FAMILY MEl.OLONTHID.E. 71 



Titox cAPiLLAuis. ( Plato xxJv, lig. 1.) 



Brown, dull : elytra traversed by several rows of pointed or sharpened tubercles, standing 

 b.'tween the tine parallel lines. Length two-lifths of an inch. 



Dynast idac. 



This family embraces the most gigantic beetles known : the genera are also numerous. 

 The antenna? are ten-jointed : the first is robust, conic and hairy ; the second, sub- 

 glolxise ; the next five are short, and the head is composed of three lamina? in contact. 

 Thecl_\iHUS is fre(]uen(ly horned, as well as the thorax : head subtrigonal ; elytia 

 truncate, leaving the end of the abdomen bare. The l)ody is large and thick, the legs 

 strong ; tibiie broad and dentate. 

 This singular lamily have some of the habits of tlie Gkotrupid.k : that of subsisting 



upon and in the excrement of aiiiiiials, and dcci} ing refuse matter from the vegetable 



kingdom. 



3Icloloiitlii(lae. 



Gknus SERICA ( Macleay). Scauabj^vs (Linn.). 



' Form ovate. Antennffi ten-jointed : basal joint the largest ; the second the next, and the 

 ' claws bifid : la-^t j'lint of the palpi subacute' ( Westwoou). 



Sf.uica vespkrtina. ( Plate xxiv, fig. 9.) 



Color light chestnut-brown, uniform : body small ; wider behind. 



TiiiriuMs ( Trichus) vikioans. ( Plate xxiv, fig. 5.) 



Color of the heail and thorax green : el} tra oI)Scurely striped ; margins markul with dark 

 spots ; disk lerruginous, truncate, exposing the abdomen, punctured and mai-ked by 

 longitudinal lines ; abdomen hairy. 



Tuk:iiim-s assi.mii. is. 

 Color black, hairy and glossy. Elytra marked near their bases with a light brownish patch, 

 from ea<h outer angle of which proceed two while ol)liijue lines that nearly reach the 

 margins; and from the inner angles, two other white lines arise, which run jiarallel 

 with the suture, and do not (|uite reach the truncated extremity : there is also an 

 obscure line i)aiallel with the last, and about half as long, which may not \)e constant. 

 Posterior segmeut of the abdomen clothed with a dense coat of yellowish white hairs : 

 Jibdomen below shining, and less hairy than the breast. Length rather more than 

 oneluiuth of an inch. 

 Found in Western Massachusetts. 



