OF THE LINN^AN SCARAB^I. 15 



of our attention, from being the first attempt ever made to 

 arrange these insects natairally, that I shall give it at 

 length. 



" Scarab&i Flora, famuli." 



" Anthophylli, nuptias plant arum promovent ; auratus, no- 



bills, maculatus, littoralis, Jigulus, argenteus, libator, 



squalidus, alpinus, imriegatus. 

 " Phyllophagi, larvas Lepidopterorumfugant ; melolontha, 



eremita, nasicornis, solstitialis, oblongus, minimus. 

 u Stercorei, radices plantar um nutriunt ; stercorarius, ter- 



nalis, lunaris, Jifnetarius." 



The errors are obvious. But still this plan, faulty and 

 fanciful as it was, must be allowed to have been the nearest 

 approach hitherto made to truth, and the deepest pene- 

 tration into that part of Entomology which is really the 

 province of the naturalist. 



De Geer has the honour of having been the first to per- 

 ceive all the advantages to be derived from the mode of ar- 

 rangement indicated by Scopoli. But, sensible of its im- 

 perfections, he instituted a new method of division, Avhich 

 was truly worthy of this great physiologist, and remains a 

 striking proof of the advantage which he, in studying the 

 manners of these insects, had over those who were content 

 with describing them from their cabinets a . His method of 

 distribution was into three families, as follows : 



1. Scarabees de terre. 



2. Scarabees des arbres. 



3. Scarabees des Jieurs. 



Oryctes and Trox were thus no longer, as by Scopoli, made 



a In this case, at least, De Geer has shown the futility of Fabricius's 

 opinion, " Nirnis vero habitui adhserere est stultitiatn loco sapientiae inve- 

 nire." 



