64 TlMEHRI. 
This is mainly owing to the fact that it has a luxuriant 
vegetation which in its moist tropical climate decays and 
is renewed very rapidly. The term Coleoptera (wings 
in a sheath) is derived from two Greek words koleos a 
sheath, and ptera, wings, and has been applied to beetles 
since the days of ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.). Though 
not strictly applicable in every case, it is on the whole 
the best word that can be got. As my object is merely 
to notice some of the more conspicuous species and 
groups, I cannot undertake to confine myself to any 
scientific arrangement, but I hope that the system which I 
adopt will enable readers to follow me and remember 
something of what I write. 
Beetles are sometimes classed according to the number 
of joints in their tarsi or feet. For this purpose the 
Greek word meros, a joint, is used with a numeral or 
an adjective, or both prefixed to it. In this way we get 
Pentamera (five-jointed), Tetramera (four-jointed), 
Trimera (three-jointed), Heteromera (unequal-jointed), 
and Pseudotrimera (false three-jointed.) The characters 
of the antennae or feelers of beetles are also used in 
classification. In this case the Latin cornu, a horn, is 
generally adopted, and some qualifying word prefixed 
to it. This is the origin of such words as Lamelli- 
cornes (leaf-horned), Serricornes (saw-horned), Clavi- 
cornes (club-horned), Longicornes (long-horned), and 
Pectinicornes (comb-horned). 
A number of interesting beetles are included in the 
Pentamera, some of the largest of which come under the 
sub-division Lamellicornes. In this division are the 
Scarabssidse or dung-eating beetles which have their 
type in the Scarabaeus or sacred beetle of the Egyptians. 
