340 Miscellaneous. 



the middle above. Thorax also somewhat carinate along the middle 

 of the back, and surface of segments sculptured : mandibles without 

 palpi. The species is named by Dr. Eights, Ghjptonotus antarcti- 

 cus. The paper is accompanied by two handsome plates, represent- 

 ing a dorsal and ventral view of this fine species, and giving a separate 

 view of the antennae. — IVaiis. Albany Inst. 



On the Coleopterous Insects of the genus Cebrio. 

 By M. Guerix-Meneville. 



The insect which forms the subject of these observations was de- 

 scribed by Fabricius under the name of Cistela (jigas in 1 787 ; in 

 1 790 it was made the type of the genus Cebrio by Olivier. The great 

 difference existing in the structure of the antennae between the males 

 and the females induced Latreille in some of his earlier works to form 

 a new genus with the latter, under the name of Hammonia ; Leach 

 also founded a genus for the reception of the females, which he called 

 Tibesia. 



In 1812 M. Gueriu-Meneville observed, at Toulon, an instance of 

 copulation between two insects, one belonging to the genus Cebrio 

 and the other to Hammonia. The same discovery was also made by 

 M. de Cerisy at about the same time. These facts, showing the in- 

 sects to belong to the same species, were communicated to Latreille, 

 to whom M. de Cerisy promised to make every endeavour to ascertain 

 their metamorphoses, and thus render their natural history complete. 

 In this he succeeded last year ; but before giving his own account of 

 his discovery, it may be as well to describe in a few words the known 

 peculiarities of the habits of the perfect insect. 



The Cebriones have hitherto only been met with in the perfect 

 state. They fly in great numbers durmg the heavy autumnal rains, 

 seeking the females, which however they can never see, as these 

 never quit the earth ; the males become sensible of the presence of 

 the female and scratch the earth, so as to lay bare the extremity of 

 her abdomen, when impregnation takes place. It is by going to 

 places where several males are seen to alight, that the female, which 

 attracts them in this manner, is found. Since 1812 these pecu- 

 liarities have been the subject of observation both with M. Guerin- 

 Me'neville and M. de Cerisy, who have published notices connected 

 with them in the ' Annales de la Soc. Ent. de France ' and in the 

 ' Revue de Zoologie' ; but the larva has only just been discovered 

 by M. de Cerisj^ 



He had long suspected that a yellow larva, of a cylindrical form 

 and very hard, which he found in the earth at all seasons in places 

 frequented every year by the Cebriones, might be the first state of 

 these insects, but all his attempts to rear them pi'oved abortive. 



"This year," he says, "my perseverance obtaiued full success; I 

 was fortunate enough to find a larva of larger size than usual, 

 which had already begun to form a cavity which appeared to be 

 intended for its metamorphosis. I took the entire mass of earth, 

 which was pressed into a box made on purpose ; on the 22nd of 



