66 FAMILIES OF PETALOCERA WHICH LIVE 



we must decide on their manner of living. Olivier, with 

 whose first family of Scarab&i the Dynastidcs coincide, 

 says, with great propriety, that "aucun ne se trouve dans les 

 bouses et lesjientes des animaux." Yet, in the zoological 

 part of Humboldt's accurate work on South America, 

 this learned author states, that the Geotrupes Mgeon of 

 Fabricius is found " a Chilo prh de Quito sur des bouses 

 de vache*." Now, though a circumstance being thus men- 

 tioned in so celebrated a work might lead us to suppose 

 that the insect is coprophagous, it may clearly be demon- 

 strated from analogy, and particularly from the dissection 

 of the parts of the mouth, that if such were the situation 

 of Dynastes Mgeon when found, it could only be accidental. 

 The texture indeed of the maxilla?, which are always cor- 

 neous ; the construction of the feet, which though strong 

 are by no means dilated ; the size of their tarsi and ungues, 

 and their comparatively small pectus, forbid us to suppose 

 that any of the family of Dynastida can be coprophagous. 



There is, however, a curious distinction, to which we 

 have before alluded, existing between certain insects of the 

 family of Dynastida ; namely, the maxilla? being dentated 

 in some species and unprovided with teeth in others. These 

 last are most known to entomologists, from the Oryctes 

 nasicornis, which is their best type, being very common 

 in tan-beds and rich vegetable mould on the continent ; 

 but more especially from the celebrated Swammerdam 

 having early made this animal with its larva the object of 

 very detailed and accurate anatomical researches. 



Degeer mentions that in shifting a dungheap at Stock- 

 holm, which had remained so long on the same spot as to 



■ Voyage de Humboldt et Bonpland. Observations de Zoologie et d'Ana- 

 tomie comparte. Vol. l.p. 182. 



