SO AR ABiEIDiE. 
247 
of the life-history of few Indian species have been observed, and many 
forms fly in the rains. Elsewhere careful observations have been made 
and the extremely interesting accounts of M. Fabre should be read by 
every student. (There is an English translation of M. Fabre’s first 
volume entitled “Insect Lifethe original volumes are in French, under 
the title “Souvenirs Entomologiques Major Popham Young sent 
a large ball found eight feet below the surface of the soil in Patiala when 
excavations were being made for a house, which was evidently the ball 
containing the larva of a large Copride. Sykes gives an account of the 
finding of the immense balls made by Helioco'pris midas in Poona in the 
soil. One ball remained thirteen months before the imago emerged, 
another sixteen months. During this time the insect was in the larval 
and pupal stage, and the life-history would occupy probably two years. 
(Trans. Ent. Soc., London, Yol. I, p. 1835.) A few (Onthophagus) attack 
decaying animal matter and these are the little beetles which so prompt¬ 
ly remove the larger dead insects ; the disappearance of dead locusts is 
marvellously quick, and the powers of smell of these beetles must be 
very acute to bring them so quickly to the scene. A few are found in de¬ 
cayed trees. The larvae are never seen and live below ground. 
The members of this family exercise a very important function in 
the economy of nature; not only do they cleanse the surface of the earth 
of the excrementitious matter deposited on it, but they carry into the 
soil quantities of this valuable manure that would otherwise become des- 
sicated on the surface and with the first heavy fall of rain, would be wash¬ 
ed away and carried down in the streams and rivers to the sea. A very 
great quantity of manurial matter is probably rendered available in the 
soil by the activities of these insects, and though it is not possible to 
definitely estimate the effect of their work, it is certainly a very consid¬ 
erable one. Species have been imported to the Hawaiian Islands in 
the hope that, by destroying the droppings of cattle quickly, they may 
reduce the numbers of the Horn fly (Hcematobia serrata ) which breeds 
there. 
Sound is produced in a variety of ways, by friction of two parts of 
the body. In Bolboceras , the male has a corrugated expansion of the 
lower surface of the head, and by moving his head up and down, he 
rubs it against the edge of the pronotum, producing a squeaking noise. 
