94 NATURAL HISTORY 



we generally find about four eggs in the female. They have two teeth 

 [mandibles], one on each side. The excrements which belong to the 

 maggot only, are soft, of a brown colour, and pretty uniform ; which 

 last shows a considerable degree of digestive powers. The chrysalis 

 does not become so dry as that of the fly, moth, &c, by which means 

 their extremities are not bound down by the drying of the chrysalis 

 skin. This difference may arise from the chrysalis of the beetle being 

 in a moist place, such as underground ; while those of the moth and fly 

 kind are suspended in dry places. The maggot-beetle has no occasion 

 to enclose itself before it forms the chrysalis, as that of the butterfly 

 does. 



There are nine nervous centres, one of which is near the head, having 

 a vast number of white radii passing out from them, which ramify on 

 all parts of the animal. The stomach passes down almost through the 

 whole animal as in the silk- worm : it is large, making near the whole 

 bulk of the animal ; near to the extremity of the animal it contracts 

 and forms a gut ; but it immediately dilates into a very large bag which 

 has a fissure in it, making it appear externally like two bags or bodies: 

 these appear as if quilted on an external view, which arises from the 

 structure of the inside. The bag again contracts, and opens externally, 

 forming the anus. Lying close to the outer surface of the stomach are 

 the same vessels which are found in the silk-worm, like threads, and 

 coiled up irregularly ; which enter the canal a little above the bags be- 

 fore mentioned. Some of these are yellow, others white. 



This beetle is fully formed at the latter end of July, and all the 

 month of August, and often in September; and in general they fly 

 about in the evenings, and with considerable force. They are found 

 very commonly upon cow-dung, under which they often bury them- 

 selves all night, but not deep. In the month of August and September 

 they are found in the evening crawling and flying about cow-dung, 

 which they would appear to live upon, and are found digging holes in 

 the ground either under the cow- dung, or near by it. Those holes are 

 about twelve, fifteen, and sometimes eighteen inches deep ; and when 

 below the surface some way they often divide into two, three or more 

 holes : into these holes they cany a small quantity of dung, which just 

 covers the bottom of the hole upon which they lay an egg ; they then 

 fill up the hole above the egg with more dung, for about two inches. 

 The dung is not allowed to touch the egg, for it is formed into a small 

 cup round it. In the month of November I found that the eggs had 

 hatched, and pretty large maggots were formed, about one-third of the 

 full size ; and the cup in which the egg had lain was now become 

 larger from the feedins,- of the animal. 



