294 
OIL BEETLE. 
markably short, and cover but little more than a third 
of the body. Oil beetles are common in the advanced 
state of spring in fields and pastures, where they 
may be seen creeping slowly along, and dragging 
after them a body which appears to be so loaded 
and distended with eggs as to cause the insects to 
move with difficulty. The eggs, which are very 
small, and of an orange colour, are deposited by 
the female in a large heap or mass beneath the sur- 
face of the ground : from these are hatched the 
larvae, which at their first appearance scarcely mea- 
sure a line in length, and are of an ochre yellow, 
with black eyes : they are furnished with short an- 
tennae, six legs of moderate length, and a long, 
jointed, tapering body, terminated by two forked 
filaments or processes. These larvae are found to 
live by attaching themselves to other insects and 
sucking their juices. They have been seen to 
fasten themselves strongly to common flies, &c., a 
practice so extraordinary as to have caused consi- 
derable doubt whether they could possibly have 
been the real larvae of the meloe proscarabaeus. It 
has been, however, completely proved by Degeer 
that they immediately fasten themselves to any 
insect, whether living or dead, that is placed near 
them. The oil which is exuded from the body of 
this beetle is of a deep yellow colour, and of a very 
peculiar and penetrating smell. It has been highly 
celebrated for its supposed efficacy in rheumatic 
pains, &c., and was occasionally used as an embro- 
cation on the parts affected. 
