80 
NATURAL HISTORY OY 
templation of the structure of the most gigan 
animals” 
If superiority in certain qualities must be conced- 
ed to some other tribes of insects, the Coleoptera 
certainly surpass them all, as well as the higher 
races of animals, in variety of form and singularity 
of structure. Among butterflies, the Hymenoptera , 
and two- winged flies, nearly as great a uniformity of 
outline prevails as in the case of birds and serpents. 
But there appears to be no general type of form ac- 
cording to which beetles have been modelled. They 
differ as widely among themselves in outward appear- 
ance, as separate classes of other animated beings 
do from each other. Even the great deep, which has 
ever been regarded as the fertile mother of all mons- 
trous and all prodigious things, seldom produces an 
“ odd fish” equal in eccentricity to some species of 
beetles. If we are less struck with the strange pro- 
portion of their parts, than with any unusual figure 
among the larger animals, it is on account of their 
small size, which is generally too inconsiderable to 
arrest our attention, and leads us to consider them 
in a great measure abstractedly from the idea of 
physical power until which we are accustomed to re- 
gard animated beings of large dimensions. But for 
this circumstance, they would excite the astonishment 
of the most careless observer, and lead us to fear lest 
they should realize the anticipations of the poet, — 
Their shape would make them, had they bulk and size, 
More hideous foes than fancy can devise ; 
