24 COLEOPTERA. 



numbers collect together, and gliding under the 

 animal, work with great activity, removing the 

 earth, till by degrees the body disappears, and 

 is buried without our seeing the workmen, or 

 observing how it is effected. Four or five of 

 these insects will thus entomb a mole in less 

 than twenty-four hours. When it is once com- 

 pletely under the surface, they enter the body 

 and feed without fear. 



The Larvae, which are born in corruption, 

 are of a greyish white colour, with a brown 

 head. The body has twelve divisions with a 

 rusty scale between each. They have six small 

 scaly feet attached to the three first rings of the 

 body. The larva in due time buries itself in 

 the ground, forms an oval cell, turns to a yel- 

 lowish chrysalis, from which in about there 

 weeks proceeds the perfect insect. . 



SPECIFICATION. 



Silpha germanica. S. oblonga atra, clypeo obro- 

 tundo inaequali marginato, elytris obtusissimis 

 margine laterali ferrugineis. Linn. St/st. Nat* 

 p. 569. GmeLp. 1615. 



