THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



153 



stances to the most finished subtlety. Of this there are 

 abundant instances. A carnivorous animal famishing for 

 living prey, but disgusted with dead bodies, is on the point 

 of seizing in the water the large shelly larva of a Dytiscus. 

 All at once the latter perceives his enemy, and as soon as 

 it is touched by him, from being turgid and vigorous, 

 immediately becomes soft and repulsively flaccid. The 



03. The Pine Cui'culio, enlargeil. 



aggressor, thinking he has only a dead animal in his mouth, 

 drops his prey. 



This coleopter having become horny Avith adult age, can- 

 not coUajise, and it therefore employs another stratagem. 

 So soon as we take a Dytiscus from one of our marshes, 

 it is scarcely laid hold of before we see a white, milky, 

 repulsively stinking fluid issue from all the pores of its 

 skin, which the most hungry animal could not endure. 



As children, we have all been struck with the sight of 

 Coleoptera, Avhich, so soon as we touch them with our 

 fingers, feign death by becoming absolutely motionless, 

 and which, when they are left to themselves, relax their 

 limbs, and very soon scamper ofi^ at full speed. Some of 

 them remain so absolutely motionless, that nothing can 



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