THE SCARAB^EIN^E. 225 



or, as we consider them, sub-families, into which the 

 learned author, just quoted, has divided the whole: 

 these are 1. the Scarabceince ; 2. the Geotrupince ; 

 3. the DynastincB ; 4. the Trogince ; and, 5. the Apho- 



(197-) The ScarabcBincB, or true scarabs*, are by 

 far the most numerous, and, consequently, the most 

 varied of the whole : in this respect they resemble not 

 only their prototypes, the Cetoniana, but nearly all other 

 pre-eminently typical groups in the animal kingdom. 

 Few, however, are found in Britain ; and these, chiefly 

 belonging to the genus Onthophagus, are of a small 

 size : the rest are chiefly inhabitants of tropical, or, at 

 least, of warm latitudes. According to the arrangement 

 we are now chiefly following, the insects placed in this 

 division have all membranaceous mandibles, which are 

 fimbriated at their tip and on their inner side : the 

 mouth is also invariably concealed beneath the clypeus, 

 or shield, which advances in front of the head; and 

 this, according to MacLeay, is the most constant cha- 

 racter, as well as the most certain, by which the true 

 scarabs may be distinguished from such genera of the 

 next division as make the nearest approach to them. 

 This latter character, therefore, is confessedly of more 

 importance than the first, even in a scientific point of 

 view ; while it is, also, much more adapted for general 

 use. The form of these insects will also materially aid 

 us in distinguishing them: the body is particularly 

 short in comparison to the thorax ; it is also greatly 

 depressed in the majority, although very convex in the 

 genus Copris, which, from other circumstances, does 

 not appear to be typical : the head is large, owing to 

 the great developement of the clypeus, or shield, which 

 projects all round it often so much as to conceal the 

 largest portion of the eyes and the antennae : the differ- 

 ent modifications of this part of the insect are all very 

 remarkable, and deserve much more attention than they 



* See the relative rank of these groups in Classification of Animals t 

 p. 273. 



