COLEOPTEEOUS IRSEOTS. 
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entirely of a brownish-black colour, the surface 
shining and thickly covered with small punctures. 
The female is considerably less, the mandibles are 
quite short, and the head is proportionally much 
smaller. 
“ I believe it has been supposed by several wri- 
ters,” says Mr Waterhouse, “ that the mandibles 
of the stag-beetle are designed for perforating the 
bprk of trees, and thus causing the sap to flow, on 
which the insect is said to feed ; but I do not re- 
collect ever seeing this confirmed on positive au- 
thority. During the past summer I kept a stag- 
beetle alive for several weeks: I allowed him to 
bite my finger with his mandibles, which he did 
with great strength and perseverance for some se- 
conds ; and immediately, on relaxing his hold, ap- 
plied alternately one of his antennae, and the galea 
of his maxillae, to the indentation, as if to ascertain 
whether any moisture was flowing from the wound. 
The stag-beetle has a small patch of golden coloured 
hair near the base of the fore leg, the use of which, 
I believe, has never been pointed out ; — it is evi- 
dently for the purpose of cleaning the antennae, 
which, after touching saccharine fluids, become 
sticky. The insect does this in the most adroit 
manner, bending back the antenna and placing it 
beneath the leg, and then drawing it out slowly. 
The specimen which I had became after a time 
tame and playful, sometimes amusing himself by 
tossing about a ball of cotton with his horns. He 
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