178 



cif Natural 



is constantly in motion. It lias a long tail, 

 scaly and flattened at the sides ; membranous 

 feet ; eyes very small ; and no external ears. 

 This animal is very common along the rivers 

 and lakes of Southern Russia, where it feeds 

 on worms, the larva; of insects, and particu- 

 larly on leeches, which it easily withdraws 

 froni the mud by means of its flexible pro- 

 boscis. It never conies voluntarily on shore, 

 but is often taken in the nets of the fisher- 

 men. Its burrow, excavated in a bank, com- 

 mences under water, and ascends to above 

 the level of the highest floods. Under the 

 tail of the Desman are two small follicles 

 containing a kind of unctuous substance, of 

 a strong musky odour, from which the name 

 of Musk-rat is given to it. 



DEW [MOTHS]. A name given, by col- 

 lectors to Moths of the genus Setina. 



DIADEM SPIDER. (Epeira diadema.) 

 This spider, so common in the autumn, be- 

 longs toWalckenaer's genus Epeira. Its body, 

 when full grown, is nearly as large as a hazel 

 nut, is of a deep chestnut brown colour, and 



the abdomen beautifully marked by a lon- 

 gitudinal series of round milk-white spots, 

 crossed by others' of a similar appearance, 

 BO as to represent in some degree the pattern 

 of a small diadem. It is chiefly seen during 

 the autumnal season in our gardens, where, 

 in some convenient spot or shelter, it forms 

 a large, round, close web of yellow silk, in 

 which it deposits its eggs, guarding this web 

 with a secondary one of a looser texture. 

 The young are hatched in the ensuing May, 

 the parent insects dying towards the close of 

 autumn. At the tip of the abdomen are 

 placed five papillae or teats, through which 

 the spider draws its thread. The eyes, which 

 are situated on the upper part of the thorax, 

 are eight in number, placed at a small dis- 

 tance from eacli other. The fangs with 

 which the animal wounds its prey are strong, 

 curved, sharp-pointed, and each furnished 

 on the inside, near the tip, with a small ob- 

 long hole or slit, through which is discharged 

 a poisonous fluid into the wound made by 

 the point itself. The feet are of a highly 

 curious structure ; the two claws with which 

 each is terminated being furnished on its 

 under side with several parallel processes 

 resembling the teeth of a comb, and enabling 

 the spider to manage with the utmost facility 

 the threads in its web, &c. [See SPIDER.] 



DIAMOND BEETLE. C&nfimtu.) This 

 splendid Coleopterous insect belongs to the 



family Curculionidce, and contains two or 

 three species. It is very abundant in some 

 parts of South America. It is often, with a 

 magnifying glass of no great power, formed 



DIAMOND B 



into a very pleasing toy to amuse young 

 people. There are small species of Curculio- 

 nidce in our own island, however, which are 

 scarcely less brilliant when magnified under 

 a good light, and with sufficient power. 



DIAPERIS. A genus of Coleopterous 

 insects. [See TAXICOKNES.] 



D I C JE U M. A genus of Tenuirostral 

 Birds, allied to the CHEEPERS : they do not 

 use their tails as these birds do ; and they 

 are generally brilliant in colour, having 

 more or less of scarlet in their plumage. 

 Different species are found in Asia and its 

 islands, and also in Australia. 



A genus 

 [See PEC- 



DICOTYL.ES, or PECCARY, 

 of Quadrupeds allied to Swine. 

 CARY.] 



DICRONOCEPHALTJS. A genus of 

 Coleoptera belonging to the family Ceto- 

 niadce, described by Mr. Hope. The male, 

 which is the only sex at present known, is 

 remarkable for the two horns on the head, 

 which are bent up. The only known species, 

 Dicronocephahts WaUichii, is a native of 



Nepal, having been found by Dr. Wallich 

 when botanizing among the Himalaya 

 mountains. It is of a yellowish gray colour, 

 and its general form will be better seen by 

 the accompanying cut than by any descrip- 

 tion. It is at present very rare in collec- 

 tions (there is one, however, in the British 

 Museum) ; but, like its congeners, Narycius 



