BEETLES. 85 



This Beetle is about an inch long, and is black; 

 it has large eyes, triangular antennaa terminating in 

 a knob, and a long snout, upon which is a hairy 

 crest like the inane of a horse; its wing-covers 

 are striated. 



Its larvae are known in the tropics of America 

 under the name of Palm-worms, and they live in 

 large numbers in the trunks of several Palm-trees, 

 but principally in the Cabbage-palm, (Areca ole- 

 racea,) which grows in abundance in the mountainous 

 parts of St. Domingo. When fully grown, they are 

 about three inches long, and one inch in circum- 

 ference, of a dirty yellow colour, with a black 

 head, looking like a piece of fat, enveloped in a 

 transparent skin. These disgusting looking animals 

 are roasted upon a wooden spit, or broiled, and 

 eaten with dried and pulverized bread, seasoned 

 with salt and pepper, and considered by many 

 epicures as the ne plus ultra of delicacies. 



It is a pity that the people of St. Domingo have 

 not adopted the polite custom of the Austrians, who 

 never sit down to a meal without bowing profoundly 

 to each other and saying, " I wish you a good appe- 

 tite!" This friendly and polite salutation would be 

 peculiarly apropos before so delicate a dish. 



The Cabbage Palm-tree has the same general ap- 

 pearance as the Cocoa-palm, but its fruits are not 



