The infect, however, which makes its appearance on 

 the prefent plate, is not amongft thofe of the fmaller or- 

 der ; but on the contrary, is one of the mod gigantic 

 animals of theclafs to which it belongs. This curious 

 creature has long been known to the admirers of Na- 

 tural Hiftory, and has been figured by feveral authors. 

 It is a native of the warmer parts of America, and is re- 

 markable for theexceflive length of the horn, which pro- 

 ceeds from its thorax, as well as for another horn which 

 proceeds from its head, and bends upwards, foas almoft 

 to meet the thoracic one. The uppermoft of thefe 

 horns, or proceffes, is mod curioufly coated on the in- 

 ner furface, with a fine hair or velvet-like fubftance. 



It has been faid that thefe infects have a cuftom of 

 taking hold of the Header branches of the Mammaea 

 Americana, and fwinging themfelves round with fuch 

 rapidity, as to wound, by this circular motion, the 

 branch on which they fatten, in order to be enabled to 

 fuck the juice diftilling from the tree; by which they 

 are foon inebriated, fo as to fall in great numbers on 

 the ground, and to be eaiily taken. But this account, 

 as the learned Fabricius has well obferved, feems not 

 very probable ; fince the thoracic horn being bearded 

 on its lower furface, would undoubtedly be made bare 

 by this operation. This Infect, from the remarkable 

 fizeofall its parts, affords an admirable example of 

 the characters of the genus to which it belongs. 



It varies much in lize, and it may even be much 

 doubted whether fome of the fmaller fpecimens have 

 not been regarded as diftind fpecies by authors: fuch, 

 for inftance, is the Scarab<eus Alcides of Fabricius, 



which 



