120 INSECTS ABHOAD. 



patches under the head. The fore-legs are exceedingly powerful, 

 and the tibia is flat, hollowed, armed with two very bold teeth 



mi the outside, and its under surface is covered with a vast 

 number of slightly curved ridges, running - parallel to each 

 other, and diagonally across the limb. The tarsus is so small 

 that hardly anyone except an entomologist would notice it. 



This species lives underground, at the bottom of very deep 

 burrows, so that it would easily escape observation, even in 

 localities where it was plentiful. As, however, like our own 

 species, it lives under patches of cowdung, an entomologist can 

 mostly hit upon its dwelling-place. It possesses large and 

 powerful wings, and when it chooses to use them, which appears 

 seldom to be the case, it makes a loud humming noise. Pro- 

 bably it flies more by night than by day, and so its llight 

 escapes observation. 



1 have chosen the splendid insect which is here figured, not 

 only because it is the finest example of its genus, but because it is 



- 





Via 05 i • 1 1 .- 1 1 1 .- « us luncifer. 

 (Purple and green, with violet elytra ) 



also the rarest, the British Museum only possessing a single speci- 

 men, which was brought by Mr. Bates from Paraxon the Amazon 



River. The length of the specimen is an inch and three- 



