244^ MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



the mandibles strong, curved, entire at the tip, and exposed beyond 

 the upper lip, which is short, and the palpi are slender at the tips 

 {fig. 25. 6. head of ? in front, 25. 2. maxilla, 25. 3. labium $ ) ; the 

 thorax is broadest behind, with the posterior angles acute. The an- 

 tennae are generally longer than the head and thorax, and serrated.or 

 pectinated in the males ; the legs are not contractile, nor formed for 

 leaping {^fig. 25. 5. posterior tarsus). These insects are of moderate 

 size : they are for the most part inhabitants of the South of Europe, 

 and the North of Africa ; their colours are generally dull and 

 obscure. But little is known of their habits, especially in their early 

 stages. This family forms a very natural transition from such of the 

 Elateridte as Campylus, &c., to the soft-winged Telephori, &x. ; some 

 species being allied to the former in having the presternum advanced 

 behind into a point, but not produced under the head. 



This family may be divided thus : 1. Those with the presternum ter- 

 minating in an acute point {fig. 25. 4.) (typical genus Cebrio); 2. Those 

 without a prosternal mucro (Rhipicera, Callirhipis), having branched 

 antennae {fig. 15. 7. antenna^ ^fig-^- antenna 2 Rhipicera), and tarsal 

 pulvilli {fig. 9. 10.), and Atopa, Sec, having simple antennae and want- 

 ing the pulvilli of the typical genus. Olivier observed that the Cebrio 

 gigas (an inhabitant of the southern parts of Europe) is generally 

 found during the evening, and especially after heavy falls of rain, and 

 that its flight is very strong. M. Farines has, however, published a 

 IVIemoir upon the C. xanthomerus Hoff". { Trans. Linn. Soc. Bordeaux, 

 vol iv. and Ferussac Bull, 1830, p. 477.), from which it appears that 

 this species appears only during the early autumnal showers ; at which 



Gutrin. Icon. R. An. and Rlag. d'Ent. 



Fischer. Lettre sur le Physodactyle, Nouv. Genre de Coleopt. Elateroid. Moscow, 



1824. 8vo. (Drepanius Perty) and Annal. Sc. Nat. vol. iii. 

 Knock. Neue Beytrage. Erste Theil, tab. 5. (Sandalus.) 

 Griffith. An. Kingdom, Insects. 

 Westwood. (New Edit, of Drury, vol. iii.) — Ditto in Jard. Mag. Zool. and Bot. 



vol. i. (G. Cladotoma. ) 

 Palisot Beauvois, Ins. d'Afr., &c. 

 Germar. Sp. Nov. Insect. 

 Eschscholtz. Zool. Atlas, t. iv. (Epiphanis.) 

 Charpentier. Ilorffi Ent t. i. (Dima. ) 

 GiiMn and Perchiron. Genera des Insectes. 

 Nov, Act. Soc. Roy. Upsal, 1827. — Mem. Soc. Nat. Moscow, vol. vi. 



