A New Voyage Round the World, in the years 1823, 24, 25, and 26, Vol. 2Kotzebue, Otto von
History
A New Voyage Round the World, in the years 1823, 24, 25, and 26, Vol. 2
Kotzebue, Otto von
Discoveries in geography; Predpriiatie (Ship); Voyages around the world; Zoology
The dry land along the coast is extremely poor in insects. The number of
beetles collected in 1816, together with those taken on the present
occasion, amounted only to sixty seven, but they are altogether peculiar
to the country. The most remarkable are a _Carabus_ of the beautiful
colours of the _hispanus_, but with narrow striped cases to the wings,
and a large _Prionus_: the joints of the feet, in this latter, are short
and cylindrical, constituting a distinction from the whole family of the
_Cerambycinae_; in every other respect it is unquestionably a _Prionus_,
and may be called _Pr. Mercurius_, on account of two wing-shaped
appendages, attached to the neck-corselet. Sixteen Carabicides were
found belonging to the _Calosoma_, _Paecilus_, _Harpalus_, _Trechus_,
_Dromius_, and _Peryphus_. We were surprised at finding so few
dung-beetles. We met with only two large ones, namely, the _Megathopa
villosa_ of _Esch_. Entomography, forming a species of the _Ateuchus_,
and a _Copris torulosa_, described in the same work; this, however, is
owing to the very little moisture in the atmosphere, which dries the
dung almost immediately. It is curious, that all the seventeen kinds of
_Copris_ of South America known to us, have but seven stripes upon each
wing-case; whereas those of the Old World have eight: the larger kinds,
_Hamadrias_, _Bucephalus_, and _Isidis_,[4] alone agree with the South
American in the number of stripes. Of the Americans, the _C. Hesperus
Oliv._ is the only one with a border to the seventh stripe, and the _C.
Actaeon Klug_ of Mexico is the only one that has eight stripes.
Various kinds of beetles in Chili seek a shelter from the rays of the
sun in the dry cow-dung: almost all the Heteromerides with wings grown
together, the greater part of the beetles armed with trunks, and several
Carabides, were found there. The ten kinds of Heteromerides, with
distorted wings, found here, belong to five new classes: the other
Heteromerides consist of a _Helops_ and a black _Lytta_ with red thighs.
Of beetles furnished with a proboscis, we met with four kinds of
_Listroderes_, two remarkable _Cryptorhynchi_, and a few others of the
shape of a _Rhigus_. Lastly are to be noticed, a _Lucanus_ of the form
of the _femoratus_, a large _Stenopterus_, and a large black _Psoa_. We
found very few other species of insects, but several kinds of
_Pompilus_, one two inches long, and a curious _Castnia_, were the most
remarkable.
Of marine animals there remain to be noticed--a small _Octopus_, a
_Loligo_, two _Chiton_, _Patella_, _Crepidula_, _Pilcopsis_,
_Fissurella_, _Calyptraea_; of _Concholepas_, only empty shells; a large
_Mytilus_, a small _Modiola_, _Turritella_, _Turbo_, _Balanus_; and a
Holothuria of the variety _Psolus_.
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