300 BARON WALCKENAER ON THE 



in this opinion ;„ and, more lately, M. Schoenhcrr, in his 

 laborious work, especially devoted to the synonymy of insects, 

 quotes Pliny for his Melolontha Fullo.° 



It is with regret that I differ from an opinion so well 

 established as this certainly is by the authority of eminent 

 naturalists ; but observations which I have made appear to mc 

 to prove its incorrectness. I have examined a great number 

 of sculptures, in which insects are introduced, and many 

 figures of insects, and observed some which had probably been 

 used as amulets, having holes bored in them in such a way 

 as to allow of their being hung round the neck, and in 

 every instance the insects represented were co'prophaga or 

 Cetoniw^ and can in no instance be taken for any kind of cock- 

 chaffer, all the species of which are so easily distinguished by 

 their longer make. A similar result has been obtained from 

 the examination of all the obelisks and other Egyptian monu- 

 ments, of which drawings have been published. I only speak 

 here of Scarahoei and other coleopterous insects, and not of the 

 bee or wasp, which is sculptured on the obelisks of Luxor. 



Latreille, from a similar examination, has obtained similar 

 results. It would therefore appear that the Melolontha Fxdlo oi 

 Pliny must be looked for amongst the coprophaga or Cetoniw, 

 and not among cockchaffers. 



Pliny says that the green Scarahoeus has the property of im- 

 proving the sight, and that the engravers of precious stones 

 rest their eyes by looking at these insects. Scarabwi loiridis 

 natura contuentium visum exacuit, itaque gemmarum sculptores 

 contuitu eorum acquiesciint." ^ 



Marcellus Empiricus follows Pliny in relating the same fact, 

 and adds that this beetle is of the colour of the emerald, scara- 

 bceus coloris smaragdini. This description applies exactly to 

 Cetonia fastuosa and Cetonia aurata, especially the former. 



These two species are of a beautiful golden green colour, 

 or of the colour of the emerald ; but C aurata has white spots 

 on its elytra {albis guttis), which serve to distinguish it from 

 the other species : it is nine lines in length, and is frequently 



■> Ray, Hist. Insect., 1710, 4to, p. 93. 



° Schoenherr, Synon. Insect., p. 3. Upsalia, 1817, 8vo. p. 1G4. 



P Amongst the Scarabai, in the Bibliotheque du Roi, there are several figures 

 which may be referred to the coprophaga, but no cetonice ; but I have seen great 

 numbers of these in other cabinets. 



' Plin. Hist. Nat., lib. xxix. c. 38 ; torn. viii. p. 270. 



