MUSK BEETLE. 193 



perfectly still, clinging to the trunk of some tree, and harmo- 

 nising so well with the colour of the surface that it may easily 

 be mistaken for a mere excrescence of the bark. By night, 

 however, it flies in search of its mate, and is sometimes seen by 

 entomologists who are engaged in the pleasing task of ' sugar- 

 ing ' for moths at night in some wood. Darenth Wood is one 

 of the favoured localities of this insect, two specimens of which 

 wer^ lately captured there by K. Evans, Esq., as they were 

 clinging to the bark in fancied security. 



The name Priouus is taken from a Greek word, which signi- 

 fies a sawyer, and is given to the insect on account of its wood- 

 iestroying habits. 



Next in order comes the family of the Cerambycidse. This 

 name is a Grreek one, and is apparently given to the group of 

 Beetles on account of their long antennae, or horns, the Grreek 

 word keras (unfortunately written ceras) signifying a horn. 

 In this family, the head is slightly bent downwards, the thorax 

 is widened at the sides, and the antennae, which are never 

 serrated, are inserted in the inner margin of the eyes, which 

 are semilunar. 



Our first example is the beautiful Musk Beetle {Aroynia 

 [or Gerambyx'] moschata), an insect which is equally grateful 

 to the eye and the nostril. One of these Beetles is shown on 

 Plate VI. Fig. 9. This is really a lovely insect, the shape 

 being peculiarly elegant, and the colour a soft green, some- 

 times glossed with blue, gold, copper, or bronze, the hue being 

 exceedingly variable. Even the thorax partakes of this varia- 

 bility, being sometimes rough, and sometimes very smooth and 

 glossy. 



It owes its popular name to the powerful and pleasing odour 

 which it exhales, and which is said by some persons to resemble 

 ottar of roses. For my part, I never could perceive much re- 

 semblance between the somewhat sickly scent of the ottar and 

 the fresh sweetbriar-like odour of the Beetle. This scent can 

 be perceived at a considerable distance, and the presence of the 

 Beetle can often be detected by it, even when the insect is 

 itself concealed. Shortly after I came to live in West Kent, I 

 was uassing along the road, and declared that a Musk Beetle 

 ^sas in the ueiglibourhood. My companions, not knowing the 



o 



