The reader may as well be warned that, although these Beetles are very pretty to the eye, they are not equally pleasing to the nostril, being in the habit of sending from their mouth i a horribly fetid black fluid, the odour of which is as enduring as it is disgusting.^ This fluid is probably produced by the i putrid nature of its food, for Beetles which have recently > changed from the pupal form, and those which have fasted for some time, do not possess it.

We will now trace the progress of the insect from the ew to the perfect Beetle.

Soon after they are. deposited, the eggs are hatched: the larvffi being rather long, fleshy, of narrowed the at each end, and body very distinctly marked. The legs are very tiny, and much too small to move the large, heavy body. A curious substitute for legs is, howplate, with strongly-toothed edges. By alternately elongating and shortening its body, the creature is able to force its wav through the soft material on which it feeds, just as a snake glides upon the ground, or the worm beneath it. One of these larvae, a very young one, is shown on Plate IV. Fig 11

When the larva has attained the length of an 'inch and a ate. This It does by ceasing to feed, and making for itLlf a

sort of cell or cocoon under the ground, in which it casts oif its larva skin, and becomes a rather odd-looking pupa, having the end of its tail armed with two sharp spines, by means of which it is able to turn itself about in its cell, from which it emerges, in the spring, a perfect Beetle.

Neorodes littoralis. 2. Scydm®nus tarsatns. 3. Anisotoma cmnamomea, ^ Agathidiumtevigatum. 6. MeUgethes ffineus. a. Scydm«m«, antenna. c. Anisotoma, labial palpi. d. Neorodes. maxillary palpns. e. Necrodes, lamlxilla- bium. /. Necrodes, antenna. g. Anisotoma, antenna.

No. X. Fig. 1, is a Beetle which is closely

On Woodcut genus, but can at once be distinguished allied to the preceding of the antennae, the club of which is egg-shaped, by the shape and by the shape of the elytra, which graand not globular, in width from the base to the apex, where they dually increase Its name is Necrodes littoralis. The are abruptly truncated. will notice the great size of the femora (or thighs) o reader of legs. This is a sign that the specimen from the hind pair

which it was drawn was a naale. The colour of the Beetle is black, the three last joints of the antennae being reddishyellow. Each of the elytra has three smooth ridges running down its complete length, and a short one at the base between the second and third ridges. Between the second and third ridges there is a bold elevated tubercle, the second ridge bending towards it and then bending back to its course. Beneath, the body is glossy-black.

Though not so plentiful as the preceding insects, this is not a rare Beetle, and can be found in carrion, or under decaying sea-weeds. I have knocked it out of suspended moles. The antenna of this Beetle is shown on the same illustration, Fig./, the maxillary palpus at d, and the labium at e. A favomite resort for this Beetle is the bank of a river, or the sea-shore, and on this account it has received its specific title of littoralis. This is the only British species.

The genus Silpha is known by the flattened body, the antennae being less boldly clubbed, and having eleven joints instead of ten. There are thirteen species inhabiting England, and they are all much smaller than the members of the preceding genera. Upon Plate IV. is shown the handsomest of the British SilphaB, namely, Silpha thoradca. It is represented as crawbng over the body of the bird. This fine insect is readily known by its colouring. The head is black, and the thorax is brick-red, covered with a very short golden down, and much crumpled. The elytra are very much like those of the precedmg insect, being black, and traversed longitudinally y ree ridges, the second and third of which are connected is more satiny thJ than that of Neorodes, and, when viewed with a magnifyinff lens and a strong light, the space between the ridges is change able m patehes, hke ‘moire’ the base of the silk, and there are short ridges * at elytra.

The larvae of all the Silphas are very different from those of Necrophorus. Instead of being sluggish, fat, long-bodied orubs they are active, flat, and wide, running about with wonderful velocity. A heap of old marrow bones is a very favouritp haunt of these larv^, and, if the bones are tapp/d raTto disturb without hurting their inmates, it is wonderful to sL

how the flat, black larvae come scurrying out, looking very much like black wood-lice, and perfectly well able to take care of themselves ; while the larvae of Necrophorus are utterly helpless on the surface of the ground.

Silphae may he found in much the same localities as the preceding insects. The best places to find them are, however, the moles that are too often seen suspended on twigs, and the more moles there are near each other, the richer will be the harvest of Silphae. I have found that ten moles on one branch contain many more Silphae than double the number scattered over a wide area.

