368 DERMESTES LAKDARIUS. 



fumes the form of a hairy oblong worm, which is divid- 

 ed into fegments alternately of a dark and light colour. 

 In that form it is often found deeply penetrating into old 

 bacon, which it renders ufelefs. 



The infecls of this genus are extremely numerous ; 

 Zinnaus has enumerated thirty fpecies, and is probably 

 far from having completed the catalogue. They are of 

 iizes and colours too various even for the pencil to de- 

 fcribe : In their manners, however, there is a flrong re- 

 femblance ; moli of them inhabiting dung or putrid flefn. 

 The beautiful tints difplayed by fome, overcome our a- 

 verfion to their Impure habits : The violet dermeftesexhi? 

 bits the mod brilliant iliades of that colour*. The tho- 

 rax is covered with greenifh hairs ; the legs black, form- 

 ing upon the whole a pleafxng objeft, if we could forget 

 that its reiidence, both in the larva and perfecl ftatCj is 

 in the bodies of dead animals. 2 



* Syft. Nat, Ord. r, gen. iii. fpcc, 13. 



