The Beetle, however, does not restrict itself to the hornet, but is sometimes parasitic on the caterpillar of the goat-moth! In this case, though the task of getting it out of the tree is not so dangerous as in the case when it quarters itself on the hornet, it is quite as tedious and IS fatiguing.

One species of this genus, Quedius brevis, is to be found in the nests of the wood-ant {F ormica rufa). One of these Beetles shown on Plate XL The an length of this insect is about half ; inch, and its elytra are brick-red.

The family of the Staphylinidse, which comes next in order contains the largest species of this group of Beetles, some of them reaching, or even slightly exceeding, an inch in length. They may be known by several peculiarities of structure. Tim ■ antennae are set far apart, their junction with the head beinofront, within the base of the mandibles, which areTarge and

formidable. The maxillary palpi are slender, and the ligula ! small. The spiracles of the protborax are large. The tarsi [ of the front feet are dilated in the males and slender in the j females, and may be seen by reference to Woodcut No. VII., where Fig. a represents the tarsus of a female Staphylinus, and h | the same joint in the male. The jaws, too, are not so powerful j in the female, neither are their heads so large as in the case !j ( with the other sex.

OuE first example of the Staphylinidse is one of the finest — in ;| my opinion the very finest — of that family. It is called scien- i tifically Greophilus maxillosus, but has, unfortunately, no popular name, probably because it is confoimded in the popular mind with the common black species, which will be presently ; described. Its name is more appropriate and expressive than ; is generally the case with insect names. The word Greojphilua is of Greek origin, and signifies ‘ flesh-lover,’ while the specific title of maxillosus signifies ‘ large-jawed.’ Both names show that those who affixed them to the insect were thoroughly acquainted with its character and form, for the Beetle is a most voracious carrion eater, and has jaws that are of enormous size in proportion to its body. The colour of this Beetle is shining- ^ black, but it is mottled with short grey down. j

In some places this Beetle is tolerably plentiful, but in others it is seldom if ever seen. It can generally be captured in the bodies of moles that have been suspended by the professional mole- ' catchers — and, indeed, these unfortunate moles are absolute treasure-houses for the coleopterist, as we shall see when we come to the next group of Beetles. A figure of this insect is given on Woodcut No. VIII. Fig. 3. It is the only British species of its genus, which is distinguished by having short and thickened antennaB, smooth head and thorax, and the latter rounded.

Next comes a Beetle belonging to the typical genus of the of the entire group. It is the Bed Kovb • family, or, indeed, {Staphylinus ccesareus), which is represented on ^ Beetle Woodcut VII. Fig c, in the act of closing its wings after flight, ; and on Plate IV. Fig 3, as it appears when flying. |

There is some Httle difficulty respecting the name of Staphy- | linus. This title is given by ancient writers to two very, j

Plate Iv. Rove Beetles And Burying Beetles.

Boletobius atricapillus.
Ocypus olens (eggs below).
Staphylinus csesareus.
Necrophorus bumator.
Necrophorus mortuorum.
Choleva angustata.
Hister bimaculata.
Nitidula depressa. Necrophorus 12. Silpha thoracica, larva. 10. Boletobius in gills of Mushroom. 11. Necrophorus humator, larva. vespillo. 13. Ocypus olens, larva. 14. Silpha thoracica (on body of bird). Plant ; — Edible Mushroom (Agaricus campestris).

I V .

a carrot or parsnip, and a sort of ,1 different objects, namely, Beetle that gives out an unpleasant odour. As, however, the >9' said to walk about with its tail in the s,i insect in question was have considered that the term was applied air, entomologists Brachelytra, and, rightly or wrongly, the name , to some of the by entomologists of all countries. The ( has been accepted given to this insect, is in allusion to its i specific name ccesareus, resembles the ‘ clotted-blood ’ purple of Caesar s || colom’, which imperial mantle.

There is another insect, which is found in the northern part of England, and which very much resembles this species. It is the Staphylinus erythropterus, or Euddy-winged Eove Beetle, and may be distinguished by the fact that the scutellum is covered with gold-coloured hair. The Beetle is tolerably common, and in the summer-time may often be seen on the wing, when it looks something Hke a reddish, long-bodied bee. It is fond of settling on gravel walks which are exposed to the heat of the sunbeams, partly for the sake of the warmth, and partly because the colour of the gravel harmonises with the ruddy hue of its body.

Six species of this genus inhabit England. The genus is distinguished by having the whole of the body nearly smooth, the thorax squared, and the antennae slender.

Now comes an insect that is very familiar to us, the Devil’s CoACH-noRSE, as it is popularly and fancifully called. Its scientific name is Ocypus olens, and it may be recognised by a glance at Fig. 2 on Plate IV., where it is represented in the attitude which it assumes when annoyed or when thinking itself in danger.