But, the ‘ happy hunting grounds ’ of any entomologist who is looking after Necrophaga are the ‘keepers’ trees,’ those monuments of misguided energy. The best keepers’ trees, in i ii an entomological point of view, are those of the New Forest, and on them are found the carcases of owls, weasels, stoats, hawks, ravens, and now and then a rare bird or two, such as magpies, the honey-buzzard. The suspended carcases look quiet enough, but when the net is held under one of them, and a series of

administered, it is wonderful to see how it swarms with taps animal life. First, out come Beetles of various kinds, some trying to fly away as soon as they reach the open air, but most themselves fall into the net. Next comes a whole i letting swarm of larvae, and, when the bird is a large one, it really seems as if the creatures never would cease from pouring out. to collect and watch the habits of these , ; ; Those who wish Beetles cannot do better than make a preserve for them by j ' ; up the body of a rabbit, a puppy, a kitten, or some i hanging creature, so that it may be within the reach of the eye, , such and out of the reach of any except winged devourers. ^ |||

The word 8ilpha is Grreek, and signifies an ill-smelling insect, but the nomenclature of the ancient writers is so uncer- ||j absolutely identify the name with the tain that we cannot name thoracica refers to the very coninsect. The specific and the large size of the thorax. The larva spicuous colour- Beetle is shown on Plate TV. Fig. 12, first appearing of this from under the wing of the bird. | ) ^

of the Cholevina are known by their nar- . |

The sub-family bodies, and their heads being sunk in the thorax. One ^ rower

of these Beetles, belonging to the typical genus, is drawn on Plate IV. Fig. 7, and is shown as crawling on the top of one of the mushrooms. Its name is Gholeva angustata.

The genus, of which there are seventeen British species, is known by its narrow body, its long and slender legs and antennae, the very obtuse hinder, angles of the thorax, and the I oval and striated elytra. The insect is represented of its natural I size, which seldom varies much from one-sixth of an inch in I length. The head is black and shining, the thorax is pitchyi black, becoming greyish at the margins and posterior angles. The elytra are rather variable in colour, black being the leading hue, but taking shades of red or grey according to the individual. The apex is round and short, and each elytron is : marked with seven faint strise. The legs are pale reddishyellow. The body is covered with a very fine and very short ; yellowish down.

It is not uncommon to take a specimen that is pale rustyred or yellow, the reason for this paler hue being that the Beetle has only recently emerged from the pupal state, or that ! the atmosphere has not exercised its full infiuence upon it. ' When it has been exposed for a few days to the air and light, the reddish-yellow will change to the dark-red or grey-black which is the usual colour of the Beetle.

Next comes the family of the SaydmcBnidce, of which we shall take one example, namely, Scydmcenus [Eumicrus] tarsatus, which is shown on Woodcut X. Fig. 2. These insects are all very minute, the present species, though only the twelfth of an inch in length, being the largest of the family. They are all covered with down, are without wings, and have the elytra coming completely to the end of the abdomen. The facets of the eyes are very boldly marked, and the peculiar form of the antennae, which ai’e terminated with three very large joints each increasing in size, may be seen by reference to the same illustration. Fig. ct. The maxillary palpi are very cuous. conspi-

The head and thorax of this species are black, and the elytra are yeij deep chestnut. Like the rest of its kin, it is to be found in hotbeds, leaf-heaps, cucumber frames, and similar localities. The name Scydmcenus is Grreek, and signifies ‘ sullen.’

The family of the Anisotomidse is known from the Silphid® hy several points of structure, none of them being singly very conspicuous, but not to be mistaken in the aggregate. They are much more globular, the Silphid® being flattened ; the legs and antenn® are short, and the mandibles have a single tooth at the base. Like the preceding family, these are small insects, the largest being Anisotoma cinnamomea, which is shown on Woodcut X. Fig. 3. This Beetle is about one-sixth of an inch in length. In this genus the tarsi of the first and middle pairs of legs have five joints, while those of the hinder pair have hut four joints. The club of the antenn® has three joints, as may be seen at Fig. g of the same illustration. The structure of the labial palpi is shown at c. The generic title Anisotoma is derived from a Q-reek word signifying unequal, and has been given to these Beetles in consequence of the inequality of the joints of the front and hind tarsi. specific name cinnamomea refers to the colour of the

The insect, which is very much like that of cinnamon, with the exception of the club of the antenna, which is black. There are eight punctured stri® on each of the elytra. The hinder are very long and boldly curved in the male, hut not in tibi® the female insect, which has them small and straight. This Beetle is found chiefly upon the truffle. There are twelve or thirteen species of this genus.

Another member of this family is shown on Woodcut X. Fig. 4. Its name is Agathidium Icevigatum.

In this genus the antenn® are short, and the club is eggcomposed of three joints. The thorax is large and shaped and and with overhanging sides, and the body is very globuround,

lar. All the tarsi have four joints. The present species is smooth with the exception of the lateral and posterior shining-black, which are edged with a narrow line of margins of the thorax, are not striated. Like all the members of rust-red. The elytra insect has a habit of rolling itself into a hall the genus, this so that it looks more like a very small shot, than when alarmed, It inhabits fungi and decaying wood, dead leaves, an insect. localities. It can he best obtained hy taking up

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