404 Harris's Description of 



Dr. Savage informs me, that these two species of Mecy- 

 norhina feed upon a vine that climbs upon very lofty trees, 

 and states that " they wound the bark of the vine and ex- 

 tract the juice. The vine is full of a fluid as tasteless and 

 limpid as water ; and the natives, when travelling in the 

 woods, cut it off and drink the juice, when no water can be 

 easily obtained." He collected two females of each of these 

 species, and several males. 



From his interesting manuscript notes it appears that the 

 Goliathi of Western Africa inhabit various trees, and that 

 different species have a predilection for different kinds of 

 trees. In a letter to Mr. Hope, published by Mr. Westwood, 

 in his Arcana Entomologica, Dr. S. says, " As to Goliathus 

 Cacicus, these regions abound with them ; and, after a year's 

 watching, I have obtained the flower, and know, botanically, 

 the tree from which they derive their food. It is a syngene- 

 sious plant, belonging to Jussieu's Compositae Corymbiferae. 

 The Cacicus inhabits no other tree, as it is said. The Mecy- 

 norhina iorquaia inhabits two kinds of trees, one a magnificent 

 Mimosa, a Goliath of its kind ; I have not yet obtained the 

 blossom, it is now in seed, which I have. The Goliathus 

 Drurii is not found in the locality of Cape Palmas ; it has 

 been taken at Bassa, near Montserado, and at Cape Coast. I 

 lately saw Professor King's regius, which is no more nor less 

 than the female of Drurii. Of this I am as certain as that 

 the princeps of Hope is the female of Cacicus. The Gold 

 Coast would seem to be the locality of Drurii, and the Grain 

 Coast of that of the torquatus and Cacicus.^^* 



The males are much more numerous than the females. 

 The black-shouldered Cacicus abounds on the Grain and 

 Ivory Coasts, and many specimens have been procured at 

 Cape Palmas. When in good condition, the black patch is 

 always more or less conspicuous on the shoulder of each ely- 

 tron in this species, and is never replaced by the pearly white 



* This extract was furnished by Dr. Savage himself; who has informed me, since 

 this article was sent to press, that Mr. Westwood's " Arcana " contains a figure of 

 the female Polyphemus, with an account of all the known Goliathi. Unfortunately 

 the information came too late to be of any use at this time. 



