ARTICÜLATA. I57 



a suitable place, when they commence working the earth from beneath it, 

 and gradually burying it. Tlie American Canthon, Iccve (or 0. volven>i) 

 generally works in pairs, one pushing the ball l)ackwards with its hind feet, 

 its posterior extremity raised np, the other walking np the ball on tlie 

 opposite side, thus causing it to roll. The ball is about three fourths of an 

 inch in diameter, and quite globular. Cojjrk' Carolina makes a small ball, 

 which it buries at once. Deltoohilum gibhosum of the southern states makes 

 a small ball, in the exterior of which there is a great deal of cow's hair. 

 The genus Ateuchus {pi. 81, fig. 132) entered largely into the mythology 

 of the ancient Egyptians, and models and figures of it are common among 

 Egyptian antiquities. In Lethrus cephalotes {fig. 144), a European insect, 

 the pronotum and elytra nearly correspond in size and convexity, the feet 

 are long, and inserted near each other, and the anteiniai terminate in a 

 reversed cone. 



The AphodiidcB {figs. 133-5) are small oblong insects found in dung, some 

 of which are black, and some of brighter colors. They may be seen flying 

 slowly along the roads in the warm days of autumn. The elytra cover the 

 entire abdomen. 



The Dynastidce include some of the largest Coleoptera, as Dynastes 

 hercuUs {fig. 148), D. acteon {fig. 147), D. also'eus {fifj. 146), Orydes nasi- 

 cornis {fig. 145). During the day they live in the earth, or in the decom- 

 posed matter of old trees, and fly about at night. Scaraboeus tityus., of the 

 United States, is found in old apple trees. In general, the male alone has 

 the horn-like projections. 



MdolontliidcB. Ifelolontho, vidgaris {pi. 81, fig. 131), M. fullo {fig. 

 130), Rhizotrogus {fig. 129), Serica {fig. 126), are examples of tliis family, 

 which is impoi'tant in its relations with agriculture. 



The Cetoniidce., of which Cetonia {pi. 81, fig. 125) and Trlchius {fig. 

 127) are examples, contain some of the handsomest of known insects. 

 They feed upon the fluids of plants, as honey and sap, and also upon parts 

 of the blossoms. 



The Serricoriiia constitute the fourth sub-tribe of the Pentamera, and 

 include many handsome forms of vegetable feeders, in which the antenme 

 are generally short, and serrate, pectinate, or filiform, the apex rarely 

 thickened. The form is lengthened, and the elytra generally cover the 

 abdomen. They include the two stirpes, Macrostemia and Aprosternia. 



The Macrostemia {Sternoxi of Latreille, pi. 81, figs. 22, 23) contain 

 the genera Buprestis., and many more having the same general characters. 

 They ai^a included in the three families, Buprestidoi., Eucnemida^., and 

 Elateridce. 



The Buprestidoe include a great number of brilliant, large, and medium 

 species resembling gold or precious stones. The body is liard, cylindrical, 

 flattened, elliptic or oval, the feet short and weak, the elytra narrowed 

 towards the end, the wings adapted for a rapid flight, the head vertical and 

 deeply inserted in the prothorax, which is attached l)y a wide surface to the 

 mesothorax, so that there is but little motion between these parts. They 

 are chiefly inhabitants of warm climates, and the size of the species varies 



861 



