PREFACE. XI 



major part of them described and originally rudely 

 sketched with a pen by Mr. Kirby's own hand. 

 Mr. Westwood has carefully inspected the outlines, 

 and with some few necessary additions they are now 

 submitted to the public. Here I cannot resist ex- 

 pressing the pleasure I feel in acknowledging Mr. 

 Kirby's extreme liberality in offering to me the use 

 of his manuscripts and sketches relating to the La- 

 mellicorns of his collection, a group which doubtless 

 he esteemed not only as one of the most numerous in 

 genera and species among the families of Insects, 

 but also, I imagine, of first rate importance, 

 whether we regard the havoc they occasion in re- 

 ducing to mere powder the mightiest monarchs of 

 the forest, as well as in checking the over luxuriance 

 of tropical vegetation, or whether w^e contem- 

 plate the fertility occasioned by the burrowing of 

 the Copridse in the earth, which drill the soil for 

 depositing their ova, and carry with them to the 

 roots of vegetation the richest of manures. 



Mr. Kirby appears, from the manuscripts before 

 me, to have bestowed much time and attention on 

 the Scarabaeidse. He is too well known as a writer 

 of eminence to require anything like praise from 

 any individual for his profound entomological views. 

 Considering it a great gain to science if his manu- 



