an insect described in the Encyclopaedia under the name given to it by naturalists, SCARABEUS. Since that article was published, we have met with an account of a nondescript species, which is furnished with very singular armour for its own defence. It was brought to M. Vaillant in the interior parts of Africa by a Nimiqua woman, and is by him called a superb beetle, not to be found in any cabinet of Europe. "While I was examining this beautiful insect (says he) with attention, I felt my face suddenly wetted by a caustic liquor, of a very strong alkaline smell. The sprinkling was accompanied by a sort of explosion, loud enough to be heard at some distance. Unfortunately some of the liquor entered one of my eyes, and occasioned such insupportable pain, that I thought I should have lost the sight of it. I was obliged to keep it covered for several days, and bathe it from time to time with milk. In every part of my face that the alkaline liquor had touched, I felt the pain of a burn; and everywhere the skin changed to a deep brown, which wore out only by degrees and a long time after. This will not be surprising to many, who already are acquainted with the same property in several insects of the same genus; for instance, in that beautiful golden-green buprestis, which is so common in our kitchen-gardens in Europe: but as the insect of which I am here speaking is much larger, and inhabits a very hot country, it is natural that the effect produced by it should be more striking; tho' the liquor which our golden buprestis ejects at its enemy occasions a very sensible smart, and its smell is considerably pungent."

The naturalists Dorci and Olivier have given, in their Entomology, the figure of this African insect, which our author communicated to them, but they have given it erroneously. The human face, observable on its anterior corcellet in their figure, does not exist in nature; but M. Vaillant having given no figure of it himself, we cannot gratify our readers with a correct representation.