COLEOPTERA. 51 



naturalist was consulted by the King of Sweden upon the cause of 

 the decay and destruction of the ship-timber in the royal dock- 

 yards, and, having traced it to the depredations of insects, and 

 ascertained the history of the depredators, by directing the timber 

 to be sunk under water during the season when these insects made 

 their appearance in the winged state, and were busied in laying 

 their eggs, he effectually secured it from future attacks. The 

 name of these insects is Lymexylon navale, the naval timber- 

 destroyer. They have since increased to an alarming extent in 

 some of the dockyards of France, and in one of them, at least, 

 have become very injurious, wholly in consequence of the neglect 

 of seasonable advice given by a naval officer, who was also an 

 entomologist, and pointed out the source of the injury, together 

 with the remedy to be applied. 



These destructive insects belong to a family called Lymexyl- 

 id^e, which may be rendered timber-beetles. They cannot be 

 far removed from the Buprestians and the spring-beetles in a 

 natural arrangement.* From the latter, however, the insects of 

 this small group are distinguished by having the head broad before, 

 narrowed behind, and not sunk into the thorax ; they have not the 

 breast-spine of the Elaters, and their legs are close together, and 

 not separated from each other by a broad breast-bone as in the 

 Buprestians ; and the hip-joints are long, and not sunk into the 

 breast. In the principal insects of this family the antenna; are 

 short, and, from the third joint, flattened, widened, and saw- 

 toothed on the inside ; and the jaw-feelers of the males have a 

 singular fringed piece attached to them. The body is long, nar- 



to mention here. Linnreus was the first to point out the advantages to be derived 

 from employing the Arundo arenaria, or beach-grass, in fixing the sands of the 

 shore, and thereby preventing the encroachments of the sea. The Dutch have 

 long availed themselves of his suggestion, and its utility has been tested to some 

 extent in Massachusetts. 



* Immediately after the Elateridce are arranged the Cebrionidce, by common con. 

 sent. Next to these I put the Lymexylidce, which resemble Sandalus, one of the 

 Cebrionidce, in their antennae. The sericeum, above described, probably not a true 

 Lymexylon, was included among the Cebrionidce in my Catalogue. According to 

 my present views the Ptinidce and Cleridce should follow the Lymexylidce ; Eno- 

 plium and Tillus among the latter having some resemblance to Lymexylon, &c, 

 and agreeing therewith in habits also. 



