COLEOPTERA. CEBRIONID/E. 245 



period, \l' the weather be fine, few only are to be found ; but if very 

 wet, great numbers of males are observed creeping about the ground 

 (from which they have recently emerged) and eagerly searching for 

 the females. M. V. Audouin has also more recently described {Ann. 

 Soc. Ent. France, vol. ii.) the coupling of C. gigas, the female of 

 which had previously been very rare in collections, which arose from 

 the peculiarity of the habits of this sex, which is seldom seen out of 

 the ground, its oi'dinary situation being beneath the surface ; above 

 which, at the period of coupling, it protrudes a long horny tube, 

 the extremity containing the organs of generation ; this organ being 

 also employed to introduce the eggs to a proper depth under ground. 

 M. Graells of Barcelona has published a series of observations to the 

 like effect in the same work, 1837, p. 93. 



Dr. Leach published a Memoir upon Cebrio in the Zoological 

 Journal, No. 1., in which several subgenera were separated from that 

 genus, and in which the tarsi were erroneously stated to be hetero- 

 merous. Dejean, however (Bull. Sc. Nat., Sept. 1824<), considered 

 that some of Leach's groups were formed upon the females of various 

 species of Cebrio ; and which, indeed, differ remarkably from the 

 other sex, the female of C. gigas, for instance, being much more 

 robust, with short rounded elytra and antenna; scarcely longer than 

 the head, and clavate. (Jiff- 25. 6.) 



The exotic genus Callirhipis is remarkable for having its long eleven- 

 jointed antennae very strongly pectinated in the males. Rhipicera 

 Lafr. is similarly characterised ; but the antenna; have from twenty to 

 forty joints. M. Laporte has recently published a valuable Mo- 

 nograph upon this and other allied genera.* (Atm. Soc. Ent. Fr., 

 vol. iii.) Latreille also, in the same volume, gave a sketch of the 

 family, including descriptions of the genera ; and M. Lacordaire has 

 published some observations on the habits of lib. marginata, stating 

 that it appears during, and towards the conclusion of, the rainy season. 

 It is found in the forests upon low plants, gnaM'ing the leaves and 



* M. Laporte has introduced the extraordinary genus Sandalus (having but 

 slightly pectinated antenna) amongst his Rhipicerites, notwithstanding its evident 

 affinity with Atopa, as pointed out by Knoch, whilst he has placed Ptilodactyla, 

 having very remote antenna?, amongst his Atopites. The genus Cladotoma Westw. 

 ( Mr.g. Zool. and Bot. vol. i. ), although having beautifully flabellate antenna, is most 

 closely allied to Atopa. i^Fxg. 25. 11. labrum ; 15. mandibles; 16. maxilla j and 

 1". labium of Cladotoma, the latter organs beautifully penicillated.^ 



R 3 



