SHEATH-WINGED INSECTS. 355 



beetle, so called, but then the horns or trunk has no fork at the 

 end, though the lower horn resembles this. The feet are all forked 

 at the end, but not like lobsters' claws. 



The Green Tiger Beetle. — The exceeding beauty of this 

 insect is beyond all description. The upper surface of the body 

 is a deep, dead green, changing under the microscope to a glossy 

 gold, shot with red and green, the surface of the abdomen covered 

 by the wings, and the entire under surface of the body, brilliaat 

 emerald green, and when the insect is on the wing it sparkles in 

 the sun like a .flying gem. Nor is this the last of its attractions, 

 for when handled it gives forth a scent closely resembling that of 

 the verbena. It is indeed as beautiful among insects as the tiger 

 is among beasts, and is, perhaps, the more ferocious of the two. 

 It runs and flies with great activity, and takes to the wing as easily 

 as a bee or fly, and is in consequence rather difficult to capture 

 without a net. Its jaws are long, sharp, curved like a sickle, and 

 armed with several teeth. Its eyes are large and prominent, en- 

 abling it to see on all sides. Its length is rather more than half 

 an inch. 



The Hercules Beetle is worthy of its noble name. It 

 sometimes measures not less than five or six inches in length. The 

 wing-sheaths are smooth, of a bluish or brownish-grey color, and 

 sometimes nearly black. The head and limbs are coal-black. From 

 the upper part of the breast proceeds a horn of enormous length 

 in proportion to the size of the body. From the front of the head 

 proceeds another strong horn about two-thirds of the length of the 

 former. 



This species is a native of South America. There great num- 

 bers are seen on the tree called mammsBa. They rasp off the rind 

 of the slender branches, by working nimbly round them with their 

 horns, which are most useful instruments to them in this opera- 

 tion. Thus they cause the juices to flow from the tree, which they 

 drink till they are quite intoxicated, when, like other drunkards, 

 they become unable to manage themselves, and then fall senseless 

 from the tree. This species, from the largeness of its size, affords 

 an admirable example of the characters of the genus. 



