286 
MR. NEWPORT ON THE TEMPERATURE OF INSECTS. 
gas produced during their confined respiration. The temperature of the atmosphere 
of the phial at the commencement of the observation was 7 1°‘3, at the termination 
73 0, 2, a difference of only 1°‘9. 
Lucanus cervus, Linn. 
July b, 1834, 9 a.m. — The temperature of the atmosphere being 67°, that of a male 
specimen of this insect, the great Stag Beetle, which had been fasting about two days, 
was very carefully taken while the insect was lying at rest, by placing the bulb of the 
thermometer for several minutes against the surface of its abdomen. The mercury 
rose to 67°'3, a difference of only - 3 of a degree of external temperature. At 9^ a.m. 
I inclosed the insect in a stoppered phial of about three cubic inches capacity. The 
temperature of the atmosphere and of the phial was 66 0, 9. The insect remained per- 
fectly at rest for a quarter of an hour, at the expiration of which the atmosphere of 
the phial was 67°‘l. At the expiration of half an hour it was 67°'2, and the external 
temperature of the insect itself was 67°*4. During this period the insect had remained 
perfectly quiet, but at the expiration of an hour it began to find itself uneasy, and 
became slightly active, probably from the presence of carbonic acid gas in the phial, 
which had been generated during respiration. At 10| the atmosphere of the phial 
was raised to 68°‘5, or 1 0, 5 higher than at the commencement of the observation. The 
temperature of the atmosphere was now 66 0, 6. The insect was then removed from 
the phial, and the bulb of a delicate thermometer passed beneath its elytra, and the 
mercury rose to 68°‘2. The insect was then placed on its back upon a smooth table, 
which occasioned it to exert itself greatly in order to recover its proper position. The 
bulb of the thermometer was applied as before, and the mercury rose to 69 0, 2, or 2 0, 6 
above that of the atmosphere. At 4 p.m., atmosphere 7 1°> temperature of the insect 
beneath the elytra as before, was 7 1 0, 5. 
Coccinella septempunctata, Linn. 
It is almost impossible to ascertain with any precision the temperature of these 
interesting little insects, the Lady Cows, but I have sufficient reason for believing 
that it is very considerable, and corresponds with the views which ought to place 
them in the class of volant diurnal insects of high temperature. Had a larger number 
of specimens been employed, I have no doubt that the amount of heat evolved would 
have corresponded with the very high degree of respiration which they are found to 
possess. July, 9 a.m., atmosphere 67°‘l, eight specimens were confined in a cubic 
inch phial, the temperature of which was 68°*2 , and when four of them were clinging 
to the bulb of the thermometer the mercury immediately rose, and was maintained 
at 68° - 5, and after a short interval, when the insects had been moderately active, the 
thermometer stood at 69°, a difference of nearly one degree. 
