SYSTEM OF INSECTS. 409 
a most remarkable coincidence, and seems a strong ar- 
gument in favour of Mr. MacLeay's system. I should 
observe, however, that according to that system, as 
stated in his Horce Entomological, if the osculant or 
transition groups are included, the total number is seven a : 
— these are groups small in number both of genera and 
species, that intervene between and connect the larger 
ones. Each of these osculant groups may be regarded 
as divided into two parts, the one belonging to the upper 
circle and the other to the lower ; so that each circle or 
larger group is resolvable into five interior and two ex- 
terior ones, thus making up the number seven. Though 
Mr. MacLeay regards this quinary arrangement of na- 
tural objects as very general, it does not appear that he 
looks upon it as absolutely universal, — since he states 
organized matter to begin in a dichotomy 5 : and he does 
not resolve its ultimate groups into five species ; nor am 
I certain that he regards the penultimate groups as in- 
variably consisting of five ultimate ones. In Copris I 
seem in my own cabinet to possess ten or twelve distinct 
types ; and in Phanceus, the fifth type, which Mr. Mac- 
Leay regards as containing insects resembling all the 
other types' 1 , appears to me rather divided into two ; 
one formed by P. carnifex, Vindex, igncus, &c, and 
the other by P. splendidulus, Jloriger, Kirbii, &c. 
The great point which demands our attention in con- 
a Vol. III. p. 15. note a . " Hor. Entomolog. 199. 
c Viz. 1. Copris Hesperus; 2. C. rejtexa ; 3. C. Sabceus ; 4. C.lu- 
naris ; 5. C. Carolina ; 6. C. GEdipus ; 7. C. Midas ; 8. C. capu- 
ciiut; 9. C. Bucephalus ; 10. C. Molossus ; 11? C. Eridanus ; 12 
C. sexdentata K. 
6 Hor: Entomolog. 518. 
