JBtctumarj) of gmmatcfc 



117 



several long tufts of yellow hair : the under 

 side of the body is also rather thickly clothed 

 with numerous scattered hairs of the same 

 colour ; while the Cetonia 

 [Paclmoda] Baxii, from Se- 

 negal and the Gambia, with 

 its harlequin markings, 

 will serve as an illustra- 

 tion of another division of 

 this very extensive family. 

 Most of the bright-coloured 

 kinds are day-fliers ; those 

 of dark and plain tints are 

 . [PACHNODA] generally nocturnal beetles. 

 BAXII. Some of them are of im- 



mense size, and have been styled the princes 

 of the beetle tribes ; such are the Incas of 

 South America, and the Goliath Beetle 

 (Goliatlius Goliatus) of Guinea, the latter 

 being more than four inches long, two inches 

 broad, and thick and heavy in proportion. 

 [See Go LI ATU.] 



Dr. Thaddeus Harris has so well described 

 a species of this family, that we have 

 made an extract from his valuable work, 

 as follows: " CETONIA INDA makes its 

 appearance in the United States towards 

 the end of April or the beginning of May, 

 when it may sometimes be seen in con- 

 siderable numbers around the borders of 

 woods, and in dry open fields, flying just 

 above the grass with a loud humming sound, 

 like a humble-bee, for which, perhaps, it 

 might at first sight be mistaken. Like other 

 insects of the same genus, it has a broad 

 body, very obtuse behind, with a triangular 

 thorax, and a little wedge-shaped piece on 

 each side between the hinder angles of the 

 thorax and the shoulders of the wing-covers; 

 the latter, taken together, form an oblong 

 square, but are somewhat notched or widely 

 scalloped on the middle of the outer edges. 

 The head and thorax of this beetle are dark 

 copper-brown, or almost black, and thickly 

 covered with short greenish yellow hairs ; 

 the wing-cases are light yellowish brown ; 

 but changeable, with pearly metallic tints, 

 and spattered with numerous irregular black 

 spots ; the under side of the body, which is 

 very hairy, is of a black colour, with the 

 edges of the rings and the legs dull red. It 

 measures about six-tenths of an inch in 

 length. During the summer months the In- 

 dian Cetonia is not seen; but about the mid- 

 dle of September a new brood comes forth, 

 the beetles appearing fresh and bright, as 

 though they had just completed their last 

 transformation. At this time they may be 

 found on the flowers of the golden-rod, eating 

 the pollen, and also in great numbers on 

 corn-stalks, and on the trunks of the locust 

 tree, feeding upon the sweet sap of these 

 plants. On the approach of cold weather 

 they disappear, and it is conjectured that 

 they get into some warm and sheltered spot, 

 where they pass the winter in a torpid state, 

 and in the spring issue from their retreats, 

 and finish their career by depositing their 

 eggs for another brood. Those that are seen 

 in the spring want the freshness of the 

 autumnal beetles. Their hovering over and 

 occasionally dropping upon the surface of 

 the ground is probably for the purpose of 



selecting a suitable place to enter the earth 

 and lay their eggs. 



Between four and five hundred distinct 

 species are known to exist in collections, and 

 numerous others are yearly added to the 

 list. It is beyond the scope of our work to 

 enter into a further description of the nume- 

 rous genera and species of this group ; but 

 for some curiously formed species, see art. 

 GOLIATHUS. 



CEUETODON : CH.ffiTODONTID.ffi. A 



genus and family of Acanthopterygious 

 fishes, abounding in the seas of hot climates, 

 and remarkable for the singularity of their 

 figure and the beauty of their colours. They 

 are, in a general view, distinguished by the 

 great depth and highly compressed form of 

 the body, which, in most species, is beauti- 

 fully variegated by transverse, oblique, or 

 longitudinal bands, and covered with strong 

 scales ; the dorsal and anal fins being re- 

 markably broad. The species are very nu- 

 merous ; but they are rarely, if ever, found 

 in the European seas. It may suffice, per- 

 haps, to describe one species; for which 

 purpose we will take 



The IMPERIAL CH^ETODON. This is 

 a magnificent species, growing to the length 

 of twelve or fourteen inches : body oval ; 

 dorsal and anal fins broad ; and scaled to a 

 considerable distance from the base ; gill- 

 covers furnished on each side with a very 

 strong spine ; the ground colour a golden 

 ellow, longitudinally but somewhat ob- 

 iquely striped with very numerous bright- 

 blue parallel rays. It is a native of the seas 

 of Japan, and is in high esteem as an article 

 of food. 



CHAFFINCH. (FrmaOla ccelebs.) A 

 well-known, lively Passerine bird, of elegant 

 plumage, whose short and frequently-re- 

 peated song is heard early in spring, but 

 which towards the close of summer becomes a 

 mere chirping note. Its nest is remarkably 

 neat and compact, being constructed of small 

 fibres, roots, and moss, and lined with wool, 

 hair, and feathers. The female generally lays 

 five or six eggs, slightly tinged with red, and 

 sprinkled with dark spots, principally at the 

 larger end ; and the male is very assiduous 

 in his attendance during the time of incuba- 

 tion. The bill is pale blue, tipped with 

 black ; eyes hazel ; forehead black ; the 

 crown of the head, and the hinder part and 

 sides of the neck, bluish ash ; the cheeks, 

 throat, and fore part of the neck, belly, 

 thighs, and vent, white, slightly tinged with 

 red ; the back is reddish-brown, changing to 

 green on the rump ; the wing-coverts are 

 dusky, tipped with white, forming two pretty 

 large bars across the wing ; the bastard wing 

 and quill feathers are black, edged with 

 yellow ; the tail is black, except the outer 

 feather, which is edged with white ; legs 

 brown. The plumage of the female is not 

 so vivid, but inclines to a dusky green ; and 

 she is destitute of the red on the breast. 



Chaffinches subsist chiefly on small seeds ; 

 likewise on caterpillars and insects, with 

 which they also feed their young. As they 

 are naturally very hardy, they may be taken 



