266 ENAMEL OF BEETLES. 



Here with the bright investitures of these " children of 

 the sun/' have we not reached the climax, the ne plus ultra 

 of beauty and perfection in insect painting ? Can decoration 

 any further go ? 



Not probably in aught that addresses itself merely to the 

 eye ; but in the qualities of permanence, indestructibility, and 

 a greater prevalence of metallic lustre, even as a fine enamel is 

 superior to any other painting, so is the colouring of the moth 

 or butterfly, arrayed in plumelets, surpassed by that of 



" The beetle, panoplied in gems and gold." 



As well might we attempt to imitate on paper the hues of 

 sapphire, emerald, and ruby, as to convey by painting or 

 description any adequate idea of those exotic jewels of the 

 order Coleoptera, which seem to bear upon their backs the 

 produce of the mine. This is alike beyond our province as 

 oui' power ; but there are enough at home of gem-like beetles 

 to tax our talents at description, to show their poor sufficiency, 

 and to illustrate forcibly the undoubted fact, that " none can 

 paint like Nature." 



We have not, it is true, that Esterhazy of his tribe, the 

 Curculio reyalis* with his coat of brilliant scales, likened to 

 " an illumination of all gems." Let him and his diamonded 

 cornpeersf adorn with their living lustre the mimosas of Brazil; 

 we have at home our pretty little weevils of many colours 



* A single specimen of this beetle fetched at Paris 23. 

 f Diamond-beetles. 



