Goliathus Giganteus. Thorace piceo, nudo, holosericeo-albo lineato; elytris glaucis, clypeo porrecto bifido. (Long. Corp. 4 unc. 3 lin.)

Syn. Goliathus Giganteus, Kirby in Introd. to Ent. vol. 3. p. 33. v. 4. p. 493.

Scarabæus Goliathus, Linn. Mant. 5. 30.

Cetonia Goliata, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 1. 2. p. 124. 1.

Cetonia Goliathus, Olivier, 1. No. 6. pl. 5. f. 33.

Goliathus Magnus, Naturalist's Library, Beetles, pl. 16.

Goliathus Africanus, De Lamarck Anim. sans Vert.

Habitat: Western Africa, near the Equinoctial line.

Head, above, flesh-coloured; beneath, black; about three-fourths of an inch in length, terminating in two blunt, obtuse, and irregular horns. Two other thick and jagged horns also arise from its sides, much shorter than the former. Its breadth at the base is half an inch; having a small projecting ridge running along the middle, from thence to the extremity, at the base of the horns. Thorax an inch and a half long, being principally black; but along the sides is flesh-coloured. It has also five narrow and irregular waved lines of a flesh colour running from the anterior to the posterior edges; one of which, being in the middle of the thorax, is narrower than the rest; the two next this terminate at the posterior edges in a fine rose colour; these next the lateral edges are broadest, having likewise a patch of rose colour next the wing-cases. About the middle of the thorax, these external lines separate and divide, continuing so almost to the anterior edges, where they again unite. The under part of the thorax is flesh colour; but in the middle of a yellowish brown. The scutellum is triangular and black; with a clear white central oblong mark truncated in front. Elytra beautiful chocolate-coloured, and covered with a great number of short fine hairs, resembling the pile on velvet; the anterior part, with a narrow and indented margin, of a cream colour, also surrounding the scutellum. The elytra are two inches broad at the base. Legs very dark green colour, almost black. Intermediate and posterior femora and tibiæ with dark yellow hairs. Abdomen very dark green, furnished on the sides and edge with dark yellow hairs. Sternum rather long.

This magnificent insect may be regarded as one of the rarest species figured in these Illustrations. Drury states, that the specimen here represented was brought from Africa by Mr. Ogilvie, surgeon of His Majesty's ship the Renown, being found floating, dead, in the river Gaboon, opposite Prince's Island, near the equinoctial line. Nearly seventy years have elapsed since the insect was first described, and yet the insect remains, as far as my knowledge extends, unique.[[23]] It would appear that the specimen either belonged to or passed into the hands of Dr. Hunter after the death of Mr. Drury, for Fabricius describes the species with a citation of the museum of Dr. Hunter alone; and Olivier's figure was taken from the specimen whilst it was in that gentleman's possession. After his decease it passed, with his collection, by bequest, into the possession of the University of Glasgow, where it now forms one of the most interesting objects in the Hunterian Museum. Joseph Hooker, Esq., son of Sir W. Hooker, the highly distinguished botanist of Glasgow, tells me that the individual in question was picked up by a sailor in the river above mentioned, and that it is stated in the MSS. of Dr. Hunter that it cost Mr. Drury £10. In the Catalogue of the Insects of Mr. Drury, which were sold by auction at the Natural History Sale Rooms in King Street, Covent Garden (now occupied by Mr. J. C. Stevens), on the 23rd of May, 1805, and two following days, the 95th lot is described as "Scarabæus Goliathus, var." Whence it would appear that the insect here figured was not in the possession of Mr. Drury at his decease, and that he only possessed the insect figured in the 3rd volume of these Illustrations, pl. [40], which evidently on the authority of Fabricius he had regarded as a variety only of the specimen here figured.