THE GOLIATH BEETLES 267 



;i|)pearance. Though but little is yet known of its economy, it 

 most likely subsists upon putrescent wood, and evidently leads a 

 tree life, like the other members of the family — the Elephaiit, 

 the Neptune, the Typhon, the Hector, the Mars — whose Very 

 names indicate that they are *' first-rate liners " in the insect 

 world. These beetles excavate burrows in the earth, where they 

 \ ' conceal themselves during the day, or live in the decomposed 

 trunks of trees, and are generally of a dark rich brown or 

 chestnut colour. On the approach of night they run about 

 ? the footpaths in woods, or fly around the trees to a great 

 ' height with a loud humming noise. Resembling the large 

 herbivorous quadrupeds by their comparative size and horn- 

 like processes, they are still further like them in their harm- 

 less nature, and thus deserve in more than one respect to be 

 called the elephants among the insect tribes. 



The Groliaths of the coast of Guinea are nearly as large 

 ns the American Megasominac, and surpass them in brilliancy 

 of colouring. Some years ago these huge beetles, which 

 live exclusively on the juice of trees, were very rare, and 

 fetched extravagant prices. Thus Mr. Swainson mentions 

 £30 having been offered and . refused for a single speci- 

 I men, the proprietor demanding £50. It was, however, sub- 

 sequently sold for £10; and the market having latterly been 

 better supplied with Groliaths, a further 

 reduction has taken place, though some 

 of the species are still worth £5 or 

 £6. 



The South American Inca beetles 

 greatly resemble the African Groliaths, 

 equalling them in size and beauty. 



Many of the tropical dragon-flies, 

 grasshoppers, butterflies, and moths, are 

 of no less colossal dimensions in their 

 several orders than the giants among ^^^^ 



the beetles. The Libellula lucretia, a South American dragon- 

 fly, measures five inches and a half in length; the giant 

 Phasma is a span long ; and the cinnamon-eating Atlas-moth 

 , of Ceylon often reaches the dimensions of nearly a foot in 

 , the stretch of its superior wings. The names of many other 

 species conspicuous by their size might be added; but these 



