490 INSECTA. 



(Enas, Lat. Oliv. Meloe, Lin. Lytta, Fab. 



These Insects seem to form the passage from the Mylabres to the 

 following Heteromera. Their antennae, the length of which is hardly 

 greater than that of the thorax, are nearly of equal thickness through- 

 out. The first joint is almost clavate and obconical; directly after 

 the following one, which is very short, the stem is geniculate, and 

 forms a cylindrical or fusiform body, composed of short, crowded, 

 and, with the exception of the last, which is conoid, transversal 

 joints(l). 



In the other Heteromera of the same tribe, the antennas are always 

 composed of eleven very distinct joints, almost of equal thickness 

 throughout, or smaller near the extremity, and frequently much 

 longer than the head and thorax. They are irregular in several males. 



Meloe, Lin. Fab. 



In Meloe properly so called, the antennae are composed of short 

 and rounded joints, the intermediate of which are the largest, and 

 sometimes so disposed, that these organs present in this point, in 

 several males, an emargination or crescent. The wings are wanting, 

 and the elytra, oval or triangular, with a portion of the inner margin 

 crossing each other, only partially cover the abdomen, particularly 

 in the females, where it is extremely voluminous. 



According to M. Leon Dufour, the crop of these Insects may be 

 considered as a true gizzard, being furnished internally with callous, 

 and as it were anastomosing plicae, and separated from the chylific 

 ventricle or stomach, by a valve formed of four principal pieces, each 

 of which results from two hollow cylinders placed back to back, and 

 tridentated posteriorly. The stomach is formed of transverse, well 

 marked, muscular fillets. 



They crawl along the ground, or upon low plants on the leaves of 

 which they feed. A yellowish or reddish oleaginous liquid exudes 

 from the articulations of their legs. 



In some districts of Spain, these Insects are used in place of Can- 

 tharides, or are mixed with them. They are also employed by the 

 Farriers. They were formerly regarded as a specific in hydropho- 

 bia. I suspect Mem. du Mus. d'Hist. Nat. that our Meloes are 

 the Bnprestes of the ancients, Insects to which they attributed very 



(1) See Lat., Gener. Crust, et Insect., II, p. 219, and I, x, 10; and the Encyc. 

 Method., article (Enas. 



