THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



133 



effectual. Most of people must have ob- 

 served how rarely the body of any wild 

 animal is found dead. These beetles are 

 ever on the look out for anything of the 

 kind, and soon gather in numbers where 

 one is found. Getting below it, they remove 

 a portion of the soil, forming a hollow into ; 

 which it sinks ; more soil is removed and | 

 the carcase sinks deeper, until in an j 

 incredibly short space of time, when the 

 size and means of the workers are con- 

 sidered, it is below the surface, and covered 

 up out of sight. The female deposits 

 her eggs in the buried body, which then 

 serves for food to the larva*. Kirby and . 

 Spence relate several cases where a great 

 amount of work was done in an incredibly 

 short space of time. In one instance a 

 single beetle buried a mole in two days. 



The Cockchafer, already named, belongs 

 to the family Scaraboea, which have stout, 

 heavy bodies, and short, knobbed antenna?. 

 Perhaps this is the most interesting family, 

 not only on account of the beauty of many 

 of the species, but because it includes the 

 Scarabaus of the ancient Egyptians. The 

 Rose Beetle ( Cetonia aurata J is very beauti- 

 ful, being a golden green in color. It fre- 

 frequents roses, devouring the petals, the 

 larva feeding on rotten wood. In Russia, 

 it is used, dried, and powdered, as a remedy 

 for hydrophobia. In the same family are 

 the Goliath Beetles, very large and rare, 

 none of them, we believe, being European. 

 The well-known Stag Beetle (Leucanus 

 cervus ) belongs this family. It is so called 

 from the horny, antler-like projections of 

 the mandibles in the male. Ferocious-look- 

 ing as it is, it is an inoffensive creature, 

 subsisting on honey, or juices of vegetables. 

 The larvae of the Stag Beetles are wood 

 feeders, and have been named among other 

 insects as being the Cos?a: of the Roman 

 epicure. 



The Click Beetles (Elaterida ) are curious 

 from the manner in which they can jump 



up when laid on their back. Their legs are so 

 short that it would be impossible for them to 

 turn over were it not for this power of 

 jumping, which is done by bending the body 

 into an arch, and then suddenly straighten- 

 ing it again producing a short rap, 

 whence the name "click" or "snap" beetle. 

 The thorax is lengthened, and fitted to a 

 hollow on the under side of the abdomen, 

 to enable it to spring with greater ease. 



Another curious family are the Bombar- 

 dier beetles; so called from their power of 

 eje rting, when pursued or annoyed, a pun- 

 gent vapour that either alarms or stupifies 

 th ir enemy, and assists them to escape. 



There are many Water Beetles well 

 wfi.h naming. Hydrophilus piceus is a 

 favorite in aquaria. Unlike others of the 

 la: i r water beetles it is strictly herbarious, 

 preferring, we believe, the decaying leaves 

 of the water plants. Dytiscus marginalis 

 (Fig. 4, pi. i) is commoner than this, but is 

 a most voracious insect, and should never 

 be introduced into an aquarium, though it 

 is a very pretty object. (See paper by Mr. 

 \Y f. -er on breeding this insect.) 



The" Whirligig" Beetles are also well- 

 known. They are sometimes called water 

 cleaners, and it is amusing to watch their 

 gyrations in some smooth corner of a pond. 

 If a stone be thrown, they dive instantly, 

 bi.t only to return to the surface in a few 

 minutes. 



The Weevils may readily be known by 

 their long snouts. They are mostly of 

 small size, some being very minute. They 

 are vegetable feeders, and the larvae, which 

 fesd on seeds or in plants, are among the 

 most destructive in the insect world. They 

 do incredible damage to our cereals and 

 grain crops. 



The Longhorns deserve more than a pass- 

 ing notice, as they are among the most curious 

 looking in the order. Some of them have 

 antennae twice or three times as long as the 

 body. The larvae are whitish, and live in the 



