BEETLE

a name applied sometimes in a wider, The sometimes in a narrower, sense, to include a larger or it. In smaller number of insects. It is often synonymous in these with the term Coleoptera (which see), while others Italy) apply it to the large tribe Scarabeeidte, which forms France the greater part of that section of insects known as Lam ell i comes. The latter is the sense in whic^ it is in 1870 and here used. The beetie tribe comprises a large numthe total ber of insects, among which some are very remark and able for projections or horns growing from the head with and corselet. The spedes found in warm cJimafceB markets. are generally of laige size and formidable appear the ance, though by no means noxious. They all are cent. winged, flying with much rapidity and force; when on tile ground their movements are slow and heavy. The body of the perfect insect is oval, or nearly su, and the antennas are composed of eight or ten pieces con inserted into a cavity under the boxder of the head. From the arrangement of the antennae, whid i is pecu- 17th liar to this famuy, its e ential or distinctive charac^ been a ter is fonned. The extremities of the anUnn<e are music club-shaped, and composed of plates or joints, eithvr eighth disposed like the leaves of a book, or arranged per on the pendicularly to the axis, like the teeth of a oonib The two firet legs of beeties, and even the others in eleventh some instances, are dentated externally, and suit A^ni for burrowing. The trachece are all vesicular. and pro- The larvflB or young are soft, flexible, whitiikli. the then semi-cylindric worms, having the body divided int. t 1792, in twelve lings, and having a scaly head armed mitt, to strong jaws. They have nine stiffmata or in holes on each side; and the feet, which Under scaly. The body is thicker at the posterior than a: the anterior extremity, roimded, and almost unipianoiortolj curved downwards, so that the larva move* per^ with difficulty over an even surface, and «ntJT tumbles down. The period during which the larrsB remain in the state d destructive wonns varies in different species; those of some kinds becoming nymphs at the end of several months, and of others not sooner than in three or four years. During this period they live in the earth, where they feed upon the roots of vegetables, animal matter in a state of decomposition, . It is in this stage of their exist' enoe that various species prove exceedingly injurious to fanners from their great numbers and voracity. When about to undergo their change of form, they make an egg-shaped cover or cocoon, from fragments gnawed off wood, ., which are stuck together by a peculiar glutinous fluid furnished by their bodies. The larvae have a cylindric stomach, sui rounded by three ranges of minute cceco, a very short, small intestine, an exceedingly large eoUm, and moderate sized rectum. In the perfect insect none of these inequalities exist, as there is but one long intestine of equal size throughout. All of the beetle tribe are not destructive or injurious in their inceptive state, as many of them breed in the dung-heap, or feed upon the excrement of animals, which they serve to prepare more completely as manure. Tbe dung-beetle, which is well known, forms a ball of dung, in the centre of which the egg is deposited, rolls it off to a distance, and buries it in the ground. Great numbers uniting in this work, speedily dear away excrementitious matter, that might otherwise soon prove offensive. Among the ancient Egyptians a species of dung-beetle was held in great veneration, and Eusebius informs us that it was regarded as the animated image of the sun. We find it generally embalmed with the Egyptian mummies, placed immediately upon the root of the nose. A number of models of these insects in day and stone have been found in the places already explored in the andent dominion of the Pharaohs. Linnaeus bestowed the name of ScarcUxetu taeer on this spedes, which is found in Africa and Europe. 130