﻿.136 BRITISH BEETLES. 



seven free ventral segments ; and the elytra very seldom 

 punctate-striate, and usually not covering the sides of 

 the abdomen. 



In the remainder there is great variation in the an- 

 tennse, hardness of the body, etc. ; so that it is impos- 

 sible to couple them with the true Malacodermi ; and 

 yet they differ so much inter se as to require the forma- 

 tion of many other sections for their reception if sepa- 

 rated from that group, although none of their associa- 

 tions are equivalent in extent or distinctness to it. 



The AtopidtE are here represented by one genus and 

 species, Bascillus cervimis, a large, oblong-oval, convex, 

 hard, dull-grey, downy insect, not uncommon in flowers, 

 especially in chalky districts. It has prominent man- 

 dibles, straight and spurred tibiae, and each of the 

 second, third, and fourth joints of the tarsi furnished 

 with a bilobed lamella. Its short, flat, eyeless larva is 

 set with rows of long hairs, and has four-jointed an- 

 tennae, rather long legs, horny plates on the upper seg- 

 ments, and no anal prolongation : it lives in the earth 

 at the roots of plants. 



The Cyphonid^ are all much smaller and less oblong, 

 with softer integuments, and very fragile. They have 

 sharp mandibles, which are not prominent; the pro- 

 sternum linear and transverse ; the mesothoracic epimera 

 elongate, and those of the metathorax not conspicuous; 

 the femora hollowed on the under side ; the tibiae angu- 

 lated; and no bilobed lamellaj to the tarsi. 



Their larvae, which feed on water-plants, differ con- 

 siderably from tbose of the Atopida (which somewhat 

 resemble the Lamellicorn type), being more like those 

 of the genus Silpha. 



The perfect insects are obtained by sweeping in marshy 



