522 INSECTA. 



shutting in the same manner ; sometimes forming a concentric, contorted chib, the first or the basal 

 idint of the mass being in such case semi-infundibuliform, and receiving the others ; sometimes 

 arranged perpendicularly to the axis, and forming a kind of comb. The body is generally ovoid or 

 oval and thick, the outer edge of the anterior tibia; is toothed, and the joints of the tarsi, except in 

 some males, are entire, and without any brush or cushion beneath ; the anterior extremity of the head 

 is advanced and dilated, generally in the form of a shield ; the mentum is generally large, and covers 

 the tonguelet, or is incorporated with it, and bears the palpi ; the mandibles of many are membranous, 

 a peculiarity not found in any other coleopterous insect. The males often differ from the females 

 either in the horns or tubercular elevations of the thorax or head, or in the size of their mandibles. 



This family is of very great extent, and one of the most beautiful of the order, in respect to the 

 size of the body, the variety in the form of the head and thorax in the different sexes, and often also 

 in those species which in the perfect state live upon vegetable substances, in respect to the brilliancy 

 of the metallic colours with which they are ornamented. But the majority of the other species, which 

 subsist on decomposing vegetable matter, as manure, tan, or excrementitious matter, are generally of 

 an uniform brown or black colour ; some of the coprophagous species, nevertheless, are not inferior 

 in this respect to the preceding. All have wings, and they crawl but slowly. The larvae have the 

 body long, nearly semicylindrical, soft, often transversely wrinkled, whitish-coloured, 12-jointed, with 

 the head scaly, armed with strong jaws and six scaly feet. Each side of the body has nine spiracles ; 

 the posterior extremity is thickened, rounded, and generally curved beneath, so that these larvae 

 having the hack convex or arched, are not able to extend themselves in a straight line, and crawl but 

 badly on a smooth surface, and tumble sideways or back downwards at every step. A general idea of 

 their form may be obtained from that of the grub so common in gardens and pastures, which produces 

 the common Cockchaffer. Some species do not change to pupa; until they have passed three or four 

 years as larvae; they form for themselves in their retreats, with the earth or the debris of the mate- 

 rials they have gnawed, a cocoon of an ovoid form, or in the shape of an elongated ball, of which the 

 particles are fastened together with a glutinous secretion. Their food consists of dung, manure, tan, 

 the roots of vegetables, including some which are useful to Man, whence these insects occasionally 

 cause much loss to the cultivator. The nervous system, considered in the larva and imago states, 

 exhibits remarkable differences. 



We divide this family into two tribes, the anatomy of which, according to Dufour, is so different as 

 to raise them to the rank of two distinct families, — IScarabceides and Lucanides]. 



The first, that of the 



SCARAB^IDES, — 



Possesses antennae terminated in the majority by a club composed of leaflets capable of being shut up, 

 and in the others consisting of box-like joints, either in the form of a cone reversed, or nearly globu- 

 lar ; the mandibles are alike, or nearly alike, in the sexes, but the head and thorax of the males often 

 exhibit prominences of peculiar form ; sometimes also their antenna; are more developed. This tribe 

 corresponds with the genus 



ScARAB^us, Linna;us. 



We divide this genus into numerous small sections, founded upon the consideration of the mastica- 

 tory organs, antennaj, and habits, the distinction of which sections has been confirmed by the anato- 

 mical researches of M. Dufour. 



1. The Copruphagi, or the Scarabaeides of our first section, have the antennae generally composed of 

 eight or nine joints, the last three of which form the knob ; the labrum and mandibles are membranous 

 and hidden. The terminal lobe of the maxilla; is also of this consistence, broad, and curved on the 

 upper edge ; the last joint of the maxillary palpi is always largest, and the last joint of the labial is 

 slenderer than the preceding, or very small, behind each of which last palpi is a membranous produc- 

 tion, or tonguelet. The sternum offers no particular prominence, and the claws of the tarsi are simple ; 

 the fore tarsi are often wanting, either naturally or from being worn away. 



Some of the Coprophagi have the two middle legs much wider apart at the base than the others ; 

 the labial palpi very hairy, with the last joint minute ; the scutellum wanting, or very small. 



Ateuchus, Weber (Scm-abaus of the Latins and Mac Leay, Heliocaniharus of the Greeks), consists of species 

 peculiar to the old world, with the body rounded, generally depressed above, alike in both sexes ; antenr<re 9-jointed, 