I really think that this is the very ugliest insect in England. It is scarcely so repulsive as the cockroach, its wonderful courage and spirit being redeeming points, but it is so very hideous, that the popular name exactly expresses its appearance. Its colour is dull, dead black, its eyes, which scarcely !its horrible tail, when odour raised that has menacingly been like that of a scorpion, proproject from the head, have a cold, cruel look about them, and

trudes two yellow vesicles at the tip, from which emanates the already mentioned. Sometimes I it finds its way into cellars and larders, if they be wholly or

partially underground ; and then the servants are always much alarmed at the creature, of which they have a dread which is superstitious rather than the offspring of mere prejudice or ignorance.

As its appearance suggests, it is one of the predacious Beetles, and is as fierce and brave as it is voraoious. It really seems not to know what fear is, and no enemy seems to frighten it. I once came across one of these Beetles at the foot of the old Clifton Baths stairs at Margate, and threatened it with the point of my stick. The Beetle at once dashed at the stick with open jaws, and fought most valiantly. Of course I did not wish to hurt the insect, so I merely continued the feigned attack, the Beetle retreating with its face to the foe and its jaws wide open, until it had fairly surmounted the whole flight of stairs, invariably tuiming round as it reached the top of each stair, and making a fresh dash at the stick. It was exceedingly angry, but did not show the least symptom of fear, though I repeatedly struck violently within a few inches of its head. I was so pleased witli the dauntless courage of the Beetle, that, when it reached the top, I put it into a deep chalk crevice of the cliff, where it would be safe from the mischievous boys who infest the place.

This is one of the most active of Beetles. Being furnished, like all its family, with long and ample wings, and not being burdened, like the chafers, with a thick and heavy body, it flies with great rapidity, and can pass over incredible distances without being ‘obliged to rest. It is equally active on the ground, for which reason the generic name of Ocypus, or ‘ swift-footed,’ has been given to it. Some writers on entomology have given to this insect the generic name of Goenn^, or ‘ mournful,’ in consequence of its sombre and funereal colouring. The specific title olens, or ‘ stinking,’ is given to it in consequence of the horrible emanations from the tail tubercles.

We will now glance at the life history of this Beetle, which, in spite of its ugliness, is really a very interesting one.

The eggs of all the Staphylinidae are large in proportion to the creature which produces them, but those of the Devil’s Coach-horse are larger than those of the largest British insect, being one-tenth of an inch in length and one-twelfth broad.

A group of these eggs is shown on Plate IV., just below the Beetle itself.

When these are hatched little larvae issue from them, somewhat similar in form to the parent insect, though, of course, without any vestige of wings. These larvae are quite as fierce as the perfect insects, and mtich more voracious, eating being indeed, as with all larvae, the chief business of their lives. They are predacious, and, though they will devom- carrion when they can procure it, will attack and kill any insect which comes near them, not even sparing their own kind. They have an ingenious mode of seizing their prey in the soft interval between the head and neck, and then, plunging their sharp and curved jaws deeply into its body, suck out its juices.

These larvae can be found throughout the spring, and may often be captured by digging shallow holes in the ground in some sheltered spot, placing a piece of meat, a dead bird or frog, in the hole, and covering it with a stone so as to protect it from the elements, but leaving space for the ingress and egress of the Beetles. Towards the end of spring or the beginning of summer, the larva is full fed, and burrows a hole in the earth, in which it undergoes the change to the perfect form.

There is a strange peculiarity about the pupae of these Beetles. With nearly all wing-bearing Coleoptera, the wings are folded under the elytra, even though the latter organs be comparatively short ; but, in the pupae of these curious Beetles, the wings are extended beyond the elytra and fold over the breast, so that two-thirds of their length is seen beyond the elytra. They remain in the pupal state for a fortnight or three weeks, and then assume the perfect form. The Beetle is most plentiful in the autumn. I strongly recommend any of my readers not to injure this Beetle, repulsive as it may appear. It does no hai-m, either to the garden, the orchard, or the field, but, on the contrary, from its inveterate insect-eating habits, rather confers a benefit on the agriculturist.

Specimens of this Beetle should always be set so as to show the beautiful wings; and one should be set on its back, in order to exhibit the peculiarities of the under side. None of the Brachelytra are easy insects to set properly, as their le<ya have a tendency to twist themselves in the wrong direction, or

to fall off altogether, and their long bodies have a way of shutting up like the joints of a telescope, so that the end of the tail only conaes a little beyond the elytra, thus entirely altering the normal shape of the insect. These larger Staphylinidae, however, are not so troublesome as the smaller genera, and the beginner will find it better to commence with them, and then proceed to the smaller kinds.

There are eleven British species of this genus, which is known by the long thread-like antennae, with the last joint oblique at the tip and the large head.

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