The natural situation of this genus is evidently between On- 
thophagus and Aphodius, being nearly related to the former 
in structure, and many exotic species approach the latter in 
form, being more cylindrical and elongated than C. lunaris. 
The most striking peculiarities in our genus are the great 
length of the terminal joint of the maxillary, and the slender 
form of the same joint of the labial palpi ; and one of the most 
remarkable characters which Copris has in common with On- 
thophagus is the remoteness of the intermediate trochanters. 
Only one species inhabits Britain, which is found as far 
north as Sweden ; this seems to be the only one that has been 
discovered in cold latitudes, but there are a great many species 
in the warmer climates both of the old and new world. 
C. lunaris Linn. — Curt. Brit. Lnt. pi. 414. <$ . — emarginatus 
Fab . ? . 
Male black shining, underside and legs producing ferrugi- 
nous hairs : palpi and antennae castaneous : head thickly punc- 
tured, producing a long attenuated perpendicular horn on the 
crown, slightly curved, with 2 small teeth behind at the base : 
thorax partially punctured, with a deep channel down the 
centre, the anterior portion elevated and truncated at right 
angles, notched in the middle ; on each side a deep fovea and 
a strong triangular tubercle : elytra faintly punctured with 8 
furrows on each, very obscurely crenated. 
Female with a short horn on the crown of the head, emar- 
ginated at the apex ; the thorax coarsely punctured before and 
less elevated, the large foveaa wanting, and the tubercles 
slightly developed (8 $ , front view of head and thorax). 
The horn on the head of the male is sometimes very short, 
and the protuberances on the thorax of the female very slight; 
they vary also greatly in size. 
C. lunaris flies towards sunset, when it emerges from holes 
made in the earth beneath cow-dung, where the eggs are 
buried, the larvae nourished and the beetles perfected, as in 
Geotrupes and many other Scarabaeidas. It has been taken 
in April in sandy situations at Charlton, and in lanes at Bexley 
in Kent ; and I have found it at Bungay in Suffolk occasion- 
ally in abundance. 
The Plant is Chenopodium olidum (Stinking Goosefoot). 
