7 2 
Of the Death-watchl 
Of the death-watch, 
T HERE are two kind of infers which make a re¬ 
gular clicking noife like the beats of a pocket 
watch; one of them called by Swammerdam, fcarabeus 
fonicephalus, and the other called by Mr. Qerham, pedi- 
culus pulfatorius. 
The firft of them is a fmall beetle, about five fixtenths 
of an inch in length u , of a dark brown colour, with 
fpots fomewhat lighter irregularly placed. It is repre- 
fented of its natural fize at fig. 121. Under its vaginae 
are pellucid wings, the head large, by reafon of a cap or 
helmet which covered it, only a little turned up at the 
ears; under this appeared its head, which was flat and 
thin, the eyes forward, the lips hard and fhining, the 
bars of the helmet greyifh ; two antennae proceeded from 
under the eyes, the head all hairy, and face thick of 
curled hair; on the belly was a little hair, but thinly fet; 
its eyes like thofe of a fly. Fig. 122. is a microfcopic 
picture of it; between the eyes the face rifes in a little 
ridge, which is the nofe; and juft below it the noftrils 
are covered with ftrait pendulous hair, the lip-fhades fhevv 
the more deprefled places ; under this lip are four vifible 
forceps, two on each fide to lay hold on its food. They 
make a noife juft like the beats of a pocket-watch, Mr. 
Derham has often caufed one of them to beat when he 
pleafed by imitating its beating, and this he kept in a 
little box about three weeks and imagines, that thefe 
pulfations is the way thefe infects woo each other, and 
invite to copulation and that it always draws back its 
mouth, and beats with its forehead *. 
The 
x Phil. Tranf. No, 271. 
» Phil. Tranf. No, 2 45, 
