THE GOLIATH BEETLES. 137 



similar but rather lighter hue upon the thorax, while the fur of 

 the elytra is bright yellow, so that the insect presents a most 

 remarkable aspect. Its total length is five inches, and the width 

 of the body two inches, so that it well deserves the name of 

 Megalosoma, i.e. "big-bodied." It is a native of Nicaragua. 



There is a very remarkable group of Cetoniidse., known by tho 

 name of Goliath Beetles. As their name imports, they are of 

 very large size, some of them being the most gigantic of the 

 insect race, though some are but of moderate dimensions. They 

 are all distinguished by the peculiar construction of the head, 

 which is prolonged in front and developed into two horn-like 

 projections. This peculiarity belongs only to the males. 



On Plate III. Fig. 1 is shown one of the handsomest and 

 largest of these Beetles, called Goliathus Druryii, the latter name 

 being given to it in honour of Mr. Drury, who figured it and 

 first brought it into notice. Although the colours of this splendid 

 Beetle are simple, they are very effective. The head, with its 

 curious projections, is greyish w^hite, except the front horns, 

 which are black and ver}^ deeply punctated. The thorax is black, 

 and upon it are drawn a number of stripes of creamy white, 

 shaped as shown in the illustration. The elytra are warm 

 chocolate, with a velvet-like surface, surrounded with a belt ol 

 the same creamy white as that upon the thorax. Below it is 

 black, with a mixture of green. 



The tibise of the first pair of legs are much flattened, and very 

 deeply granulated and punctated. They are of a reddish hue. 

 Those of the hind pair are furnished on the inner edge with a 

 dense clothing, or rather ridge, of long golden hairs with a 

 silken gloss. The tarsi are black, and if the insect be turned 

 over, the thighs of the hind pair of legs are seen to be very 

 strong and powerful, and at the base of each is a circular white 

 spot one-tenth of an inch in diameter. The effect of this spot 

 on the dark surface is very remarkable. 



The length of the specimen is four inches and a quarter, and 

 its breadth exactly two inches. It is therefore a very bulky 

 insect, and even in its dried condition is exceedingly heavy. 



For many years this was the rarest of insects. Only one 

 specimen was known, that which was described by Drury, and 

 was preserved in the Hunterian Museum of Glasgow. It had 



