File:The natural history of beetles - illustrated by thirty-two plates, numerous wood-cuts, with memoir and portrait of Ray (1852) (14762139324).jpg

Identifier: naturalhistoryof01dunc (find matches)
Title: The natural history of beetles : illustrated by thirty-two plates, numerous wood-cuts, with memoir and portrait of Ray
Year: 1852 (1850s)
Authors: Duncan, James, 1804-1861 Jardine, William, Sir, 1800-1874 Lizars, W. H. (William Home), 1788-1859, engraver
Subjects: Ray, John, 1627-1705 Beetles
Publisher: Edinburgh : W.H. Lizars London : Henry G. Bohn
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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arkby which it may be recognised is the anterior partof the head, which is dilated and divided into twobroad divergent lobes in front, in the form of obtuseor truncated horns; and there are two smaller late-ral ones near the middle of the head. The thoraxapproaches to orbicular, but is somewhat narrowedin front. Of the species represented, the only spe-cimen with which we are acquainted is that pre-served in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. Itwas found on the west coast of Africa, and is pro-bably the same from which Olivier and Drury madetheir drawings. The latter states that the insectwhich he figured was found floating dead in theriver Gaboon, opposite Princes Island, near theequinoctial line. The antennae and head are nearlyblack, but the surface of the latter is thickly cover-ed with whitish scales. The thorax is dark brown,with the sides dirty white, and five broad wavedlines of the same colour along the disk, the two la-teral ones uniting with the white margin. The ely- PLATE 16.
Text Appearing After Image:
COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS 217 tra are reddish brown, with a streak of white acrossthe base: the scutellum is likewise margined withwhite, and has a narrow patch of the same downthe middle. The under side and thighs are black,with a mixture of green; the other parts of the legare black. Many of the most ornamental of the lamellicornbeetles are arranged in the extensive genus Ceto-nia, and others closely allied, which have recentlybeen separated from it. The true Cetoniae presentthe following characters:—body nearly ovate, ra-ther obtuse behind, the back somewhat depressed:thorax gradually widening towards the hinder mar-gin, which forms the base of a triangle with theapex truncated: scutellum distinct: mentum nevertransverse, and more or less emarginate in the mid-dle of its upper edge: terminal lobe of the maxillaeending in a tuft of fine hair. In the perfect state,these insects feed on vegetable juices and the honeyof flowers. Rosel informs us that he kept the speciesknown in this count

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