212 Mr. Stephens's Description 



somewhat agrees in the structure of its maxillae and of the in- 

 ferior portion of the trophi, excepting that the mentum is gla- 

 brous ; the genus above mentioned is manifestly allied to Lam- 

 prima, and these two genera with Chiasognathus contain the only 

 Lucanideous insects (with the exception of Platycerus) that are 

 adorned with metallic colours. Tn Lam prima the maxillae are 

 short ; the basal joint of the antennae shorter than the remainder 

 taken together; the mandibles slightly elongated; but in Pho- 

 lidotus the maxillae are elongated, being furnished with a peni- 

 (illiform process as in Lucanus, the three apical joints of the 

 clava of the antennae are alone enlarged, and the basal joint is 

 longer than the remainder, the mandibles are large, clothed with 

 down on their inner surface, and the mesosternum is slightly pro- 

 duced in front as in Lamprima. Chiasognathus therefore, by 

 varying from the above allied genera in several of these parti- 

 culars, makes a near approach to Lucanus, which is the only 

 genus of the group containing species which may vie with it in 

 bulk, strength of mandibles, habit, and general conformation ; 

 hence it evidently forms a truly beautiful and interesting link 

 between the two conterminous genera Lucanus and Pholidotus, 

 or the two families Lucanidae and Lamprimidao, possessing the 

 gigantic structure of the former, and the resplendent hues of the 

 latter family. 



