﻿BRACHELYTRA. 71 



doubtful whether tliese are of any assistance to the sight. 

 One of the Proteinidce [Pkloeobiwn) has a single ocellus 

 in the same position. 



The parts of the mouth are well developed, though 

 not quite so highly as in the Adephaga ; the labrum 

 very often has a membraneous margin, and is sometimes 

 furnished with appendages, or fringed or clothed with 

 hairs; the mandibles vary according to the habits of 

 their possessors, but are often strong, curved, and sharp ; 

 the maxillse have no outer palpiform lobe, and are not 

 toothed at the apex, their palpi being four-jointed, with 

 the apical joint often very small and subulate; the la- 

 bium is well defined ; the ligula being distinct, narrow, 

 and linear, often bifid at the extremity, and with its 

 paraglossse frequently conspicuous. 



The abdomen is often furnished at the apex with two 

 fleshy papillse, from which a disagreeable odour is emitted 

 when the insect is handled. It is, in nearly all, so long 

 as to be capable of being bent forward and used in ar- 

 ranging the folds of the wings under the elytra. There 

 are usually seven segments distinctly visible on the lower 

 surface, but there is also another, by which it is articu- 

 lated to the metathorax, and which is only visible on 

 the upper side, when the elytra and wings are removed. 

 In Erichson's descriptions the sixth segment means the 

 last but one, which is termed the seventh by Dr. Kraatz ; 

 the latter being in reality correct, though the former 

 seems to be right. 



The larvse of the Brachelytra somewhat resemble the 

 perfect insects, being of elongate, narrow shape ; and 

 are found under similar circumstances. They differ but 

 little in general structure among the different species, 

 and may be distinguished from those of the Geodephaga 



