288 COLEOPTERA 



CHAP. 



tribes, and Lumholz states that they are really good eating. 

 In consequence of the destruction of forests that has progressed 

 so largely of late years these gigantic Prionides have become 

 much rarer. 



Several aberrant forms are included in Prionides. The genus 

 Parandra has five-jointed tarsi; the third joint being much smaller 

 than usual, so that the fourth joint is not concealed by it. 

 The Brazilian Hypocephalus armatus was for long a subject of 

 dispute as to its natural position, and was placed by different 

 authorities in widely -separated families of Coleoptera. The 

 structure of this aberrant Longicorn seems to be only explicable 

 on the hypothesis of warfare amongst the males. 1 Nothing is, 

 however, known as to the habits and history of the Insect, and 

 only one or two specimens of the female have yet been obtained. 



The family Spondylidae has been proposed for some of 

 these aberrant Longicorns, but as it includes but very few, and 

 highly discrepant, species, it is neither natural nor of much use 

 for systematic purposes. 



The Lamiides are the most highly specialised division of the 

 Longicorns, and includes the larger number of the species. The 

 front of the head is usually placed at right angles to the vertex, 

 and in some cases (groups Hippopsini, Spalacopsini) it is strongly 

 intiexed, so that the mouth is placed on the under side of the 

 head. The extension of the eyes round the antennae is accom- 

 panied by very curious shapes of those organs, and not 

 infrequently each eye is divided into two more or less widely- 

 separated parts, so that the Insect has, on the external surface, 

 four eyes. 



Series VI. Rhynchophora. 



Head more or less prolonged in front to form a snout or leal', called 

 rostrum. Tarsi four-jointed, usually nt least tlie f/iirtl 

 joint Iroad and densely pubescent leneatJi. 



This enormous series includes about 25,000 species, and as 

 may well be imagined shows a great variety of structure amongst 

 its forms. The vast majority may, however, be readily recognised 

 by the two characters mentioned above. There are some cases in 

 which the beak is indistinct, and others in which the tarsi are 



1 Sharp, Ann. Soc. ent. Belyique, xxviii. 1384, CR. p. cvii. 



