32 SCARABJEIDiE — DUNG-BEETLES. 



Stars and Planets they are su])jected naturally," where we 

 find mention of the Scarab as l)einp^ subject to the moon: 

 " The Scarabe, which is otherwise commonly called the 

 Beetle-flye, a little old Creature, is maruelously subject to 

 the Moon, and thereof is found both written, and by experi- 

 ence : That she gathereth or little pellets, or little round 

 bals, and therein encloseth her young Egges, keeping the 

 Pellets hid in the ground eight and twenty dales; during 

 which time the Moone maketh her course, and the nine and 

 twentieth day shee taketh them forth, and then hideth them 

 againe vnder the Earth. Then, at such time as the Moone 

 is conioyned with the Sunne, which w^ee vsually tearme the 

 New Moone: they all issue forth aliue, and flye about. "^ 



4. Mercury. — The third of the three species of beetles, 

 described by Horapollo, has one horn, and a peculiar form ; 

 and it is supposed, like the Ibis, to refer to Mercury.^ 



5. A Courageous Warrior. — As such they forced all the 

 soldiers to wear rings, upon each of which a beetle was 

 engraved, i.e. an animal perpetually in armor, who went 

 his rounds in the night.^ Plutarch thus alludes to this cus- 

 tom : " In the signet or seal-ring of their martial and mili- 

 tary men, there was engraven the portraeture of the great 

 Ply called the Beettil ;" and assigns this curious and ridicu- 

 lous reason, " because in that kinde there is no female, but 

 they be all males. "* The custom is also mentioned by 

 ^lian ;^ and some Scarabs have been found perfect, set in 

 gold, with the ring attached.^ The Romans adopted this 

 emblem and made it a part of some legionary standards. 



6. Pthah, the Creative Power. — Plutarch says, that in 

 consequence of there being no females of this species, but 

 all males, they were considered fit types of the creative 

 power, self-acting and self-sufficient.^ Some, too, have 

 supposed that its position upon the female figure of the 

 heavens, which encircles the zodiacs, refers to the same 

 singular idea of its generative influence.^ 



i Treasvrie, B. 7. c. 14, p. G02. Printed 1613. 



2 Horap. Hierog., i. 10. 



3 Fosbroke, Encycl. of Antiq., i. 208. 

 * Of his, ^c. YLoW.'TransL, p. 1051. 



5 ^lian, X. 15. 



6 Wilkinson, And. Egypt., ii. (2cl S.) 257. 

 ■^ Of Isis, Sj'C, qua supra. 



8 Wilkin. And. Egypt., ii. (2cl S.) 25G. 



