Beetles of British Guiana. 65 
Some of the largest beetles of this genus are met with 
in British Guiana. The largest and in some respects the 
finest beetle of this genus which I have seen here, is the 
Scarab&us hercules or Hercules beetle. It is some- 
times nearly six inches long, and the head of the male has 
on it a long thick horn armed with two or three teeth, 
and bent downward towards the point. Its head and 
thorax are black, polished and shining. The elytra or 
wing-cases are said to be sea-green, and this may be 
so in the living inse6t, but all the specimens I have 
examined were dead and in every instance the wing- 
cases were ashy grey peppered with black spots.* I have 
not seen any of them about the coast, but they are met 
with in the interior of the country, and they are also 
found in the Antilles, and as far south as Rio Janeiro. 
These beetles are now generally classed with the Dynas- 
tidae, i.e , powerful beetles on account of their great size 
and strength. 
The Megalosoma or big-bodied beetles, which also 
belong to the Scarabaean family, have not a few formi- 
dable representatives in British Guiana. First among 
these comes the Megalosoma elephas or elephant beetle, 
which is a formidable looking insect, being sometimes 
from four to five inches long and two inches broad. Its 
head is well-developed and armed with a horn about two 
inches long, bent upward like the letter C, and boldly 
forked at the point. Its front legs are arched horizontally. 
The ground colour of this insect is black, but the most 
of its body is covered with a yellowish grey, thick set 
down. 
* A specimen of this beetle in the Museum still shews the green of 
its natural colouring, but it is toned to a greenish grey. — Ed* 
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