504 ANALYSIS. 



fertissimis confluentibus inasqualibus variolosis impres- 

 sis. 

 Scarabaeus variolosus. Tah. Ent. Syst. 1. p. 63. n. 208. 



■ Fah. Sj/st. Eleuth. 1. p. 56. 4. 



Habitat in Europa australiori et Africa boreali. 

 /3 Var. S. minor. Fab. Mantissa, p. 16. n. 161. 

 Obs. Species S. 7norbilloso valde affinis, at abdomine subcirculari 

 distincta. 



semipunctatm. 19. SCARAB^US atronitidus, capite postice punctate, thorace 

 punctis latis impresso, elytris substriatis. 

 Scarabaeus semipunctatus. Fab. E. S. i. p. 63. n. 207. 

 Scarabasus variolosus. Oliv. Ent. 1. 3. p. 151. n. 184. t. 8. 

 f. 60. 

 /3 Var. S. dupio minor, elytris striatis. 



Habitat in Europa meridionali, Africa boreali. In Sardiniee sa- 

 bulosis vulgatissimus. D. Arnold. 



These are all the species which I have seen of that type 

 of form which, as emblematic of the sun, was held in such 

 reverence by the Egyptians. In thus endeavouring to 

 distribute them in a natural order of affinity, taken from 

 their general structure and individual sculpture, I find that 

 we may account nine at least of the species above de- 

 scribed, to constitute part of a series which returns into 

 itself, and of which the opposite points meet, as appears 

 by the affinity of form which S. semipunctatus bears to 

 S. Sacer. Of the economy of these insects, although so 

 common in the south of Europe, we know scarcely more 

 than what may be found in Aristotle's Hiit. Animalium. 

 M. Disderi, however, in the third vol. of the Turin Trans- 

 actions, has given an entertaining paper on the manners of 

 the insects inhabiting the vicinity of Saluzzo; and this, 

 perhaps, contains the most able history of S. Sacer to 

 which the reader can refer. 



