59 

 spurge (Euphorbia paralias), which grows in plenty on the sand hills in the neighbourhood 

 of Barnstaj^lc and Braunton Burrows, in Devonshire. These sand hills are of great extent, 

 and, as suggested by Mr. Curtis, must have been collected by the winds and storms to 

 which they are constantly exposed. During the winter the whole soil is frequentlv 

 removed, so as completely to alter the surface of the country ; a great number of the pupae 

 must consequently be destroyed or buried at a considerable distance below the surface, 

 where probably they lie hid until they are brought to light and life by the influence of the 

 elements. These circumstances account for the great irregularity in the appearance of 

 the insects. In 1814, for instance, they were so plentiful that Mr. Raddon found not less 

 than one hundred minute larvae upon an armful of spurge, which he had cut at dusk the 

 preceding evening. The rarity of the insect is also increased by the difficulty of rearing 

 it. The late Mr. Fuseli, the royal academician, who was a zealous entomologist, was 

 enabled onlv to obtain one moth from twenty chrysalides. The larvae are full grown in 

 September, and the moth appears in the following June. 



DYNASTES HERCULES. 



Plate XXX. fig. 1. ^.—2. 2- 



Order: Coleoptera. Section. Lamellicornes. Family: Dynastidfe, il/no iw!/. * 



Genus. Dynastes, Mac Leay. Gcotm\>es, Fabriclus. Scm-ainens, Latreille, Li)mccus,!;c. 



Dynastes Hercules. Thoracis $ cornu inciirvo longissimo subtus barbato utriiique unidentato, capitis 



recurvato dentato. (Long. Corp. 6 unc. U lin. $ .) 

 Syn. Scarabaeus Hercules, Li/m. Si/st. Nat. % 541. 1. OUv. Ins. \.3.b. 1. tab. 1. /. 1. tab. -23. Jig. 1. Fabr. 



Ent. Syst. l.p. 2. No. 1. Naturalists' Library, Beetles, pi. 11. Edwards, Birds, t. 334. Gronoi: Zooph. 



412. Johnst. Ins. t. 16. /.I. Petit: Gaz. t. 70./. 1. Roesel. Scar. tom.U. t. 5. /. 3. Pal. Bauv. 



Ins. d'Afr. §■ d'Amer. Col. PI. 1. c./. 1. Marcgr. Bra:. 247. Jig. 3. 

 Habitat: Ga.udaloupe (Driiry). South America. 



Male. Black, except the elytra, which are of an olive colour ; having a number of black spots on them 

 of different shapes and sizes, varying considerably in different individuals. Thorax, above, smooth, and 

 shining, the sides covered with a multitude of small punctures. Its front is produced into a long shining 

 horn, near three inches in length, which gradually bends downwards from the base to the extremity, 

 where it is slightly forked ; the under side being covered with short fine hairs of a yellowish colour, 

 resembling the pile of velvet, and having about two inches from its extremity a strong short spine placed 

 on each side. The head is furnished with another horn, about two-thirds the length of the first, sharp 

 and thin on its upper side, and towards the end bending upwai-ds ; having on the upper edge, near the 

 middle, three or four teeth or strong spines, and another near the extremity. Eyes shining, red brown. 

 Tibiaa armed with spines, particularly the anterior pair, which have four ; three near the tips, and one 

 near the middle. The middle and hinder tibia? have each two strong spurs, and several smaller spines, 

 surrounded with hair on the other parts. The edge of the abdomen is covered with a row of dark 

 orange-coloured hairs. Several other parts of the body, joints, &c. are also clothed with the same 



I 2 



