the lai-voe o f the Lueani and Cerambyes in their voluptuous repasts ; previously feeding
tlieni on farinaceous substances to g iv e consistence to the animal juices.
The learned author o f the last account we have o f China, says, “ Under the roots of
the canes is found a large white grub, which being fried in oil is eaten as a dainty by the
Chinese." Donovan suggests that perhaps this is the larva o f Scarabæus M olossus, which,
like many other o f the Scarabæi,* may liv e sedentary in the ground, and subsist on the
roots o f plants : the general description and abundance o f this insect in China favours such
opinion. The same author observes in another part o f his work, that “ the aurelias o f the
silk worm which is cultivated in China, after the silk is wound off, furnish an article for
the table.” This also is a very ancient custom among tlte Asiatics, and even Europeans
before the sixteenth century, i f we may credit Aldrovandus :j- it is certain the worms,
it not the chrysalides, were administered in medicine in early a g e s.f Fabricius also
expressly states that the insect here figured is medicinally employed in China.
O N TH O PH A G U S SE N IC U LU S .
P la te 2 . fig. 2*. a n d 2b
O n t i io p i ia g u s , L a tr e ille . S c a rabæ u s p . F a b r ic iu s , Donovan.
O. th o ra c e an tic e , clypeo postic e bicorni, elytris sub stria tis strigis d u ab u s bá seos e
pu n c tis feiTUgineis, p u n c to q u e uno alte rove flavescente apicis. Long. C orp. liu .5Y
O. with th e th o ra x in front, a n d th e h in d e r p a r t o f th e c lypeus w ith two h o rn s, e ly tra
slig h tly s tria ted , with two rows o f b a sa l pa le sp o ts a n d with two yellowish apic a l
spots. L en g th n e a rly h a lf a n inch.
S c a ra bæ u s seniculus, F a b . E n t . S y s t. I . p . 43. 142. Oliv. E n t . I . d . p . 124. t . 7.
/ . 5 6 . a . h P a n z e r in N a tu r fo r s c h e r , 2 4 . t. \ . f . 5.
5 S c a rabæ u s brevipes, H e rè s# . A r c h iv . t. 1 9 . / . 16.
Ç e n u s .
C i i . S p .
SVN.
H a b it a t . T ra n q u e b a r {F a b r ic iu s ), China , D o n o va n , Webe r M S S .
The annexed figures exhibit the two sexes o f Scarabæus Seniculus. In some specimens
the spots are very indistinct and reddish ; in others the wing-cases have faint red
striæ. The female has the rudiments o f horns on the thorax.
T h e larvtie o f th e Sc a rab te i live in th e tru n k s o f d e c ayed tre e s, in p u trid a n d filthy animal su b stan c e s, or
in th e e a rth . T h e la s t a re th e m o st injurious, be c ause th ey d e stro y th e roots o f p la n ts . All th e known k inds
o f the se larva: a re o f an unwieldy form a n d whitish colour, th e skin free from ha irs, a n d only th e h e ad a n d fore
fe e t defended with a shelly covering. (As it is m o st p robable th a t th e h a b its o f this la rg e Copris a re ana logous
to th o se o f th e E n g lish C. luna ris, I sh o u ld b e ra th e r inc lined to reg a rd th e c an e g ru b m entioned in th e above
e x tr a c t a s th e la rva o f a C a lan d ra . J . 0 . W .)
t T h e G e rm an soldiers sometimes fry a n d e a t s ilk worms. A ld ro v .
t S ilk worms d ried , powdered, a n d p u t on th e crown o f tl.e h e a d , h e lp th e vertirjo a n d convulsions ; mundtfy
o r c le anse th e blo o d , &o. &c. S ch ro d e ru s, S e ra p io , ^ c . {-c.