Mrs. Stag Beetle does not behave in this way. She looks on at the fight, but takes no part in it. Her business is to lay eggs in safe places. She has no time to fight. And then—she has no horns!
FOOTNOTES:
LESSON XXIX.
MR. BEETLE SEEKS FOR A HOME.
I shall now tell you of a very odd beetle. If ever you find one of this family, you will say, “This poor beetle has outgrown his coat!” You will say that when you see how very short his wing-cases are.
But no! the beetle has not outgrown his coat. Insects do not grow after they leave the pupa-case. Mr. Beetle and his coat are both of the same size that they always were.
In fact, this beetle’s coat was cut short for him at the first. It is the fashion in his family to wear short clothes! The flying-wings of this beetle are large, but the wing-covers are very short. They do not cover half the length of the body. Yet this beetle can fold up and tuck his flying-wings under the short wing-cases.
