120 INSECTS ABROAD. 



patches under tliahe.ul. The ftire-h\g3 are exceedingly powerful, 

 and the tibia is flat, hollowed, armed with two very hold teeth 

 on tlie outside, and its under surface is covered with a vast 

 number of slightly curved ridges, running parallel to each 

 other, and diagonally across the limb. The tarsus is so small 

 that hardly anyone except an entomologist would notice it. 



This sj)ecies lives underground, at the bottom of very dce]^ 

 burrows, so that it would easily escape observation, even in 

 localities where it was plentiful. As, however, like our own 

 species, it lives und(U^ patches of cowdung, an entomologist can 

 mostly hit upon its dwelling-place. It possesses large and 

 powerful wings, and when it chooses to use them, which appears 

 seldom to be the case, it inakes a loud humming noise. Tro- 

 bably it flies more by night than by day, and so its flight 

 escapes observation. 



I HAVE chosen the splendid insect which is here figured, not 

 only because it is the flnest example of its genus, but because; it is 



(rurplc aiul green. 



also the rarest, the British IMuseum only possessing a single speci- 

 men, which was brought Ijy Mr. Bates from Para, on the Amazon 

 liiver. The length of the specimen is an inch and three- 



