254 THE ENTOMOLOGIST, 



THE COPROPHAGOUS LAMELLICOENS ; A REVISED LIST 

 OF SPECIES BELONGING TO THE GENERA PACHY- 

 LOMERUS, KiRBY, AND ATEUCHUS, Webek. 



By John W. Shipp. 

 Assistant in the Hope Dept., Oxford University Museum. 



The name Scarahceus was adopted by the ancients to denote 

 the_ sacred beetle of the Egyptians, and is derived from the 

 African word Keplira, meaning circle or cypher, and probably 

 has reference to the round pellets of dung and mud which the 

 beetles use for depositing their eggs. Keplir is probably the 

 root-word, and is, according to Clarkson, analogous to the Greek 

 word Kapohos, the Latin word Scarahmis, and the English word 

 crab. The beetle was regarded by the ancient Egyptians to 

 represent the sun, and as such was worshipped by them, and 

 introduced into their hieroglyphical writings. Amulets — models 

 of the beetle — carved both in wood and in a kind of soft stone, 

 have been found in large numbers in the sarcophagi ; most of 

 those which have come under my notice were embalmed with 

 the mummified body, and were covered on the flat side with 

 hieroglyphics, 



A specimen of Ateuchus agyptiorum, Latr., was found in a 

 sarcophagus which was opened a few years ago, but the metallic 

 colour has slightly faded. It is thought by some entomologists 

 that A. sacer, Linn., is the beetle which was worshipped by the 

 Egyptians. 



As the word Scarahmis was applied by Linnaeus to represent 

 the whole tribe of Lamellicorns, the name Ateuchus, Weber, 

 should rightly be adopted for the genus instead of Scarahams. 

 In the Annals Soc. Ent. Belgique, xvii. Lansberge classifies the 

 Scarabfeidse (Ateuchites) as follows : — 



,Ateuchidesvraisl^*^"^^\^/^'^-^- 

 (Eucramdes 



iCanthonides vrais 

 Mentophilides 

 Epilissides 

 Epirhinides 

 VSisyphides 



If the name Scarabaus is to be dropped in favour of Ateuchus, 

 the primary division ought properly to be Ateuchidae. 



Burmeister (Stettiner Ent. Zeit. xxxiv. pp. 403—407), in a 

 paper entitled " Lamellicornia Argentea," commences a revision 

 of the Coprides of the La Plata, and divides the ScarabaeidaD 

 (Ateuchidae) into four families :— 1, Ateuchidae ; 2, Copridae ; 



