an -inch long, resembling a large fly 

 in appearance, of a dark color, with shining yellow or 

 red sides. The observer took up the beetle on the end of 

 his stick, to look at it more closely, but it fell down off the 

 stick and lost its prey, or let it fall. Both reached the 

 ground about a foot apart. But the beetle at once began to 

 look for its prize, apparently being guided by its scent. 

 When it again found the spider, it approached it carefully, 

 avoiding its head, and touched its side with one of its fore- 

 feet, so as to assure itself that the spider was really dead. 

 On feeling quite convinced, it seized its prey again and ran 

 on. A few steps further it laid it down, however, and went 

 on without it. The observer followed on his hands and 

 knees, and saw it leave the sandy path and climb up on 

 some heather. It here rested for a few mitmtes, whereupon 

 it earned the spider up to the top of the heather and hung 

 it up between the twigs, of which it had clearly known 

 beforehand that they would do to take and keep its game. 



