_Law of Battle._—Some male beetles, which seem ill fitted for fighting, nevertheless engage in conflicts for the possession of the females. Mr. Wallace[489] saw two males of _Leptorhynchus angustatus_, a linear beetle with a much elongated rostrum, “fighting for a female, who stood close by busy at her boring. They pushed at each other with their rostra, and clawed and thumped, apparently in the greatest rage.” The smaller male, however, “soon ran away, acknowledging himself vanquished.” In some few cases the males are well adapted for fighting, by possessing great toothed mandibles, much larger than those of the females. This is the case with the common stag-beetle (_Lucanus cervus_), the males of which emerge from the pupal state about a week before the other sex, so that several may often be seen pursuing the same female. At this period they engage in fierce conflicts. When Mr. A. H. Davis[490] enclosed two males with one female in a box, the larger male severely pinched the smaller one, until he resigned his pretensions. A friend informs me that when a boy he often put the males together to see them fight, and he noticed that they were much bolder and fiercer than the females, as is well known to be the case with the higher animals. The males would seize hold of his finger, if held in front, but not so the females. With many of the Lucanidæ, as well as with the above-mentioned Leptorhynchus, the males are larger and more powerful insects than the females. The two sexes of _Lethrus cephalotes_ (one of the Lamellicorns) inhabit the same burrow; and the male has larger mandibles than the female. If, during the breeding-season, a strange male attempts to enter the burrow, he is attacked; the female does not remain passive, but closes the mouth of the burrow, and encourages her mate by continually pushing him on from behind. The action does not cease until the aggressor is killed or runs away.[491] The two sexes of another lamellicorn beetle, the _Ateuchus cicatricosus_ live in pairs, and seem much attached to each other; the male excites the female to roll the balls of dung in which the ova are deposited; and if she is removed, he becomes much agitated. If the male is removed, the female ceases all work, and as M. Brulerie[492] believes, would remain on the spot until she died.