DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



keep under the bark or at the foot of trees, and 

 fly only hy night. Amongst the exotic species 

 some, such as the speciosus (n 28) , are ornamented 

 with very brilliant metallic colours. The genus 

 cerambyx, to which that of the lamia, Fabr., is 

 here united, comprehends a great number of 

 species which have their thorax tuberculated, 

 and are in general very large insects. The c. he- 

 rosj Fabr. (n 2), is common in oak forests ; its 

 larva is probably that known by the Romans 

 under the name of cossus* and which they 

 esteemed a delicacy. The c. moschatus, Lin. 

 (n 8), lives on willows, etc. This species, which 

 is of a bronze or bluish green colour, diffuses a 

 strong odour of roses and musk which can be 

 smelt at a considerable distance, and even after 

 the insect is dead. Another, which has a little 

 tuft of hair at each joint of its antennae, the c. ro- 

 salia (ny), has the same properties, and is found 

 on the Alps and Pyrennees. The same remark 

 has been made of several exotic species. That 

 which is named after M. Desfontaines (n 26) 

 was in the collection that professor brought over 

 from Barbary. The c. longimanus (n 45), or long- 

 limbed cerambyx is easily recognized by its mar- 

 bled wing-sheaths, the extreme length of its an- 

 terior feet, and its extraordinary size. The larva 

 of lamia gigas (n 78) lives on the baobab tree of 



