COLEOPTERA. 423 



The four first joints of their anterior tarsi are dilated and furnished 

 underneath with a brush. One of the crotchets of all the tarsi is 

 entire and the other bifid. The anterior of the two first is accom- 

 panied at its base by a corneous lamina, emarginated inferiorly and 

 rounded at the end, forming a sort of spur(l). 



A second division of the Xylophili, which will comprise the Me- 

 lolonthidae of Mac Leay, presents the following characters: the la- 

 brum is in the form of a transversal leaflet, most commonly strongly 

 emarginated underneath in its middle, so that viewed from before, 

 it has almost the figure of a reversed and semitruncated heart. The 

 mentum is as long as it is broad, or longer, somewhat narrowed be- 

 fore the summit, and either square or almost cordiform; its superior 

 margin is straight, or more or less emarginated or concave in the 

 middle, but without any dentiform dilatation. The maxillae are 

 usually scaly and armed with several commonly five or six teeth. 



This division may be separated into two sections, one of which 

 will embrace the genus Melolontha of Fabricius, as restricted by 

 Uliger and myself, and the other that of Hoplia, Lat. The first of 

 these subdivisions may retain the name of Melolonthidx, and the 

 other receive that of Hoplidas. 



The first may be described as follows. The number of perfect 

 leaflets of the club exceeding three in several. The body ex- 

 tremely thick. Mandibles stout, wholly or mostly corneous, pre- 

 senting at most a membranous and pilose appendage, situated in a 

 cavity or emargination of the inner side; the superior extremity 

 strongly truncated with two or three teeth or angular projections. 

 All the tarsi terminated by two crotchets; the first joint of the two 

 anterior ones not prolonged inferiorly into a hooked appendage. 

 Labrum usually apparent. Maxillary teeth robust. 



In those species of the Melolonthidae, Fab., which compose the 

 subgenus 



Melolontha, Fab., 



Or Melolontha properly so called, the antennas consist often joints, 

 of which in the males, the last six or seven, and in the females, the 

 last six or four, form the club. The labrum is thick and strongly 

 emarginated beneath. All the hooks of the tarsi are equal, termi- 

 nate in an entire point, and are simply unidentate at base. The. pos- 



(1) Kirby, Lin. Trans., XII, p. 401; Geniates barbatus, lb., XXXI, 8. The 

 Melolonthx obscura, lanata, Fab., the species called nigrifwns by M. Stevens, and 

 described in the Synon. Insect, of Schoenherr, I, 3, App. 115, and probably other 

 species, seem to form a separate subgenus allied to that of Geniates, but with 

 undilated tarsi. 



