THE GEOTRUPIN^. 229 



and boom around, during dusk, with their sonorous 

 hum. [W.E.Sh.] 



(200.) The next division is composed of the Geo- 

 trupinee, or drone scarabs. " Concisely describing these 

 insects," observes Mr. MacLeay, " it may be said, that 

 they differ from the last by their corneous mandibles, 

 and from the Dynastince by their exserted labrum." 

 " But such characters," as he truly adds, " like all 

 others, are subject to an infinity of shades, and may 

 even altogether disappear in some insects of this family 

 hereafter to be discovered. They are coprophagous, or 

 boletophagous. * Some extreme genera, however, live 

 on roots, and may even be considered lignivorous." Most, 

 if not all, the typical species, which are comparatively 

 few, inhabit temperate latitudes ; while such as are here 

 considered " extreme," or, rather, aberrant, genera, are 

 restricted to warm or tropical climates.f 



(201.) The common Scarabeeus stercorarius of Lin- 

 naeus, so abundant in this country, is one of the best 

 examples we can adduce of this division. In its short 

 convex body, and, indeed, in general appearance, no less 

 than manner, it presents a strong resemblance to the 

 genus Copris among the ScaruhcBince ; but the position 

 of the hinder legs is different; the head is smaller; and, 

 from not being furnished with a dilated shield, the pro- 

 trusion of the mandibles, which are very strong, horny, 

 and arcuated at their tips, is rendered very evident ; the 

 labium is also exserted, or, as it were, pushed out, — in 

 which respect they strikingly differ from the typical 

 scarabs. The tarsi furnish another important character ; 

 although considerably shorter than the shank, their 

 structure shows an evident approach to what is seen in 

 the floral beetles, or the Cetonida : the claw joint is the 

 longest, and even exceeds the first; the others gradually 

 diminishing downwards : the joints, moreover, are cy- 

 lindrical, and not, as in the former division, compressed. 



* That is, feeding either upon dung or decayed /wngi'. 

 t Hor. iint., p. 52. 



Q 3 



