EXAMINING A BEETLE'S MOUTH. 41 



this genus have the last joint very large and axe-shaped. Here 

 may mention that nothing is easier than to examine the 

 head and mouth of a Beetle, without doing the least injury to 

 the specimen, even though it be hard and dry in the cabinet. 

 Take the head between the points of the forceps, bend it gently 

 backwards and forwards, and it will snap off. Now put it into 

 warm water, and let it remain there until the parts are quite 

 relaxed. Then stick a needle perpendicularly into a piece of 

 cork, and run the eye portion into the ' occipital ' hole, i.e. 

 that at the junction of the head and thorax. With a fine 

 needle, the parts of the mouth can be drawn out so as to be 

 properly displayed, and, when they have been examined, the 

 head can be replaced, and fixed, rather firmer than before, by a 

 small drop of coaguline. This will be found a good plan when 

 a Beetle has been badly set, and the parts of the mouth are not 

 properly seen. 



Next in order comes the family of the Chlteniidce. In these 

 Beetles the front tarsi of the males have either two or three 

 joints much widened and squared, and very sponge-like below. 

 On Woodcut III. Fig. 2, is given an example of this family, 

 the insect being called Por/onuR luridipennis. The members 

 of this genus have the last joint of the palpi egg-shaped and 

 rather elongated, with the tip blunt. The labial palpi are 

 shown at Fig. c, and the maxillary palpi at Fig. d, the internal 

 maxillary palpus being small and very slender. 



They are all rather brilliant and shining Beetles, the surface 

 of their bodies having a metallic polish. They are small and 

 maritime in their habits, and may generally be found on the 

 southern coasts of England, hiding under the heaps of sea-weed 

 which are flung by the waves upon the shore. 



The present species is about a quarter of an inch in length, 

 or a little more, and is a pretty little Beetle. The head and 

 thorax are shining green, with coppery reflections. The thorax 

 has a longitudinal furrow along the centre, a triangular hollow 

 in front, and a rather deep pit on the base at either side. The 

 elytra are pale ochreous-yellow, cio-uded with brown in the 

 middle, a peculiarity which has earned for the insect the spe- 

 cific name of luridipennis, or ' pale- winged.' They are covered 

 with greenish striae, and on the third stria are three rather 



