Rev. F. W. Hope's Observations, Sfc. 191 



XXVII. — Observations on some Mummied Beetles taken 

 from the inside of a Mummied Ibis. By Rev. F. W. 

 Hope, F.R.S. &c. 



[Read March, 1840.] 



The fragments of mummied insects taken from the inside of a 

 Mummied Ibis, and sent to me by Sir Gardner Wilkinson, and 

 which I have carefully examined, belong to two genera. The first 

 is Pimelia pilosa of Fabricius, or, according to a more modern 

 arrangement, a Trachijderma of Latreille. The second is evi- 

 dently the body of Akis reflexa, Fab. ; both the above insects are 

 met with at the present day in Egypt in great abundance. Of 

 the former species there are nearly two entire specimens, with the 

 exception of the antennae ; there were also found the thorax of 

 other individuals, with sundry limbs of other insects. I may 

 here remark, that this is not the first time I have met with the 

 occurrence of Trachyderma pilosum ; there was in the British 

 Museum, a year back, a specimen of this insect fastened to the 

 case of an Egyptian mummy, and most likely it may still be seen 

 in statu quo, unless some of our friendly indigenous insects have 

 devoured it, tempted by such an unusual exotic luxury. I must 

 here note, that both species of beetles are invariably black when 

 arrived at maturity; consequently the reddish pitchy colour which 

 is apparent by day is attributable to the medicaments used in 

 embalming, and not to immaturity ; and the present instance, 

 therefore, may be taken as corroborative evidence of what I have 

 previously stated when describing the mummied insects which 

 Mr. Pettigrew kindly submitted to my inspection. 



With respect to Akis rcjlcxa, this is the first time I believe it 

 has ever heen recorded as found in a mummied state ; from its 

 abundance in Egypt at the present day (as I have repeatedly 

 received it in different collections from that locality) we may con- 

 ceive it to have been equally abundant at the period when these 

 specimens were embalmed. 



It is not my intention here to enter into the dispute relating to 

 the identity of the Ibis ; Hasselquist regarded it as an Ardea, 

 while Baron Cuvier calls it a Numenius : it appears to be satis- 

 factorily ascertained that there are two species of Ibis which are 

 met with in an embalmed state, and both, I believe, belong to 

 Numenius. The Ibis is reported to feed on serpents, and devours 

 voraciously reptiles and insects ; probably, therefore, it was wor- 

 shipped partly on account of its useful services in destroying 



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