464 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



immediately after the genus lucanus. The males in 

 these three genera are often distinguished from 

 the females by certain processes on their head 

 and thorax. We will give as examples the 

 sc. hercules (n os i and 2), or hercules-beetle of 

 South America; the sc. actceon (n os 16 and 17); 

 the silenus (n os 3i and 32) ; and the nasicornis 

 (n os 39, 4°? ana " 4 1 )- The males of the sc. dicho- 

 tomus (n° 1 o) , the atlas (n° 1 2) , the claviger (n° 23) , 

 the codrus (n° 28), and the longimanus (n° Sy), are 

 no less remarkable. The last numbers, from 66, 

 belong to small species, which live in excremen- 

 titious substances, and form the genus aphodius. 



The genus copris is still more numerous than 

 that of the scarabcei; it contains many species 

 worthy of attention; such is the ateuchus sa- 

 cer (n° 1), which was one of the emblems of 

 Osyris and of the sun amongst the ancient Egyp- 

 tians ; it is often seen depicted in their hiero- 

 glyphics, on their monuments and sculptured 

 stones. This insect incloses its eggs in balls of 

 dung, and with the help of one or more of its 

 kind, rolls these balls with its hinder feet to the 

 hole prepared to receive them. These habits are 

 common to the greater number of the following 

 species, some of which are of a gigantic size ; 

 such as the c. antenor (n os 35 and 36), the buce- 

 phalus (n os 38 and 40), and the lancifer (n°4i). 



