COLEOPTERA. 459 



SILIS, Meg. Dej. Charp. 



This subgcnus only diflFers from Telcphorus in the thorax, which 

 is emarginated posteriorly on each side, and has underneath at 

 least in the S. spinicollis a little coriaceous appendage terminated 

 by a club, whose extremity, probably more membranous, in the dried 

 specimen has the appearance of a joint. A species, the rubricollis, 

 is figured by M. Toussaint de Charpentier in his Hor. Entom., 

 p. 194, 195, vi. 7- 



MALTUINUS, Lat. Schcen. NECYDALIS, Geoff. 



The palpi terminated by an ovoid joint; head narrow behind; 

 elytra, in several, shorter than the abdomen. On flowers, and par- 

 ticularly on trees *. 



In the third tribe of the Malacodermi, or the MELYRIDES, we find 

 the palpi most commonly short and filiform ; mandibles emarginated 

 at the point ; the body usually narrow and elongated ; the head only 

 covered at base by a flat or but slightly convex thorax, generally 

 square, or elongated and quadrilateral ; joints of the tarsi entire, and 

 the hooks of the last one unidentated or bordered with a membrane. 

 The antennae are usually serrated, and, in the males of some species, 

 even pectinated. 



Most of them are very active, and are found on flowers and leaves. 



This tribe, which is a mere division of the genera Cantharis and 

 Dermestes of Linnaeus, will form the genus 



MELYRIS, Fab. 



In some, the palpi are of equal thickness throughout. 



Here, under each anterior angle of the thorax, and on each side of 

 the base of the abdomen, we observe a retractile, dilatable vesicle in 

 the form of a cockade, which is protruded by the animal when 

 alarmed, and whose use is unknown. The body is shorter in pro- 

 portion than in the following subgenus, wider and more depressed ; 

 the thorax wider than it is long. Under each crotchet, at the end 

 of the tarsi, is a membranous appendage resembling a tooth. 



MALACHIUS, Fab. Oliv. CANTHARIS, Lin. 



One of the sexes, in each species, furnished with an appendage in 

 the form of a hook, at the extremity of each elytron, which is seized 

 from behind by an individual of the opposite sex, with its mandibles, 

 in order to arrest the former when it attempts to escape, or moves too 

 rapidly. The first joints of the antennae are frequently dilated and 

 irregular in the males. They are all prettily coloured. 



M. eeneus; Cantharis eenea, L.; Panz., Ib.; X, 2. Three 

 liiirs in K'Mirth; glossy green; margin of the elytra red; head, 

 yellow anteriorly. 



* Lat. Gen. Crust et Insect. I, 261 ; Schoenh., Id. II, p. 73 ; Panz., Id., p. 73. 

 The Teleph. biguttalus and minimus of Olivier belong to this genus. 



