SCALES AND HAIRS. 221 



into two very wide lobes, and is covered with a dense coating of 

 thick, brush-like hairs. Beneath, the Beetle is black, and npon 

 the surface are a number of long yellowish scales, lying nearly 

 Hat npon the surface. These scales are rather interesting on 

 one account; namely, that they form a kind of transitional link 

 between scales and hairs, showing tliat tlie latter are only 

 developments of the former. 



I may here observe that the transition of scales to hairs may 

 be observed on the wings of many Lepidoptera, specially those of 

 the Plume Moths, our very common White Plume {Pteroiohorvs 

 2Kntadactylus) being an admirable example. In the same vv-ay, 

 some of the shark tribe, especially the well-known Saw-tlsh, ex- 

 hibit in a singularly beautiful manner the transition from scales 

 to teeth, the change being so gradual that it is quite impossible 

 to say where the scales end and the teeth begin. 



Of this genus there are many species, all natives of Brazil. 

 None of them are brilliantly coloured, sober greys and browns 

 being the ground hues, which are either spotted or mottled with 

 dark-brown and black. One curious species is Cratosomvs vari- 

 cosiis, in which the thorax is very fiat, and the elytra have five 

 black knobs which are so prominent that they may almost be 

 called horns. 



The last family of the Weevils is the Rhynchophorid£e. This 

 name is formed from two Greek words signifying "snout-bearing," 

 and is given to the Beetles because their head is elongated into 

 a long rostrum, or snout. The first example of these insects is 

 Pihina harhicornis, which is shown in the illustration on the 

 next page. 



The colour of this Beetle is black, but it is curiously adorned 

 with hairs, ridges, and punctures, so that it is a very striking 

 insect. The head is very long, slender, and at the end is widened, 

 rather flattened, and cut into a sort of fleur-de-lys shape. The 

 antennse are placed near the middle. For the greater part 

 of its length the head is completely surrounded with a quantity 

 of dense, long hair of a reddish brown colour. The hairs do 

 not lie flat, but radiate boldly from the head, which really 

 bears a strong resemblance to a fox's brush, the similitude being 

 increased by the colour. A quantity of similar hair, but of a 

 yellower hue, is placed beneath the tlinrnx. As is often the case 



