CIX 
and is replaced by a bellicose faciès which could scarcely be 
surpassed. 
The individual dissected had doubtless been picked up dead, it 
was not aged, that is to say the sculpture and the angles of the 
legs were not worn or scratched ; the points of the mandibles and 
the gênai processes were, liowever, some what worn down, and there 
existed on one side of the membranous cephalothoracic space a 
large wound, which had evidently been inflicted during life, for 
the wound in the membrane and in the muscular tissue surroun- 
ding it was infiltrated with the black granular substance which 
many entomologists must hâve noticed as occurring about wounds 
on insects, and which is no doubt similar to the exudations of 
sérum and blood that take place in the wounds of vertebrate 
animais. 
The muscular power of Hypocephalus armatus is no doubt pro- 
digious; the enormous thorax of this individualwas occupied by 
muscles of huge size, the pair of muscles by which the head is 
inflexed being specially enormous. 
The dissection of this individual has convinced me that the pecu- 
liarities of this wonderful insect, as they are seen in the male, are 
directed to fitting the males for carrying on combats with one 
another of an exterminatory nature, and of a peculiar character, 
the point armed at in the attack being the large membranous 
cephalothoracic space I hâve above described. 
This is the only vulnérable part of the body in the male, and it 
is to be borne in mind that it is completely protected when the 
head is closely contracted.I suppose lhat two of these males where 
fîghting strive to seize and overturn one another; when one is 
reversed it will seek to inflex and contract its head, and if itcan 
succeed in doing so and retain the contracted position by aid of 
the enormous muscles it possesses, it is probable that ail the efforts 
of its adversary to complété its victory by wounding and des- 
troying +he overturned individual will be fruitless. On the other 
hand, no doubt the successful individual will seek to prevent its 
more feeble adversary from contracting its head, and if it can do 
this, or if it can pull it open when contracted, it will be able to 
inflict fatal wounds with its mandibles or gênai processes, on the 
large, exposed, soft cephalothoracic space. I suppose the individual 
sent me by M. de Lacerda for dissection had been killed in ttiis 
manner, or rather that it had died some time after receiving the 
wound I hâve mentioned. 
Perhaps it may be permitled to record some other points obser- 
ved while making this dissection and speak briefly as to the posi- 
tion the insect should occupy in classification. 
