202 



of Natural 



loud humming noise. It is believed that 

 they subsist principally upon putrescent 

 wood and the detritus of other vegetable 

 matter. Among the most remarkable may 

 be mentioned the Dynastes Hercules, or 

 HERCULES BEETLE. It is usually about four, 

 but sometimes measures not less than five, 

 or even six inches in length : the elytra are 

 of a smooth surface, of a bluish or brownish- 

 gray colour, and generally marked with 

 several small round deep-black spots, of dif- 

 ferent sizes : the head and limbs are jet 

 black ; from the upper part of the thorax 

 proceeds a horn or process of enormous 

 length in proportion to the body, sharp at 

 the tip, curving slightly downwards, and 

 furnished throughout its whole length with 

 a fine, short, velvet-like pile, of a brownish 

 orange colour : from the front of the head 

 proceeds also a strong horn, about two-thirds 

 the length of the former, toothed on its upper 

 surface, but not covered with any of the 

 velvet-like pile. This specie_s is a native of 

 several parts of South America, where great 

 numbers are sometimes seen on the tree 

 called the Mammaea Americana, and have 

 been said by some travellers to rasp off the 

 rind of the slender branches by working 

 nimbly round them with the horns, till they 

 cause the juice to flow, which they drink to 

 intoxication, and thus fall senseless from the 

 tree. This, however, has a very fabulous 

 air, nor, although the account has been often 

 repeated, do we find it any where sufficiently 

 well authenticated to depend upon ; in short, 

 the structure of the horns would render it 

 impossible. The female is destitute both of 

 the frontal and thoracic horn, and but for 

 her large size would hardly be regarded as 

 her lord's mate. 



The next species, Megasoma elephas, or 

 ELEPHANT BEETLE, is also a native of South 



America (having been brought from Vene- 

 zuela by Mr. David Dyson), though for a 

 long time it was erroneously supposed to be 

 a native of Africa. Some specimens are 



at least three inches long. Our figure will 

 show better than any description its form 

 and general appearance. It is covered with 

 a yellowish gray down, which is very short 

 and thickly set : the head is furnished with 

 a long arched horn, which is bifid at the ex- 

 tremity, of a blackish colour, with a large 

 tubercle at the base, directed forwards : 

 the thorax has two small smooth tubercles 

 in the middle, and a strong somewhat 

 oblique horn on each side : the front legs 

 are considerably arched. The next species 

 figured is from the Eastern Islands. It is 

 the Chalcosoma Atlas, or Atlas Beetle. It 

 is of a highly polished metallic surface : 



BEETLE. (CHALCOSOMA ATLAS.) 



the horns on the head and thorax vary very 

 much in the different specimens ; but our 

 figure is taken from a specimen in which 

 these prominences are well developed. It 

 seems to be far from uncommon in the Philip- 

 pine Islands. There are fine specimens of it 

 and many other species of l)ynastidce in 

 the collection of the British Museum. We 

 may here say that the females of the Dy- 

 nastidse are devoid of spines or projections 

 on the head and thorax, just like our British 

 Onthophagi, and that, like them, the males 

 have the head more or less armed, according 

 to the quality and quantity of the food they 

 have taken in the larva state. This observa- 

 tion, as far as regards European Lamellicora 

 beetles, is made by M. Mulsant of Lyons, in 

 his excellent and extensive work on the Co- 

 leoptera of France. 



DYTISCUS : DYTISCID^}. A genus and 

 family of insects belonging to the aquatic 

 carnivora ; which during tlieir larva and 

 perfect states live in water, but quit that 

 element to undergo their metamorphoses, 

 and to pass the time of their pupa condition. 

 The Dytiscus maryinalis (one of the largest 

 European species) is common in stagnant 

 waters ; it is an inch or rather more in length, 

 and is of a dark olive colour, with the 



