71 



Of the nocturnal flower-beetles the two Osmodermas may be mentioned. These are 

 large insects, remarkable for giving out an odour like that of Russian leather. They 

 conceal themselves during the day in crevices of bark and hollow trees, where they feed 

 upon the sap that flows from the bark. The name is derived from two Greek words — 

 ^oa-fjirj, an odour, and Sep/xa, the skin. 0. scahra, Beau v., or the lough Osmoderma is 

 rather the smaller of the two, and is about three-quarters of an inch long, with wide 

 roughly-granulated elytra, and a considerably narrower thorax. When resting with their 

 legs extended and almost .straight, they have a very stilted, unlife-like appearance. The 

 colour is deep purplish-brown, with a bronze lustre. The larvse, which resemble those of the 

 May-bug, may be found in the decayed portions of living apple and cherry trees, where they 

 considerably quicken the work of destruction already begun. 0. eremicola, Knoch, or the 

 Hermit Osmoderma, is slightly larger and of a deep mahogany brown colour, perfectly 

 smooth and highly polished. The male may be known by the presence of a deep pit in the 

 middle of the thorax. In other respects it is like the last. 



There is a very remarkable group of Cetonidce, known by the name of Goliath 

 beetles, to which Linnpeus gave the name Goliathus, and placed them first in the whole of 

 his arrangement of coleoptera. As the name implies, they are of very large size, some 

 reaching the gigantic proportions of over four inches in length. What adds to their size, 

 too, is that they are correspondingly broad. 



A most interesting account of these beetles is to be found in the Rev. J. G. Wood's 

 charming book, " Insects Abroad." He describes Goliathus Druryii, one of the largest 

 and most beautiful, as follows : — 



"Its length is four inches and a quarter, and the breadth exactly two inches. The 

 head, which is furnished with two curious projections, is greyish-white, except the horns, 

 which are black and deeply-punctured ; the thorax is black, and upon it are drawn a num- 

 ber of creamy-white stripes ; the elytra are warm chocolate with a velvet-like surface, sur- 

 rounded with a belt of the same creamy-white as that upon the thorax- — below, it is black 

 with a mixture of green ; the tibiae of the first pair of legs are much flattened and deeply 

 punctured ; they are of a reddish hue. Those of the hind pair are furnished on the inner 

 side with a dense ridge of golden hairs with a silken gloss ; the tarsi are black. For many 

 years this was the rarest of insects, only one specimen was known, which was picked up 

 dead, floating in an African river. Of late years, however, several have been brought to 

 England from the west coast of Africa, and among others a magnificent specimen of a 

 cocoon containing the perfect insect. This is now in the British Museum, and is about 

 the size of a swan's egg. It has very thin walls, but is strengthened round the middle 

 exteriorly by a remarkable raised belt. 



NOTES ON VARIOUS INSECTS. 

 By Wm. Saunders, London. 



In the following remarks, reference will be made to some insects which, on account 

 of their frequent appearance, or their curious or beautiful structure, are objects of interest 

 to every observer of nature, and also to insects to which the writer's attention has been 

 specially called during the past year. 



Dytiscus Harrisii (fig. 38). This is one of the carnivorous water beetles, known as 

 " Diving Beetles" or " Water Tigers," a strong, sturdy creature of an oval flattened 

 form, with oar-like swimming legs, covered with long hairs. It is very active in the 

 water, darting and diving about in difierent directions with great rapidity, the form 

 of its body with sharp sides enabling it to cut through the water with great ease. 

 They may well be called the sharks of the insect world, for there are few things that live in 

 the water which are safe from their attacks. They are especial enemies of the larvae of 

 other aquatic insects ; they feed also upon tadpoles, molluscs and small fish, and when 

 pressed by hunger they do not hesitate to devour one another. They may be kept in 

 an aquarium and fed on water insects and small pieces of raw meat, which they suck 

 greedily. 



