96 
STRANGE DWELLINGS. 
hatched, and from it proceeds a little white grub, which finds 
itself at once in the midst of food, and begins to eat vigorously. 
By the time it has devoured the whole of the contents of its 
cocoon — if the mere empty shell may be so called — it is 
ready for its change into the pupal form, and there lies in 
the earth until it again changes its form and becomes a perfect 
beetle. 
Perhaps the most extraordinary of these cocoons is that 
which is represented in the illustration. This is made by one 
of the gigantic beetles of the tropics. The insect which made 
it has no English name, but is scientifically called Goliaihus jj 
Drurii. This wonderful cocoon is as large as a swan’s egg, 
and, as may be seen by reference to the illustration, has very 
thin walls in proportion to its size. It is strengthened by a 
remarkable belt, which runs around its centre, exactly like that 
of the bullet which is used for the two-grooved rifle. How the ! 
belt is formed is perfectly unknown, as is its use, unless the 
strengthening of the walls be its only object. I have carefully 
examined the cocoon itself, and specimens of the insect which 
made it, and can find nothing which affords the least clue to 
the difficulty. 
There is no doubt as to the species of insect which made it, 
for the creature lies inside, a small portion of the ends of the j 
elytra and part of one leg being visible through the fracture. 
The colour of the beetle is peculiarly beautiful, being rich dark 
chocolate, soft and deep as made of velvet, and upon the 
thorax and round the elytra are drawn broad streaks of creamy | 
white. On account of the large dimensions of the cocoon, it 
has necessarily been reduced in size, but a common house-fly i 
is introduced into the drawing, in order to show the com- 
parative size of the cocoon and the insect. 
i 
Many of the Orthopterous insects are burrowers, either 
digging holes wherein they themselves reside, or preparing a 
subterranean habitation for their young. 
The best-known and most important of these insects is the 
Mole Cricket ( Grylloialpa vulgaris ), called in some places 
