Coleoptera 2 1 5 



skinned. The Byirhids are found in moss, at the roots of plants, 

 and some genera live in running water. They occur in all parts of 

 the world. 



Parnidae. — The Pamida are a family of small beetles which have 

 the feelers either long and thread-lii^e, or very short with the second 

 segment swollen. The head is usually withdrawn beneath the 

 pronotum, and the prosternum stretches back beyond the haunches. 

 The legs are long and slender ; the feet have five segments of which 

 the fifth is very long and the first four short. Tbe Parnida live in 

 damp places, under running water, etc. They are found in all 

 parts of the world. 



Heteroceridae. — The Heterocerida are a family of beetles with 

 short eleven-segmented feelers, the first two segments being large 

 and hairy, and the fifth to eleventh forming an oblong, saw-shaped 

 club. The pronotum is broad with rounded corners. The legs are 

 stout and adapted for digging ; their feet have five segments, but 

 the first is exceedingly minute. On either side of the first sternite 

 of the hind-body is a curved, toothed ridge; the leg rubbed across 

 this produces a shrill chirping note. The larvs have a large 

 head ; the thoracic segments are twice as broad as the head, while 

 the hind-body is very narrow ; the body is covered with bristles 

 and has stout, strong legs. The family includes but a single genus 

 {Heterourus') whose species live in damp places, on the banks of 

 streams and ponds. They are almost confined to the northern 

 temperate regions, a few only being known in the tropical parts ot 

 Asia and America. 



Lucanidae.— The Lucanida or Stag-beetles are a family of large 

 beetles characterised by markedly elbowed feelers of ten segments, 

 ending in a pectinate club, the pectinations being specially strong 

 in the male (fig. 6 </). The mandibles are well-developed, in the 

 male often of very large size. The cavities of the front haunches 

 are closed behind ; the mesosternum is short and the metasternum 

 large. The elytra are rounded at the apex. The legs are long and 

 the feet have five segments whereof the last is by far the longest. 

 The larvae are stout, white, fleshy grubs; the large, well-chitinised 

 head has powerful mandibles and short feelers, but no ocelli ; the 

 body-segments are not transversely wrinkled. The grubs feed in the 

 wood of trees and take several years to reach maturity. The family 

 is numerously represented in the tropics, but becomes scarcer in 

 cooler regions. Only three species are known in the British Isles. 



Scarabaeidae. — The Scarabaida (Chafers, Dung-beetles, etc.) 

 are an exceedingly large family, including the most gigantic of 

 beetles, though some of the species are of moderate or small size. 

 They agree with the LucanidsE in having the terminal segments of 

 the feelers in the form of flattened plates, producing a comb-like 

 club. In the Scarabxid^ these plates can be brought closely together 

 so that the club appears compact (fig. 6 h), whereas the Lucanid 

 feelers must always retain the pectinate form. The antennal plates 



