Popular SBtrtionarn of ^mmatcXr $ature. 177 



belonging to the Kangaroo family. Two 

 species, Dendrolarjus ursinus and imtstus 

 Midler, were discovered by M. S. Muller, in 

 New Guinea. These were found at Triton 

 Bay, and they also inhabit the interior 

 of the country. They are arboreal in their 

 habits, climbing trees with the utmost fa- 

 cility. The tail is considerably elongated, 



and in one species (the D. inustus) of nearly 

 equal thickness throughout. The D. ursinus 

 is of a deep blackish brown ; the D. inustus 

 paler. Now that New Guinea is taken into 

 the possession of the British, specimens and 

 full particulars of this interesting genus may 

 soon be looked for. 



DENDROPHYLLIA. The name given 

 to a genus of Polypi, or Madrepores, of co- 

 ral-like structure. They are of arborescent 

 forms, the stem sending cut branches, instead 

 of remaining simply columnar ; and these 

 branches again subdividing. The whole 

 structure is covered with a gelatinous or 

 fleshy substance, which, although it has no 

 direct communication with the stomach, 

 seems to constitute the animal, of which the 

 Polypes are only subordinate parts. 



DENDROSAURA, or TREE LIZARDS. 

 The name of a tribe of Reptiles, containing 

 the Chamceleons, and used by Mr. Gray in 

 his excellent Descriptive Catalogue of the 

 Li/ards in the British Museum. The scales 

 of the belly, of the side, and of the back, are 

 granular, and in circular bands ; the tongue 

 is worm-like and elongate, and very exten- 

 sile. The eyes are globular, very mobile, 

 covered with a circular lid pierced with a 

 small central hole. The toes are formed 

 into two grasping opposable groups, which 

 fit them admirably for living on trees. [See 

 CHAMELEON.] 



DENTIROSTRES. The name of a tribe 

 of birds, characterized by having a notch 

 and tooth-like process on each side of the 

 margin of the upper mandible. They ma- 

 nifest rapacious habits, and prey on smaller 

 and weaker birds. The Jiutcher-bird will 

 serve as an example of this tribe. 



DERMESTES : DERMESTID.E. A 



genus and family of Coleopterous insects, the 

 antennae of which are elevated and perfo- 

 liated transversely. The larvae or grubs of this 

 tribe devour dead bodies, skins, leather, and 



almost any animal substance, and are ex- 

 ceedingly destructive to books and furniture. 

 " Although obnoxious in these respects, the 

 insects of this family are of infinite service 

 in the economy of nature, by causing the 

 rapid decomposition of animal matter into 

 a substance fitted for the improvement of 

 the soil, and by their labours, united with 

 those of the Silphae, Necrophori, &c., de- 

 stroying such portions of these remains as 

 are left untouched by the Flesh-flies, which 

 only consume the soft portions of the car- 

 casses. Like the perfect insects, their larvaB 

 are seldom observed upon the surface of the 

 matters which they attack." Westwood. 

 This gentleman further observes (in a note), 

 " In some of the Egyptian mummies lately 

 opened, a great number of dead specimens 

 of several species of Dermestes have been 

 discovered in the interior of the body, to- 

 gether with a number of their larva, also 

 dead : hence, from the circumstance of these 

 larvse being found dead in a situation which 

 appears at one time to have been congenial 

 to them, I am induced to think that these 

 insects must have found their way into the 

 body previous to the final operation of em- 

 balmment, whereby they were destroyed." 



The complete insects are mostlyof a length- 

 ened oval shape, and have a habit of with- 

 drawing the head beneath the thorax when 

 handled. One of the most familiar species 

 is the Dermestes lardarius, 

 or Bacon-beetle, which is 

 about a third of an inch in 

 lcngth,aud of a dusky brown 

 colour, with the upper 

 half of the wing shells 

 whitish or ash-coloured, and 

 marked with black spots. 

 Another species, seen in 

 almost every house during 

 the spring and early part of 

 the summer, is the Atta- 

 Rro>iwifii-TT genus Pellio. It measures 

 (DKRMKsrFs' scarcely a quarter of an 

 LARD A. HI us.) inch in length, and is of a 

 very dark brown or blackish 

 colour, with a white speck on the middle of 

 each wing-shell. 



DESMAN, or MUSK-RAT. ( Mygale mos- 

 chata.) An insectivorous animal, aquatic in 

 all its habits, and nearly equal in size to 



DE8MAN, ANT) FORE-FEET. 

 (UYGAI.E MO80HATA.) 



the Hedgehog. Its muzzle is elongated 

 into a small, very flexible proboscis, which 



