a Family of Coleopterous Insects. 625 



the philosophical entomologist; and if observation were par- 

 ticularly paid to the peculiar uses which the living insects make 

 of them, it is not to be doubted that some light would be thrown 

 upon the dubious nature of the general uses and senses of those 

 organs. Latreille indeed says in the Nouveau Diet. d'Hist. Nat. 

 vol. XXV. p. 57, " Ton soupfonne que quelques especes se tien- 

 nent suspendues au moyen des dents ou des rochets du dernier 

 article de leurs antennes." This circumstance, however, appears 

 to me to be extremely improbable. 



In describing the antennae of the species known to him, Fa- 

 bricius, in order to state their peculiar structure, employed the 

 term " irregulares," upon which Afzelius has commented in his 

 paper, considering that, as it must convey the idea of the clava 

 being of a shape either not always uniform or deviating from 

 the ordinary rules of Nature, its employment is improper, since 

 he states neither of these circumstances to be the case. That 

 the antennae of the Paussi materially differ from the ordinary 

 structure of these organs, no one will be inclined to question ; 

 although it cannot be admitted that Nature has here deviated 

 from her ordinary rule of introducing variations in the charac- 

 ters of her groups. The term has, however, another definition, 

 which the Professor has overlooked, which will convey a per- 

 fect idea of their formation ; namely, by translating the word, 

 'uneven', or 'with the surface irregular': this I doubt not is 

 the sense in which it was employed by Fabricius. 



With regard to the very interesting observations of Afzelius 

 upon the luminosity of the second joint of the antennae of 

 P. spharocerus, I am under the necessity of stating the doubts 

 which I entertain upon the existence of so extraordinary a cir- 

 cumstance. Might not the light reflected from the wall, falling 

 upon the semipellucid livid-coloured balls of the antennae, give 

 them the appearance described, with expressions of doubt, by 



4 L 2 Afzelius ? 



