﻿THE MALACODERMI. 143 



family have no vesicles ; they are also more elongate and 

 hairy than the species of the above-mentioned genera. 



The Byturid^ comprise two very puzzling genera, 

 Byturus and Telmatophilus ; both of which have been 

 shifted about to a considerable extent by authors. The 

 former was originally placed by Latreille among the 

 Nitidulidte ; then in the Melyrida by Erichson ; subse- 

 quently, by Redtenbacher and Lacordaire in the Derme- 

 stidce ; and, lastly, by Thomson, again returned to the 

 Nitidulida, but associated with such heterogeneous 

 neighbours as Thymalus and Micropeplus. 



T'elmatophilus, also, has been alternately placed in the 

 Melyridcs and Cryptophagidce ; it is, also, associated by 

 Redtenbacher with Lyctus and Alexia, and included by 

 Thomson with Tritoma and Mycetcea in the Fungicola. 



Byturus has the tarsi five-jointed and velvety beneath ; 

 the second and third joints produced into long side 

 lappets, the first and fourth being very small (the latter 

 hidden between the lobes of the third), and the fifth as 

 long as all the rest together, with the apical hooks much 

 curved, and furnished with a strong tooth at the base. 

 The front coxae are ovate and not exserted, and the pos- 

 terior approximated. The abdomen is composed of five 

 equal free segments ; the mandibles have a stout tooth 

 at the base, and are slightly toothed before the apex ; 

 the eyes are large, round, and prominent ; the antennae 

 eleven-jointed with a graduated three-jointed club; and 

 the body is rather convex and pubescent. 



The perfect insects are found in the flowers of the 

 white-thorn, strawberry, etc. ; and are entirely unlike 

 any Dermestes in their habits. The larvse, also, have 

 similar propensities; they do not present the hairs so 

 characteristic of the larvae of the latter. 



