MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTOEY. 171 



the attacks of Mosquitoes, and the swarms of Flies 

 that make the air above him musical, will all force 

 themselves upon his notice. Among the Beetles he 

 will of necessity acquire many fine species, these in- 

 sects being very numerous, more than eighty thou- 

 sand species being already known. He will see the 

 splendid Buprestidce alighting on the leaves and 

 trunks of trees in sunny spots of the woods, the 

 Tiger-Beetles flying over sandy tracts, the Ground- 

 Beetles running among the herbage, the Diving- 

 Beetles in the ponds, the Carrion-Beetles preying on 

 the carcases, the Dung-Beetles revelling in the ex- 

 crement of various quadrupeds, the Fungus-Eaters 

 in the rotting Toadstools and Agarics, and the Stag- 

 Beetles and Darkling-Beetles hiding under bark, or 

 among the tangled roots of old forest trees. 



Among Orthopterous insects, tropical forms of 

 large size and splendid colours will often arrest his 

 attention, nor will he fail to marvel at the wondrous 

 forms of the Walking-Stick and Leaf-Insects he may 

 encounter on his path. Among this order he will 

 also find the devastating Locusts, the lively Crickets, 

 the pestiferous Cockroaches, and the pious Sooth- 

 sayers, which raise their fore-feet as in the act of 

 prayer. 



The little Bee-Parasites (Strepsiptera) must be 

 sought after by the intelligent traveller in the bodies 

 of the Bees he may capture, on examining the abdo- 

 mens of which he will see their small white heads 

 protruding from between the segments. Of course 

 among the Neuropterous insects the Dragon-Flies 



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