338 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. XV, 



Silphid, is obviously out of place between Silpha and Necrophoms. 

 I believe the small Silphidas will go with it ; Prionochseta at least shows 

 essentially the same wing. 



Palpicornia. — (Figs. 20-23). This group is interesting as alone 

 showing a complex apical venation, as well as being the only one of the 

 Polyphaga to preserve traces of the radial cells beyond the fold. The 

 folding at the costal margin is as in the Adephaga while the remainder 

 of the wing is almost typically Polyphagan. The radial recurrent 

 obviously belongs more to the first r-m than to the base of Rs, in several 

 genera almost connecting with the stem of M. One anal (2d Ai) is 

 always lost. The family is primitive in preserving M4 and Cu as sep- 

 arate veins, like the lower Adephaga and perhaps the Staph ylinoidea, 

 but unlike all the higher forms. 



The smaller genera (such as Sphgeridium, Fig. 23) show a striking 

 resemblance to the Lamellicoms, that may possibly be significant, as 

 the latter show distinct traces of distal veining. 



BuprestidcB. — (Figs. 6a, 34). A student here is working on this 

 family, which as Gahan notes shows no close resemblance to the Elaters. 

 It is evidently a survival, and is one of the very few that has three free 

 branches to 2d A. The lack of folding of the wing is not characteristic 

 of the family as a whole, since Brachys folds normally. 



Elateroidea.— (Figs. 30-33). The Elateridas (Fig. 31) and Lampy- 

 ridae (Fig. 32) form a very well defined group in venation, to which all 

 the small families of Sternoxia but the Rhipiceridas will attach them- 

 selves. Cebrio (Fig. 30) is most primitive, and basic for interpreting 

 the anal region. A general characteristic is the transverse outer end 

 of the wedge cell (which fails in several genera by the loss of the cross- 

 vein, and in Tharops alone by its obliquity). Another is the position of 

 1st r in all but a few aberrant groups markedly basad of the radiomedial. 

 The folding is also uniform, being a double chevron-fold in the apex, 

 rather like that of the Heteromera and lower Buprestidae, but utterly 

 unlike the Malachiidae. The Lampyridse are exactly like the most 

 specialized Elaters, differing from the typical ones only by the loss of 

 the cross vein cu-a. If the venation means anything they are degen- 

 erate rather than primitive. 



MalachiidcB (Melyridce). — Figs. 57, 58). These so far as the wings 

 show have nothing whatever to do with the Lampyridse, and may be 

 a survival of a primitive type, especially if the transverse vein from 

 the cell to the inner margin is really an independent Cu. The folding 

 is very complicated and I have not worked it out fully. The nearest 

 thing to it seems to be in the Coccinellidse (Fig. 56). There are two 

 pivot-folds at the costa, the more posterior of which corresponds in 

 its manner of folding with that of the Adephaga and Hydrophilidas, 

 the more anterior with that of the Bostrychidae and Byrrhidae. The 

 anal region is degenerate and gives no help. A large South American 

 species shows no more veins than Malachius. 



Dascylloidea. — (Figs. 37, 38). The Dascyllidee and Rhipiceridae are 

 almost identical in venation, and distinguished mainly by the lack of 

 the special characters of the other groups, in this resembling the lower 



