THE COLEOPTERA FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW. 31 



All the leaf-eating beetles have filiform or nearly filiform antennae, 

 except the herbivorous Lamellicorns f liutdidw and Mvlolonthidu:) 



All fungus-eating beetles have the antenna', nmrc or less strongly 

 clavate. 



The feet of the Coleoi)tera are of two principal kinds ; first, simple 

 feet, in which the joints are slender, and of about the same width 

 throughout, and clothed ordy with somewhat scattered bristles; ;ind 

 secondl3' bi-lobed feet, in which the joints are somewhat widened and de- 

 pressed, with the last joint but one usually a little wider than the others, 

 and divided into two lobes, between whicli the last joint is inserted, and 

 all of them clothed beneath with densely crowded short stift" hairs, of 

 the same length, so as to resemble a brush ; sometimes also compared 

 to a piece of sponge. 



As a general rule, beetles with simple feet reside upon the ground, or 

 under the bark of dead trees, or in other decomposing matter, and are 

 either carnivorous or rypo})hagoiis (filth eating) in their habits ; and 

 those which have bi-lobed and spongy feet live upon the foliage of trees 

 and other plants, this structure of the feet seeming to be especially 

 adapted to enabling them to a<lhere to the surface of leaves ; and ac- 

 cordingly most of these insects are herbivorous. 



But this general statement is subject to important exceptions. Some 

 of the lamellicorn beetles ( }felolonthid(v, Kutelidrr, etc.J have simple feet 

 and yet feed upon the foliage of trees ; but these insects do not run 

 over the leaves, but simply cling to them with their sharp claws, whilst 

 feeding. 



So, also, some carnivorous beetles ( Telephov'uUc and Cnccincllida'J, 

 which pursue their prey over the foliage of trees, have their feet bi-lobed 

 and sj)ongy. 



It is an interesting circumstance that those insects (McJoJonihidn\ Qic.) 

 which only cling to the foliage by their claws, do not breed upon the 

 trees, but pass their larval period under ground, subsisting upon roots 

 or other subterranean matters, and only visit the trees for the sake of 

 feeding; whereas the true Thytophaga, with spongy feet {Chryxomclida' 

 and their allies) live upon the plants upon which they feed, through all 

 the active stages of their existence. 



It is also a curious coincidence that the insects first mentioned, which 

 only visit the trees occasionally for the purpose of feeding, do so only 

 by night ; whilst the genuine Phytophaga (plant eaters) are diurnal in 

 their habits. 



There is another partial but important exception to the rule above 

 laid down, as respects the males of many carnivorous beetles, which 

 have someof the joints of their anterior feet muchwidene<l and brushed 

 underneath ; but here the last joint but one is not bi-lobed, and the brush 



