C 8i 3 



PLATE LXVII. 



MELOE VARIEGATUS, [ 



Scarce Meloe. 



coleoptera. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Antenns globular, the laft globule oval. Thorax roundifii. Shells 

 foft. Head gibbous, and bent downwards. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER, 



Head and thorax dull green, margined with red. Shells fliort, dull 

 green {hagreened. Body large ; above variegated with red, green? 

 and copper colour : beneath purple. Legs reddifh purple. 



In form and fize this fpecies is not unlike the common Meloe * ; 

 but is far fuperior to that Infe6l, for the beauty of its colours : when 

 the creature is alive the upper part of the body partakes of the moft 

 vivid colours, but thofe colours become more obfcure after the Infect 

 dies;— thii dilterence of the appearance, between the living and dead 

 fpecimen of the fame fpecies, is not peculiar to this Infe£l only, but 

 is commonly obfervtd of moft other kinds. The body is large in 

 proportion to the other parts, but after death it is fo contracted, or 

 diftorted from its natural ftiape, as to ailume the appearance of an 

 incoherent mafs ; the fkin fo corrugated as to receive a falfe li^ht on 

 iiiTerent parts of the furface, and confeqtiently the natural g;ow of 



* M. Profcarabasus, 



