36 MIOCENE FAUNA. 



Of the dung-beetles (Coprophaga) the Geotrupidse and Apho- 

 diidse are rare, and represented by but few species; of the 

 Copridse, on the contrary, we have thirteen species, belonging to 

 four genera. The genus Onthophagus , with its grotesquely 

 horned forms, called among the people " little bull " and " little 

 ox/' includes seven species, five of which are exactly represented 

 by those now found in the droppings of cattle : that is to say, 

 Onthophagus Urus, Heer, is represented by O. nuchicornis, 

 Linn.; O. prodromus, Heer (fig. 268), and O. crassus, Heer, 

 by O. vacca, Linn. ; 0. bisontinus, Heer, by O. affinis, St. ; and 

 O. ovatulus, Heer, by O. ovatus, Linn. The genus Copris also 

 includes one species (C. subterranea, Heer), which is represented 

 by one living Swiss species (C. lunaris], found in cattle-manure; 

 another (C. Druidum, Heer, fig. 267) is most nearly allied to a 

 Brazilian species (C. ciliata). The genus Gymnopleurus , besides 

 a species of Indian type (G. rotundatus, Heer, fig. 270), presents 

 two or three peculiar forms ; whilst an Qmticellus(Q.amplicollis y 

 fig. 269) finds its nearest ally in the Swiss O. flavipes, Fab., 

 which lives in horse-manure. Among the Geotrupidse there 

 is a species (Geotrupes German, Heer) which, like the Swiss 

 Scarabaeus and Geotrupes, lived on horse- manure; another 

 (Coprologus gracilis, Heer) constitutes a peculiar and extinct 

 genus. 



The Dynastidse are represented by the genus Pentodon (P. 

 Proserpina, Heer), which is now confined to the Mediterranean 

 region, and passes its larval stage in rotten wood. 



The Melittophilidse are known to every one by the rose- 

 beetles (Cetonice), so frequent on the spring flowers in the|Swiss 

 gardens. No fossil Cetoniae are known ; but we find the nearly 

 allied genus Trichius, the species of which frequent flowers, 

 whilst their larvse dwell in old trunks of trees. One species (T. 

 cedilis, Heer, fig. 266) is probably the ancestor of the golden 

 Trichius nobilis, Linn., which particularly lives on the flowers 

 of the elder, but deposits its eggs in old plum-trees ; another 

 species (T. lugubris, Heer) was the ancestor of the Trichius 

 variabilis, Linn., a black beetle spotted with white, which passes 

 its young state in deciduous trees; and a third (T. amoenus, 

 Heer) may be the progenitor of T. fasciatus, Fab., with which 

 it agrees in the black bands on its elytra. Valgus ceningensis, 



