THE TYPHCEUS. 103 



short, sharp prominence, like the teeth of a saw, 

 while the place of the central horn is taken by a 

 ridge running across the fore- 

 head. Indeed, owing to the 

 absence of these horns, the 

 female is so unlike the other 

 sex, that no one who was 

 ignorant of entomology would 

 be likely to believe the two 

 creatures to be nothing more 

 than different sexes of the 

 same insect. 



The name of Typhceus Typhous 



was given to this insect in the days when classical 

 mythology was the source of new names for insects, 

 and to this species the name of Typhceus was given 

 on account of its menacing aspect, which was fanci- 

 fully compared to the giant Typhceus, who frightened 

 Zeus and the other gods out of heaven merely by 

 his looks. As, however, was the case with its ancient 

 prototype, the Typhceus is not nearly so terrible as 

 it seems, and its array of horns cannot do the least 

 injury to the hands of its capturer. 



There is no possibility of mistaking this insect, 

 which, in addition to the characteristics that have 

 been already described, has the first and last joints of 

 the tarsus of equal length, and longer than the others. 

 The colour of the insect is shining-black, the elytra 

 being regularly but not very deeply striated. There 

 is, however, considerable variation in this insect, as 

 even in some males the horns are comparatively small, 

 and little better developed than those of the female. 



