THE LAMELLICORNIA, OR “ CHAFERS.” 
153 
The Coprina (to which family the “ sacred beetle ” 
of the Egyptians belongs) have the organs of the 
mouth invisible from above, being concealed by the 
clypeus, which is semicircular, enlarged, and notched. 
Their intermediate coxa3 are widely separated, those 
of the posterior legs (which are near the apex of the 
body) being approximated ; the four hinder legs have 
the tibiae dilated at the tip, and the posterior pair are 
armed with only one long terminal spur ; the tarsi 
usually diminish gradually in width from the base to 
the apex, the basal joint being always very long; the 
eyes are half divided by the side of the head; the 
scutellum is hidden, and the pygidium exposed. 
They are of squarer outline and more “ squab ” shape 
than the Geotrupina; the thorax being convex and wide, 
— and, as usual in fossorial species, capable of great 
freedom of motion, — and the front tibiae widened and 
strongly toothed ou the outer side. 
In Copris the basal joints of the labial palpi are 
dilated with the third joint distinct; and the meta- 
sternum is large, Hat, and in the shape of a parallelo- 
gram. C. lunaris, a large, shining, deep-black species, 
clothed with scanty reddish-brown hairs beneath and 
on the sides, has a long erect horn on the head in the 
male ; the thorax, also, in this sex is somewhat squarely 
truncated in front, and excavated and toothed exter- 
nally on each side. The female exhibits a very slight 
tendency to a somewhat similar structure ; having, 
also, the thorax more closely punctured : and it is 
needless to repeat that the small males are inter- 
mediate between the two extremes of development. 
This insect burrows a foot or more down into the 
hard ground beneath cow-dung, two specimens being 
