180 Mr. Spencr’s Monograph of the Genus Choleva. 
Without dwelling upon these, which will be sufficiently pointed. 
out by the subsequent detailed descriptions, I shall pass on to a 
few remarks relative to the natural aflinities of the genus. 
As far as mere external appearance is concerned, Choleva has a 
considerable resemblance to Mordella. It has the same arched 
body, abdominal lamine (as the posterior coxe have been 
termed) and elongated feet. But this resemblance is merely su- 
perficial ; and when we compare the parts of each, we see at once 
that Choleva which has subulated palpi, clavate antenne, and 
setaceous tarsi of five joints, cannot justly be considered of the 
same genus with Mordella which has filiform antenne, securi- 
form maxillary palpi, and compressed posterior tarsi of four 
joints. The genus Anisotoma of Knoch (including Silpha polita 
Ent. Brit. &c.) can claim a more essential relationship to Cheleva: 
The antennz have the same short eighth joint, (a character pe- 
culiar, as far as I know, to these two genera and some species of 
two others to be mentioned hereafter, the palpi are not very 
dissimilar ; and though the body is more convex and hemisphe- 
rical, there are not wanting species which in some degree supply 
the-connecting links. But not to dwell upon the difference in 
the shape of tbe antenne, which in Anisotoma are much shorter; 
with the club more distinct and compressed ; the circumstance 
of the last genus having but four joints in the posterior tarsi, is 
alone a sufficient reason for regarding Choleva as distinct. Der- 
mestes and Silpha (particularly the family of the latter with cla- 
vate antenne excluding S. obscura, &c.) are the only two re- 
maining genera known to me that have any affinity with Choleva. 
They have a similar ceconomy, and in two or three species of the 
latter (e. g. S. thoracica, rugosa, and sinuata,) the eighth joint of 
the antennze, is, though very slightly and inconspicuously, shorter 
than the one preceding it. But in Dermestes the short antennae 
with 
