OF THE UNITED STATES. 10 ' 



prove it- anomalous nature: the tarsi, although lobed occasionally, are never inflated, or 

 tufted beneath, as in some Elaterides; the mesosternum is similarly constructed in all the 

 genera: 1 w re, led to regard these as characters of importance, and to try 



what might be produced by their application to the large and complicated group of 

 Elaters; by tin - mean- I obtained thr< 



1. Spcci. : uniform' snt, sometimes lol ternum with o 

 sharp spine; the mesosternum never protuberant; the nnteni 



These comprise the greater number of ordinary , and may be dividi I ; to the lor 



of the first joint of the antennae, and the form of the coxa! ; 1 smaller and, 



finally, into genera, as will he seen hereafti r. 



2. having the tarsi more densely pubescent in the form of tufts beneath, nevi '"it 

 frequently swelled out; the mesosternum ft minent; I ternum alwaj 



always armed with a long spine. 



These are mostly largi , not so variable in the form of the front or coxal plates as tli 



ceding group, hut containing three forms which, although not having an exact uniformity 

 ture, are related to each other, and are distinguished by sti trasts from those of tL 



a. Those in which the antennae air received in deep 



'. Those having luminifcrous vesicles on the thorax. 



c. Those having a prominent mesosternum. 



3. Small species in which the mesosternum is also somewhat prominent, hut I of tie' ] 

 ternum is short and suddenly truncate. The tarsi are i t, and their fourth joint 



ally lobed. This contains only one genus: Cardiophorus. 



With regard to the affinity of this family, 1 have hat little I the earlier Btati 



the animal will perhaps give ns more information; hut the time ha- not \.t come lor au\ 

 rational systematic arrangement of the families of Coleoptera among themselves. We 

 are yel too little acquainted with the comparative value of character- to subordinate tin' 

 relation- properly: the results thus far obtained have certainly been very imperfect, and 

 I ar that while the zeal for making known isolated species and genera continues 



. that tin- time i- far distant when any definite results ma\ I i led. 



The relation between Buprestidse and Elateridse has been very much exaggerated, on 

 ■unt of the i ase with which tin' form of tie' prosternum enables these families to be 

 distinguished from all others with pentamerous tarsi. The only other < vidi i uch 



affinity rests in the resemblance ' the larva "l M ind that of Hup 



from ol inds, Ihavi great doubt of the propriet) of retaining M nd Thai 



in this family; hut as I do not know wh i a be plai 



for the present to leave them where the} have been placed by othi 



I form and structure of the larvae point more clearl) I ttion with tin I 



nidte and Melandryada; but, bi nany other character-, tie-'- families differ essen- 



tially in having the posterior tarsi of the imago four-jointed. The resemblance, in < 

 ternal appearance as well as in the general arrangement of the parts of the mouth, 

 however, very considerable bet v me of the genera, and certain Mclandp 



. The development of the affinities, which exisl in that dircctioi 

 done, until a thorough revision of the Tenebrionidsc, with a division into groups upon 



