THE BEETLE. 155 



ed with a shield of a crimson colour, and shining 

 like metal ; the head is of the like colour, mixed 

 with green, and on the crown of the head stands 

 a shining black horn, bended backwards. These 

 are called the kings of the beetles, but for what 

 reason is uncertain, since they partake of the same 

 dirty drudgery with the rest. 



The Elephant Beetle is the largest of this kind 

 hitherto known, and is found in South America, 

 particularly Guiana and Surinam, as well as about 

 the river Oroonoko. It is of a black colour, and 

 the whole body is covered with a very hard shell, 

 full as thick and as strong as that of a small crab. 

 Its length, from the hinder part to the eyes, is 

 almost four inches, and from the same part to the 

 end of the proboscis, or trunk, four inches and 

 three quarters. The transverse diameter of the 

 body is two inches and a quarter, and the breadth 

 of each elytron, or case for the wings, is an inch 

 and three-tenths. The antennae, or feelers, are 

 quite horny ; for which reason the proboscis, or 

 trunk, is moveable at its insertion into the head, 

 and seems to supply the place of feelers. The 

 horns are eight-tenths of an inch long, and termi- 

 nate in points. The proboscis is an inch and a 

 quarter long, and turns upwards, making a crook- 

 ed line, terminating in two horns, each of which 

 is near a quarter of an inch long ; but they are 

 not perforated at the end like the proboscis of 

 other insects. About four-tenths of an inch 

 above the head, on that side next the body, is a 

 prominence, or small horn, which, if the rest of 

 the trunk were away, would cause this part to 



