AFRICA. 
The naturallfts Dorci ailid Olivier have 
given, in their entomology, the figure of this 
African infed, v^hich I communicated to them. 
The reader may turn to fig. 5. of their firft 
plate of beetles : but I muft remark, that the 
human face obfervable on its anteriour cor- 
celet does not exift in nature. I am even 
aftonifhed that the author permitted this mif- 
reprefentatiun to remain, as undoubtedly it 
was a dream of the painter or engraver, which 
ought not to have been fufFered. i thought 
it incumbent on me to point out this fault, 
that it might not lead the entomologifl: into an 
error. The infed itfelf, however, may be 
feen in the colledion of Dufrene of the ca- 
binet of natural hiftory, to whom I prefented 
iu 
Though, in general, all fubjeds of the ani- 
mal kingdom, deilined to be preferved in ca- 
binets, lofe more or lefs in confequence of 
drying and fhrinking up, I can affert, that the 
bupreftis in queftion had no more of a human 
face when alive than after its death : befides, 
hard infeds, fuch as beetles for example, lofe 
nothing of their fhape ; while thofe that are 
foft change extremely, and require a peculiar 
B b 4 mode 
