A CHINESE SCARAB

Evening Star, Issue 18832, 5 January 1925, Page 10

A CHINESE SCARAB

FIFTEEN MILLION YEARS OLD. Whftt was described as the oldest, scarab in the world was exhibited in Peking recently by the Geological Survey of China (states a, correspondent of the ‘ Manchester Guardian’). It is said to he at least, fifteen million years old, and was found in an excellent state of preservation in the hinterland of the Shantung const by Air 0. H. T’an, geologist of the survey. The scarab, which has been named Protcroscarabißiis Yeni (in honor of Dr \V. \V. Yen, formerly Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, and later still Prime Minister), formed ono fossil in a collection from Shantung which, in the words of a member i of the survey, definitely put the cretaceous I age on the geological map of Chino. Mr T’an was given the task of mapping the geological formation of Eastern Shantung. In the course of his work he examined the rocks in the region for evi. donee of (he hind and fresh water life which existed aeons of years ago. He used his geological hammer in vain for many months, and then suddenly exposed a complete specimen of a fish. The experts I of the survey say that it overshadows a similar find whose age lias not yet been determined, but, which was given the name Lycoptera sinensis by Smith-Woodward when it was presented to the British Aluseum. After this find Air T’an laid bare hundreds of specimens of plant and fish life, ail embedded in rocks near the scene of lbs I first discovery. Finally bis hammer exj posed the remains of the fifteen million- | year-old scarabidseid. It was found spread ! on a stone slab under a layer of clay, almost with the perfection of life, except for its flattened appearance.