220 Mr. Westwood on the Affinities of Clinidium. 
situation with the remark, “‘ Nonobstant le nombre des articles des tar~ 
** ses, ce genre parait se rapprocher des Cucujes et méme de certains 
‘* Brentes a trompe courte dans les deux sexes. Les habitudes sont les 
‘© mémes que celles des Xylophages.”’ 
With regard to Clinidium, Mr. Kirby states, that *‘¢ it exhibits also 
‘* some general resemblance to the Rhynchophorous genus Brentus, which 
** T believe is also.a timber devourer, but it seems to me still nearer. to 
** Cucujus, Fab., as for instance, Cuc. rufus, which has a pedunculated 
«« head, and another North American species, which, like Clinidium, is 
‘** pentamerous.’’ 
The observations of Mr. Kirby upon its supposed relationship with the 
other families mentioned by him, may, I think, be passed over in silence, 
that acute entomologist having himself clearly shewn that they can 
scarcely be regarded otherwise than as analogies. Its supposed affinity 
to Brentus having also been noticed by Latreille, in reference to the 
affinities of Rhysodes, is worthy of peculiar mention, but this, I must 
admit, appears to me to be extremely slight, and also not to be regarded 
otherwise than as an analogous resemblance. 
Hence I think we may take it for granted that we ought to look for the 
immediate affinities of these insects amongst the Cucujide and the fami- 
lies which are allied to that group; andas the affinity of Rhysodes with 
Colydium or Lyctus, or the family Xylophages of Latreille, is not very 
immediate, as may be perceived from the observation of Dalman quoted 
above, we must. consequently direct our attention to the Cucujide, and 
the only characters which would separate the insects in question from 
that family, as defined by Latreille, appear to be the pentamerous tarsi, 
and the less depressed form of the body, since in almost every other 
respect, if we consider either their structure or habits, they will be found 
to agree, and even in regard to the tarsi, (as Mr. Kirby has shewn, and 
as I hope even more satisfactorily to prove,) this difference does not, in 
fact, exist; with regard also to the less depressed form of the body, I 
cannot consider this a character of sufficient importance to allow a sepa- 
ration of insects otherwise intimately allied ; indeed it can only be re- 
garded as indicative of the approach towards the more cylindric form of 
the allied families. Still, however, it must be admitted, that this affinity 
is not of that nature which might be termed immediate, but that there 
are evidently some links in the chain yet to be supplied. 
