This very natural group, separated from Eabricius's genus Copris 
by Latreille, and named Onthophagus from its peculiar habits of 
life, contains the following British species: 1. 0. taurus L.; 
2. Vacca L. ; 3. Austriacus Panz.; 4. Ccenobita P . ; 5. Bill - 
wynii Leach ; 6. nuchicornis L. ; 7. nutans E. ; 8. ovatus L. 
They inhabit the excrement of animals, especially the cow, during 
the spring and summer, and when the season is warm and favour- 
able so early as April. They are by no means rare, excepting 
0. Vacca, which is found in the meadows about Battersea and in 
Epping Eorest ; 0. Billwynii, which was taken at Swansea by 
L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. (in honour of whom it was named by Dr. 
Leach) ; and 0. Taurus, a male of which was taken by a collector 
October 1, 1824, by the side of the New Park near Brockenhurst 
in the New Eorest, Hampshire. It is more than probable that 
any one finding the female of 0. Taurus in this country, without 
being aware of its inhabiting Britain, would have taken it for 
0. nutans. The collector who took the specimen figured, was 
directed by Mr. Stone, to whom it was sent, to search diligently 
for more, but not another could be found ; it was far beyond the 
period for this genus, as a fine April or May is the right time for 
them ; and there is little doubt that if any one could go to the 
same spot at that season, he would be rewarded by finding other 
specimens. 
The horns upon the head of the male, which certainly very 
much resemble those of a bull (as exhibited in the coloured 
figure), and the front view of the head (fig. 7.) are a very strong 
feature to distinguish that sex by : the female, having only two 
elevated transverse lines upon the head (as exhibited at fig. 8.), 
is rendered far less striking. This last figure was drawn from a 
specimen in the British Museum ; it is by no means an uncom- 
mon insect upon the continent. I have a male from Germany ; 
and it is even found so near to us as Paris ; but it does not 
appear to be an inhabitant of the colder regions, as Gyllenhal and 
other writers upon Northern entomology do not describe it in 
their works. Pliny, who was acquainted with our insect, com- 
pares it to a Tick. 
The plant figured is Achillea Ttarmica (Sneeze Wort Yarrow). 
