mth a Notice of Chiasogndthus Grantn. 319 



ance. Indeed, from the remarkable circumstance, that these 

 creatures are generally of very rare occurrence, being seldom 

 found in any great quantity, it is not surprising that authors 

 should have seized every opportunity of minutely describing 

 and illustrating their entire structure. 



From the last labour of Linnaeus, until the publication of 

 the memoir noticed at the head of this article, the science of 

 entomology has been enriched by the publication of several 

 papers upon insects of the nature above alluded to, and which 

 I propose briefly to lay before the readers of this Magazine ; 

 trusting that the singularity of the insects referred to will be 

 a sufficient excuse for the details into which I shall subse- 

 quently enter, with a view of making known the entire structure 

 of one of such remarkable creatures. And here I may note, 

 that it is gratifying to our national pride, to observe that 

 our own countrymen have not been backward in thus re- 

 cording the existence of these almost anomalous objects. 



The first memoir to which I refer, is that which closed the 

 labours of the great Linnaeus. The objects which terminated 

 his scientific career were not unworthy of him, since in this 

 memoir the genera Paussus and Diopsis were first described. 

 Of the genus Paussus, one species only was known to Lin- 

 naeus; namely, the P. microcephalus, or small-headed paussus, 

 a outline of which I have given atj%. 66, This genus, which 



belongs to the beetles (Coleoptera), 

 is at once distinguished by the ex- 

 traordinary form of the antennae, 

 which, instead of being 11 -jointed, 

 possess only two apparent joints, the 

 second of which is very variable in 

 form, but constantly of very large 

 size, and singular shape. Since the 

 time of Linnaeus, several species 

 have been discovered, the genus has 

 been formed into a family of several 

 distinct genera ; and in a memoir 

 upon this family, which is intended 

 Paussus microcephalus: ^^^ publication in the ncxt part of 



o, magnified ; 6, natural size. the LinticBan Transactions, I have 

 described nearly thirty species, illustrated with about seventy 

 figures of the insects and their details. 



The genus Diopsis belongs to the order of two-winged 

 flies (Diptera), and is remarkable for the spines upon the 

 thorax, and for the extraordinary developement of the sides 

 of the head, which are produced as long footstalks to the eyes, 

 which are placed at the tip. One species only of this genus 



