2 

 COLEOPTERA. 



Atlas, whilst Swammerdam and Edwards, who are both referred to by Linna3us, give 

 Japan and Borneo as its habitat. 



That the East Indies is the real locality of the insect here represented, is rendered 

 most probable, from the circumstance of several other, and very closely allied species, 

 being found in that part of the world. Such are the Scarabasus Caucasus, Fair. 

 (described from an East Indian specimen in the British Museum, and regarded by 

 Olivier, and Jablonsky, as a variety of Atlas) ; Scarabeus Charon, Oliv. ; the Javanese 

 Scarabseus Hector, Dejean ; Dynastes Hesperus, Erichson, from the island of Luzon ; 

 and Dynastes Jephthah, of MacLeay, (in the collection of the Entomological Society). 

 It is true that the chief distinctions amongst these species are found in the size of the 

 horns of the head and thorax, and in the teeth, or serration of the hinder part of the 

 horn of the head ; but it is equally true, that we are by no means furnished with 

 sufficiently accurate data for ascertaining the extent of variation in the cornuted 

 Scarabaei in this respect, and we are therefore by no means enabled to regard these as 

 satisfactory species. Indeed, in the volume of the Naturalist's Library devoted to 

 exotic Coleoptera, we have an original figure of an insect, with the name of Atlas 

 attached, in which the horn of the head has a double series of serratures from the base 

 to the apex, and which was brought from Eangoon ; and in the Fabrician description 

 this horn is stated to be tridentate, the anterior tooth being the strongest. 



As it is, however, most probable that some, at least, of the above mentioned 

 species are distinct, it is convenient to regard these insects as forming a distinct sub- 

 genus, characterized not only by the peculiar structure of the horns, and the polished 

 surface of the body, but by the variations in the structure of the mouth. Mr. Hope 

 has accordingly given to them the name of Chalcosoma, in his Coleopterous Manual, 

 recently published. 



ONTHOPHAGUS SPINIFEX. 



Plate II. fig. 1. 

 Family. Scarab^eim:, MacLeay. 



Genus. Onthophagus, LatreiUe. Copris p. Fabricius. Scarabmus p. Linnmus. 

 Species. Onthophagus Spinifex : thorace rotundato inermi ; oooipite spina recurya thoracis 

 • longitudine ; thorace et elytris nigris, viridi nitidis ; his striatis ; pedibus nigris. 

 Long. Corp. lin. 3J. 

 Onthophagus : with a rounded and unarmed thorax ; the forehead with a recurved 

 spine as long as the thorax j the latter, as well as the elytra, black shaded with 

 green; the elytra striated, and the legs black. Length 3 A lines. 



