ORDER I.—BEETLES. at 
joints, Pentamera ; those with four on the hind feet and five 
on the fore feet, Heteromera; those with four, Tetramera ; 
with three, 7rimera; and those with two joints, Dimera. 
This division, although as convenient as the artificial 
classification of Plants by Linnzeus, according to the num- 
ber of stamens, is still subject to the same incongruities. 
Both in the system of Latreille and in that of Limnzus, we 
find arranged in one and the same class individuals which 
do not and can not coincide with each other, neither in 
their external form nor in their nature. Thus, in the Lin- 
nan system, the Crocus and Wheat occur in the same 
class, Triandria, simply because each of these plants has 
three stamens; but what an immense difference is there be- 
tween them in their properties, and even in their external 
forms! Many others occur in the same class which are 
equally incongruous. So also in the artificial system of 
Latreille. The Tiger Beetles and the May Beetles belong to 
one and the same family, which he calls Pentamera, because 
both have five joints on their feet; but they are very unlike 
each other in their forms and in their natural disposition ; 
the one is carnivorous, the other herbivorous; the one is 
useful, the other injurious to vegetation. For these reasons 
we prefer our natural classification according to their food, 
and hence according to their natural disposition. Of the 
first family, the Carnivorous Beetles, we have already spok- 
en, and we proceed to the second family. 
Scavenger Beetles. 
The body of most all of the Scavenger Beetles is very 
hard, and their feet very strong, adapted for digging. ‘They 
deposit their eggs in manure, or rotten wood, or carrion, or 
in the ground, and in some instances the grubs (larva) 
proceeding from these eggs live several years in these sub- 
stances before they are metamorphosed into perfect beetles, 
as in the case with the Stag Beetle. 
