THE DOUBLE-TAIL BEETLES. 203 



nothing remarkable about it. The elytra, however, are well 

 worthy of a careful examination. In the first place, they are 

 elongated to a most extraordinary extent, and the outer edge of 

 each is drawn out into a long, sharp, slender appendage as long 

 as the abdomen and thorax together. Indeed, the entire length 

 of the insect may be divided into three tolerably equal parts, the 

 head being one, the body and thorax another, and the appen- 

 dages to the elytra the third. Tliese appendages are, like the 

 head, covered with dark-brown scales, which give them a 

 roughened outline. 



By the unaided eye the upper part of each elytron is seen to 

 be adorned with a tiny white sj)ot, but a tolerably powerful 

 magnifier is needed before the nature of the spots is made clear. 

 The whole of the surface is deeply pitted in regular parallel 

 rows, so as to look very much like a honeycomb. Many of the 

 cells, especially those near the suture, are filled with some white 

 material which produces the appearance which has already been 

 mentioned. Even near the suture itself the white material has 

 been lost out of several cells, which then show their full depth 

 and assume the honeycomb-like aspect which has just been 

 mentioned. Beneath, the insect is blackish brown, over which 

 a number of white scales are sparingly scattered. 



The generic name Diurus, or " double -tail," is given to these 

 insects on account of the elongated elytra; while the specific 

 name ftircillahis, or " forked," refers to the mode in which tlie 

 antennfe project from the end of the head like the prongs of a 

 fork. Four species of Diurus are known, Sarawak and India 

 being their homes. There are besides many allied genera, which 

 in most respects resemble the Diurus. 



Another example of this most singular family is called Tera- 

 mocerus harhicornis, and comes from New Zealand. The generic 

 name is formed from two Greek words signifying "delicate- 

 horned," the antennse of this genus being more slender than that 

 of the last-mentioned insects, though they also are covered with 

 down-like scales. In this insect, and that which wiU be pre- 

 sently described, the elongation of the head seems to have 

 reached the greatest possible extent. In one specimen which I 

 have just measured, the entire length, including the elongated 

 elytra, is three inches and a half, of which the head alone 



