THE ATLAS BEETLE. 



469 



gifted with extraordinary powers of scent, are sure to be on the spot as soon as their 

 labors are required. 



There are few parts of the globe where beetles possessing similar habits are not to be 

 found, and although they do not display equal skill in the construction of egg-contain- 

 ing balls, they are equally efficacious in the results. It may be here mentioned that 

 the watchman beetle of England (Geotnipes stercordrius) is the " shard-borne " beetle 

 mentioned by the poets, the title being due to the shelly elytra which are held aloft 

 during its flight. They are marvellously tenacious of life ; and as an example of this 

 property I may mention that I once caught a Geotrupes in the air which had been 

 mulcted of one elytron, lost several of its limbs, and the whole of its abdomen, the con- 

 tents having been evidently scooped out by some bird. Yet it was quite strong on the 

 wing, and seemed little the worse for its injuries. 



THE right-hand figure in the illustration represents a very fine Lamellicorn, the ATLAS 

 BEETLE, a native of the Philippines and part of India. The form of this insect can be 



SACRED EGYPTIAN SCARAB/EUS.-Scara/weus sacer. 



ATLAS BEETLE. -CAa/coso/aa atlas. 



seen from the drawing, and its colors are as follows : The male is of a brilliant metal- 

 lic olive green, brightly polished and shining ; but the female is of a much duller hue, 

 having the thorax and the base of the elytra rough, and the green of a blackish cast. 

 The length of the male is about three inches. 



The very odd looking beetle on the left hand of the illustration belongs to the family 

 Rutelidae, the members of which belong entirely to the hot countries of the globe, and 

 are most plentiful in the tropics. They do not seem to attain the gigantic dimensions 

 which are found among the allied families, such as the Dynastidae, but are all very 

 beautiful insects on account of the extreme brilliancy of their coloring. The CHRYSO- 

 PHORO has been chosen as the example of this family, on account of its curious form 

 and glowing colors. The specimen is a male, and is given to show the extraordinary 

 development of the hind legs, which seem disproportionately long and stout when com- 

 pared with the moderately sized body. Another point of interest in this beetle is the 

 structure of the " tibia " of the hind leg, /. e. the joint immediately preceding the jointed 

 foot. On reference to the engraving, it will be seen that the lower part of this joint is 



