a Genus of Lamellicom Beetles. 455 



of habit in the animal. In Geotrupes especially, the maxillae are terminated 

 by large membranaceous lobes instead of the horny points with which they 

 are armed in Athyreus ; and the mandibles in Geotrupes are represented by 

 Mr. Curtis in his ' British Entomology,' pi. 266, as destitute of the flat molar 

 plate which I have noticed in Athyreus. 



Our knowledge of the habits of the species of Athyreus is however too slight 

 to enable us to determine the amount of influence which these forms have 

 upon their modes of life ; Lacordaire and Von Martins, our two authorities on 

 the habits of the insects of Brazil, stating but little relative to the Athyrei. 



M. Lacordaire (Memoire sur les habitudes des Col^opteres de I'Am^rique 

 M^ridionale, p. 81 ; Ann. Sci. Nat. torn, xx.) observes of Odontceus, " Les 

 moeurs des deux especes que j'ai observ^es, O. glohosus et rotundatus, Dej., 

 sont absolument semblables a celles des Copris. On les trouve comme eux 

 dans les bouses, et ils s'enfoncent profondement dans la terre ;" adding, 

 " Les Athyreus, que Mr. MacLeay a separ^s de ce genre et dont j'ai rapporte 

 deux especes, A. furcicoUis et foveicollis, Dej., n'en diff"erent en rien sous le 

 meme rapport. Ces insectes ne paraissent pas communs an Bresil." Dr. 

 Perty observes on the habits of these and other allied genera, " Hyboson 

 in Brasilia Bonariaque praesertim in stercore humano degunt, sulcos impri- 

 munt sese tamen non infodiunt, ssepissime et praesertim interditi volitant. 

 Mores Odontcei globosi et rotundati Dej. Copridum simillimi sunt. Athyrei 

 quos cl. MacLeay ab Odontceis {Bolboceris, Kirby) separavit quoad mores 

 nuUo modo recedunt. Species generum duoruui prsecedentium in Brasilia 

 rariores, in Bonaria nondum inventae {Odontcei species plures in graminibus 

 et ligno putrido mensibus Septembri et Januario inveniebantur). Vespere 

 velocissime volitant. — Acanthocerus wneus} MacL. mense Majo in floribus 

 degit : A. MacLeayi, Perty, totum per annum in ligno putrido reperitur." (De 

 Insectorum in America Meridionali habitantium vitse genere, &c. Monachii 

 1833, fol. p. 10.) 



From these remarks we perceive that the relationship of Athyreus with 

 Copris depends not only on the general form of the body and the position of 

 the feet (to which may be added the resemblance of the radiated head arising 

 from the strong notches of the outer margins of the exposed mandibles of 

 some Athyrei), but also on the similarity of habits, that is, so far as depend- 



VOL. XX. 3 o 



