o8^ HISTOUY OF 



fions of our poets. No two insects can differ more than the 

 male and female of this species from each other. The male is 

 in every respect a beetle, having eases to its wings, and rising in 

 the air at pleasure ; the female, on the contrary, has none, but is 



Tlie Rhinoceros Beetle is very rare, and inhabits Asia. The throat is re. 

 tuse and unarmed ; the horn on tlie head simple and slightly curved ; the 

 shield is bifid ; and the shells punctated. The body is of a pitchy black ; 

 beneath hairy. 1 he throat of the female is excavate. The Elephtail Beetle 

 will be found described in the text. 



Tlie Goliali Beetle is one of the largest of its tribe, and is a native of seve 

 ral parts of Africa. Its horns are elevate, with a fissile tip. The leg's are 

 generally toothed ; the body is thick and compact : the throat is unarmed, 

 and the head somewhat forked. 



The Midas Beetle. — The antennae of this insect are divided at the tip, or 

 head, into several lamcll;e ; the joints of the fore-legs are generally toothed ; 

 its thorax is broad and treble-horned ; with a double-horned sinuated cly- 

 peus. In the beetle tribe we are presented with a wonderful, and as it 

 were ahnost capricious diversity of form ; every variation of horn and pro. 

 cess, that imagination can conceive, being exemplified in the different 

 species of this extensive genus ; and if their size approached to that of the 

 larger animals, even the monsters of romance would be exceeded by the 

 realities of nature. In some the head alone is horned, in others the thorax 

 only, and in others both head and thorax are furni^^lied with these appen- 

 dages. Amongst the rarest, as well as the most singular species, may bo 

 reckoned the niidas beetle, which is a native of America, and particularly of 

 South America. Its colour is deep black; but the under parts, especially 

 towards the breast and the insertions of the legs, are coated with dark fer- 

 ruginous down. The elytra, or wing-sheaths, are marked by a few longi. 

 tudinal striae. 



The Kanguroo Beetle. — This is another instance of the freaks of nature ; 

 for there hardly can be conceived an animated form more remarkable than 

 tne Kanguroo Beetle. It is also to be observed, that, in general, the colour 

 of the larger beetles is either black or brown, and seldom exhibits that rich 

 assortment of brilliant hues so conspicuous in many of the smaller coleop- 

 terous insects. A striking exception, however, to this rule occurs in this 

 insect, which to a form the most seemingly disproportioned unites the most 

 beautiful colours, the whole animal on the upper surface being of the rich- 

 est and most shining grass green, while the under surface is ornamented ty 

 a metallic lustre resembling that of burnished copper : this is particularly 

 conspicuous on the hind legs, which are of so enormous a size in proportion 

 to the rest of the animal, as to appear, at first view, rather an inconve 

 nience to it. The animal may, however, be formed for leaping ; for which 

 purpose this extravagant cize of leg may be well calculated. It is from 

 this circvunstance that it has received the title of kanguroo beetle. 



The Golden Beetle.— TXie antenna; or horns of this species are elevate, 

 with a fissile tip ; legs generally toothed ; and the body thick and compact. 

 'Hie first segment of the abdomen is furnished on each side with a pronii. 

 nent tooth. 'I'be golden beetle is a species of peculiar beauty, and is about 

 the size of the common black or garden beetle, but of a somewhat flatter 



