96 



dish brown, with a brassy tinge, the wing cases with punctured lines 

 on them. It has been observed by Mr. Ayers, of Villa Ridge, eating 

 out the ends of the new shoots and huds of young pear trees. It is 

 not abundant, and this case appears to have been an unusual one. 



Many persons, even full-grown, hardy men, appear to be afraid to 

 touch these insects, especially the male of elephas, and I have had 

 them brought to me tied on the end of long sticks, where they had 

 been fastened by throwing a string around their long jaws. I have 

 frequently allowed them to pinch with all their strength, the fleshy 

 part of my fingers, and so far have never had the skin pierced. They 

 may inflict a slight pain on a delicate hand, but scarcely equal to the 

 scratch of a pin, and as the} r possess no poisonous qualities, this is the 

 utmost injury they can do. 



Spec. Char. Imago. — General form and antennal characters, as in 

 the last two species ; mandibles thickened, obtuse and many-toothed 

 at the end. General color blackish or dark reddish brown, with a 

 brassy tinge. Mandibles as long as the head, a robust tooth on the 

 inner margin near the base, armed at the tip with about six small 

 teeth, exterior edge with a rounded lobe at the base and an elevated 

 angle near the tip. Elytra obsoletely striate, the striae or lines punc- 

 tured. Anterior tibiae with more than ten unequal, very acute 

 teeth. 



Length about two-fifths of an inch. 



Family DYNASTID/E. 



Mentioned here only for the purpose of inserting a short descrip- 

 tion of our largest beetle. 



dynastes tityus. — Linn. 



Antennae lamellate thorax as 

 broad at the base as at the ely- 

 tra, rounded and narrowed to- 

 ward the front, with a long, 

 curved middle horn and two 

 smaller lateral ones, without 

 horns in the female. Head of 

 the male with a long and stout 

 horn curving upward; the fe- 

 male without a horn. Head 

 dark in each sex ; thorax dark 

 olive in the female, green in the 

 male, except the horns, which 

 are dark. Elytra in both sexes 

 green marked, with numerous 

 small black spots and smaller 

 black dots. Length of male, 

 exclusive of the horn, about two 

 inches, width about or slightly 

 over one-half the length. Fe- 

 dyhastbs tityvs, Linn— after Riley. male a little smaller. 



Found in Southern Illinois; innoxious. 



