76 ON THE GLAPIIYRTD.E OF NEW HOLLAND, 



a more strictly antliobious group of insects cannot be found 

 among tlie GlapliyrldcB. 



No doubt the characters given by Mr. MacLeay to the family 

 of Glaphyridce may require some extension in order to enable it 

 to include the genus Phi/Ilotocus of Australia, and a portion of 

 the South African insects allied to Boplia ; for it must be remem- 

 bered that Mr. MacLeay's characters of the group were defined 

 long before the genus PJujUotocus was known to Entomologists. 



Such extension of character will, however, in no way interfere 

 with Mr. MacLeay's plan of arrangement, which, I must say, seems 

 so simple and natural, and foiinded on such obvious distinctions 

 of structure and habit, as to make it contrast very favourably 

 with some of later date. 



Without attempting to explain the very ingenious system of 

 classification which Mr. MacLeay has the merit of originating, I 

 will merely refer to the " Horce EntoinoIogiccB''^ in so far as it may 

 be necessary to show the relative positions of the Glaphyridce 

 and MeloJonthidcB. 



The Lamellicornes, according to that author, consist of two 

 great divisions, the RECTOCERA consisting of the Lucanidte 

 and Histeridse, and the PETALOCERA or true Lamellicorns. 



These last he subdivides into Saprophaga, or insects feeding 

 on putrescent and excrementitious matter ; and Thalerophaga, or 

 those which feed on living vegetable substances. 



The first subdivision contains the families Geotrwpidoe, 

 Scaraheidce, Aphodiidoe, Trogidce, and Dynastidoe. The second" 

 consists of the Eidelidce, Ceioniidce, Glaphyridce, Melolonthidce, 

 and Anoplognathidce. 



By this arrangement it will be seen that the Glaphyridce 

 occupy what is clearly their natural position between the 

 Cetoniidoe and Melolonthidce. 



Lacordaire on the other hand, following I believe Erichsen's 

 plan, divides the PETALOCERA into Les Lamellicornes Laparos- 

 tici'iqties or those which have the stigmata situated on the membrane 

 which connects the dorsal and ventral arches of the abdomen, 

 and Les Lamellicornes I'leurosticticj_ues, where the stigmata are 

 placed partly on the afoi-esaid membrane and partly on the 

 ventral arches. 



The first of these contains the Sapkophaga of MacLeay ; 



