The Devil’s Coach Horse 95 
Devil’s Coach Horse is certainly a friend 
that we do well to cultivate in our gardens. 
Once overcome your prejudice and dislike 
of his exterior, you will discover that you 
have here a useful ally. He is almost 
entirely carnivorous and feeds on insects 
and blight of different kinds, his powerful 
jaws making him more than a match for 
insects as large and larger than himself. 
Thus he will attack large caterpillars 
which are ruining your cabbage plants. 
He certainly ranks with the ladybird 
and other helpmeets which the gardener 
should always be on friendly terms with. 
It is of interest to note that there are a 
number of different species of this beetle, 
and in some the odour which they emit, 
on being disturbed or frightened, is not 
offensive, but on the other hand of a 
pleasing and delicate nature. 
