COLEOPTERA. — BOSTRICHIDJE. 277 



The ninth family, Bostrichid^*, is of small extent, and dis- 

 tinguished by the cylindrical form of the species ; the thorax obliquely 

 truncate in front, forming a hood over the head {fig- 31.4. Bostrichus 

 capucinus) ; and the antennae short and lO-jointed, with a 3-jointed 

 perfoliated clava {Jig. 31. 8.) ; the parts of the mouth are robust^ and 

 fully developed ; the upper lip distinct and hirsute {Jig. 31. 5.); the 

 maxillae with two lobes {Jig.Sl. 6.); and the labium elongated, with 

 a short, transverse, and pilose mentum {Jig. 31. 7.) ; the tarsi {Jig. 31. 

 9.) are composed of five simple joints, the second and fifth being of 

 equal length ; the basal joint is very minute, but is quite conspicuous 

 in the large exotic species. These insects are found upon the trunks 

 of old trees, upon the wood of which the larvae subsist. 



This family was placed by Latreille in the Tetramerous group 

 Xylophaga, between the Curculionidae and Cerambycidae. Mr. Ste- 

 phens, however, makes them the connecting link between the Ptinidae 

 and Curculionidae, with the assistance of the Scolytidae, which, as it 

 appears to me, he inappropriately places in this family; since, al- 

 though, in some respects, Bostrichus may be allied to Scolytus, yet 

 here the perfection of the troplii, and the possession of legs by the 

 larvas in the former genus, are at once characteristic of the difference 

 between the two gi'oups.f They also bear some kind of relationship to 

 Sinodendron :j: amongst the Lucanidae ; indeed, Fabricius placed some 

 of the species in that genus. They, moreover, seem to be allied to Ano- 

 bium, not only in their wood-boring habits, but also in the position of 

 the head, and the large size of the terminal joints of the antennae. 

 This affinity is, moreover, supported by the structure of the larva of 



* BiBLOGR. Refer, to the BosTRiciUDiE. 



Gueriti. Icon. R. An. Insectes. 



Perty. Delect. An. Art. Bras. 



Westwood, in Guerin Mag. Zool. (Dysides). 



The general works of Fabricius, Gyllenhall, Stephens, Kirby, ^c. 



f I have published some observations upon this point in the first number of the 

 Transactions of the Entomological Society. 



\ Mr. Kirby notices, in support of this relation, that lamellatcd aiUenniu are found 

 in Phloiotribus and Sinodendron ; that the spurious joint between the claws of the 

 tarsi and spinose tibi£E, are found in Bostrichus; and that the head of some of the 

 species of the last named group is cornuted. 



T 3 



