ATOPA ATTAGENU S. 



245 



" The wisdom of the Creator never appears with more 

 effect than iu the structure of those minute beings 

 which seem to conceal themselves from observation, 

 and Almighty power is never more strikingly ex- 

 hibited than in the concentration of organs in such an 

 atom. In giving life to such an atom, and con- 

 structing in dimensions so minute so many organs 

 susceptible of different sensations, my admiration of 

 the Supreme Intelligence is much more heightened 

 than by the contemplation of the structure of the 

 most gigantic animals." 



These insects have the antennae clubbed, and as 

 long as the thorax, with the second joint longer than 

 the third; the elytra convex and entire; the thorax 

 with entire margins; and the body ovate-linear. 

 There are more than twenty British species, of which 

 the Silpha evanescent (a most appropriate name) of 

 Marsham may be considered as the type. They 

 reside in damp and obscure situations, but are fond 

 of flying in the hot sunshine. 



ATOPA (PAYKUL, Stephens; DASCILLUS, Latreille, 

 Curtis). A genus of coleopterous insects, belonging to 

 the section Malacodermata, or soft-cased beetles of 

 Latreille, and referred to the family Cebriontdae by 

 Latreille and Stephens, and to the Telephoridce by 

 Curtis. The body is elongate and convex; the 

 antennae are long and filiform ; and the lower jaws 

 and lip are furnished with several slender pencilled 

 lobes. There is only one British species, the Chry- 

 somela cervina of Linnaeus, which is very local, 

 preferring chalky districts, and found upon alders and 

 brambles : it is of a buff or dark brown colour, and 

 not quite half an inch long. 



ATRACTOCERUS(PalisotdeBauvais). A very 

 extraordinary genus of exotic coleopterous insects, 

 belonging to the division Pentamcra and family 

 Lymexylonida. The body is very long, narrow, and 

 depressed, and the elytra are so minute that a late 

 German author speaks of one of these insects as 

 " Animal valde singulare et memorabile ; prope tu 

 credideris naturam quasi haesisse an coleopteron an 

 dipteron crearet." From the singular formation of 

 this animal, you might almost fancy that nature was 

 in doubt whether she should create a beetle or a fly. 

 The antennae are short and fusiform, and the wings 

 extend nearly to the extremity of the body: the palpi of 

 the males are furnished with a remarkable branched ap- 

 pendage. There are three or four species, inha- 

 bitants of South America and Africa : they are found 

 amongst woods, probably residing under the bark of 

 trees. 



ATRAGENE (Linnaeus). An ornamental genus 

 of climbing shrubs, natives of Europe. Linnaean 

 class and order, Polyandria Polygynia ; natural order, 

 Ranunculacece. Generic character : calyx of four 

 sepals, deciduous ; corolla ten or twelve, linear; sta- 

 mens inserted on the receptacle, filaments very short ; 

 anthers oblong, pointed ; style, hairy, with persisting 

 stigmas ; caryopses many, with tail-like styles. This 

 genus is nearly allied to virgin's-bower ; and when 

 trained to a trellis or wall having a northern aspect, 

 are elegant plants. 



ATROPA (Linnaeus). A genus of two species, 

 one a British herb, the other a West India shrub. 

 Linnaean class and order, Pcntandria Monogynia ; 

 natural order, Solaneee. Generic character : calyx 

 five-parted ; corolla funnel or bell-shaped, limb five, 

 occasionally ten-lobed ; stamens somewhat protruded ; 

 berry two-colled; placenta loose. The Alropa bella- 



Atta cephalotes neuter 

 (magnified). 



donna is one of the most dangerous vegetable pro- 

 ductions of Britain. The berries resemble cherries, 

 and are liable to be mistaken for wholesome fruit; 

 but eating them is death, as has often happened to 

 children. This plant grows in waste corners of fields, 

 or under the shade of ruined buildings or pld trees. 

 It should be rooted out wherever found. 



ATROPOS (Leach). A genus of Neuropteroiu 

 insects, belonging to the family Psodda;, 

 and separated from Psocus by Dr. 

 Leach, from the circumstance of the 

 tarsi being three-jointed, and the wings 

 wanting. The type of the genus is the 

 Termcs pitlsatorium of Linnaeus, a minute 

 At us insect, commonly met with amongst 

 pulsatorium. old books, and upon the paper on 

 walls. It is of a dirty white colour, with the eyes 

 and a row of spots long the abdomen reddish. Its 

 specific name alludes to the noise which it makes, 

 similar to the ticking of a watch, and which has often 

 been confounded with the ticking of the death-watch. 

 ATTA (Fabricius). A genus of hymenopterous 

 insects, belonging to the 

 family of the ants, Formi- 

 cida;, differing from Myr- 

 mica by their very minute 

 palpi, and by the large size 

 of the heads of the neuters. 

 In this genus is included 

 some of the largest spe- 

 cies of ants, some of them 

 exceeding an inch in the 

 length of the body. The 

 Formica cephalotes of 

 Linnaeus and Fabricius is the type of this genus : it 

 inhabits various parts of South America, where from 

 its habits it has received the name of the visiting ant, 

 " la fourmi de visite," since it occasionally finds its 

 way in troops into the houses of the residents, who 

 open their doors and receive it gladly, as it con- 

 sumes or drives away not only the cockroaches and 

 spiders, but even mice and rats. 



ATTACUS(Germar). SATURNIA (Schrank). A ge- 

 nus of nocturnal lepidopterous insects, separated from 

 the great Linnaean genus Pltrttcena, of which it formed 

 a section, and comprising some of the largest and 

 most beautiful moths ; the \vings when the insects 

 are at rest are extended and horizontal, and often 

 adorned with a transparent patch in the centre ; 

 amongst these, the atlas moth of China is one of 

 the finest species. The cocoons of some of these 

 species are employed in the East Indies for the ma- 

 nufacture of silk, namely the Bombyx mylitta of 

 Fabricius, and the Phalcena Cynthia of Drury (see 

 the seventh volume of the Linnaean Transactions, 

 also a paper by Colonel Sykes, recently read before 

 the Royal Asiatic Society) ; the emperor moth, 

 Phalcena attacus pavonia minor of Linnaeus, is the 

 only" British species belonging to this genus, and 

 which is placed by recent entomologists in Saturnia 

 as a distinct sub-genus. The Tau emperor, Phalcena 

 attacits tau of Linnaeus, forming the sub-genus Aglia 

 of Ochsenheimer, is reputed to be British. 



ATTAGENUS (Latreille.) A genus of coleop- 

 terous insects belonging to the division Pentamcra 

 and family Dermestidce ; the type of the genus 

 being the Dermestes petiio of Linnaeus, a small British 

 insect about one-sixth of an inch long, of a black 

 colour and oblong form, with a white spot in the 



