COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS. 100 



such a prominent group in temperate and northern 

 countries, and compensate their want of bulk by 

 the extent of their numbers. The males of seve- 

 ral of the Onthophagi are strikingly distinguished 

 by two slender horns rising from the hinder part 

 of the head. One of the most remarkable in 

 this respect has been named O. Taurus, from the 

 resemblance these appendages 

 bear, in form and curvature, to 

 the horns of a bull. This will 

 be seen from the annexed figure, 

 which represents a front view of 

 the head. 



These insects are common both to the new and 

 old world, and extend from the tropics to the north- 

 ern temperate zone. Several kinds likewise inhabit 

 New Holland, where, however, they are by no means 

 of frequent occurrence, although they form the prin- 

 cipal coprophagous group found in that country. 

 The rarity of these insects in New Holland, as Mr 

 Macleay observes, may be regarded as the natural 

 consequence of that great peculiarity of the Austra- 

 lian continent, namely, the want of all large herbi- 

 vorous mammalia, except of the marsupial kind. 

 Ten different species occur in Britain, but the 

 southern part of the country seems to be nearly the 

 limit of their extension northwards, as they become 

 rare in the northern counties of England, and we 

 have heard of no in stance of their occurrence in Scot- 

 land. Like many of their associates, they are ver- 



