a Genus of Lamellicorn Beetles. 455 
of habit in the animal. In Geotrupes especially, the maxillae are terminated 
by large membranaceous lobes instead of the horny points with which they 
are armed in Athyreus; and the mandibles in Geotrupes are represented by 
Mr. Curtis in his * British Entomology,’ pl. 266, as destitute of the flat molar 
plate which I have noticed in Athyreus. 
Our knowledge of the habits of the species of Athyreus is however too slight 
to enable us to determine the amount of influence which these forms have 
upon their modes of life; Lacordaire and Von Martius, our two authorities on 
the habits of the insects of Brazil, stating but little relative to the Athyrei. 
M. Lacordaire (Mémoire sur les habitudes des Coléoptéres de l'Amérique 
Méridionale, p. 81; Ann. Sci. Nat. tom. xx.) observes of Odontæus, “ Les 
moeurs des deux espèces que j'ai observées, O. globosus et rotundatus, Dej., 
sont absolument semblables à celles des Copris. On les trouve comme eux 
dans les bouses, et ils s'enfoncent profondement dans la terre;" adding, 
* Les Athyreus, que Mr. MacLeay a séparés de ce genre et dont j'ai rapporté 
deux espèces, Æ. furcicollis et foveicollis, Dej., n'en différent en rien sous le 
méme rapport. Ces insectes ne paraissent pas communs au Brésil.” Dr. 
Perty observes on the habits of these and other allied genera, ** Hyboson 
in Brasilià Bonariáque praesertim in stercore humano degunt, sulcos impri- 
munt sese tamen non infodiunt, sepissimé et praesertim interdid volitant. 
Mores Odontci globosi et rotundati Dej. Copridum simillimi sunt. Athyrei 
quos cl. MacLeay ab Odontwis (Bolboceris, Kirby) separavit quoad mores 
nullo modo recedunt. Species generum duorum praecedentium in Brasilia 
rariores, in Bonarià nondum inventae (Odontwi species plures in graminibus 
et ligno putrido mensibus Septembri et Januario inveniebantur). Vespere 
velocissimé volitant.—Acanthocerus eneus? MacL. mense Majo in floribus 
degit : 4. MacLeayi, Perty, totum per annum in ligno putrido reperitur." (De 
Insectorum in Americá Meridionali habitantium vitæ genere, &c. Monachii 
1833, fol. p. 10.) 
From these remarks we perceive that the relationship of Athyreus with 
Copris depends not only on the general form of the body and the position of 
the feet (to which may be added the resemblance of the radiated Tad aM 
from the strong notches of the outer margins of the exposed mandibles of 
‘some Athyrei), but also on the similarity of habits, that is, so far as depend- 
VOL. XX. 30 
