62 LAMELLICORNIA. [Trichius. 
yellow mark. Mr. Smith adds that he has some idea that the Swansea 
and other West of England specimens may prove to be 7’. zonatus, and 
the northern specimens to be J. fasciatus (Zoologist, Aug. 15, 1848). 
Mr. S. Stevens is also of the same opinion, and believes that it was 
taken at Neath in 1845. I have in my collection an undoubted 
specimen of J. fasciatus labelled “ Wales,” from Mr. E. Brown’s col- 
lection, but it is possible it may have been so labelled in error ; others, 
however, are labelled “‘ Scotland,” as if to distinguish them ; it seems 
strange that the question has not been cleared up during all these years, 
especially as Mr. Dillwyn seems to have taken them in numbers. 
SERRICORNIA. 
This series, like the Clavicornia (vide vol. i. p. 217) can only be 
retained for the sake of convenience, as it contains a number of genera 
and species, which, as far as general appearance go, might certainly 
with better reason be referred to the last-mentioned group ; if, with 
Thomson, we remove the Ptinide and Cisside and their allies to the 
Clavicornia we obtain, perhaps, a more even series, but in this case such 
genera as Ptilinus and Dorcatoma form strong exceptions, while num- 
hers of the Ptinide and Anobiide have more or less filiform antenne, 
and cannot in any way be regarded as true Clavicorns ; we have, more- 
over, still left in the Serricornia the species belonging to Corynetes and 
its allies which have strongly clavate antenne, although it must be 
allowed that in many instances the club is more or less serro-clavate ; it is 
very obvious, therefore, that the series isa very artificial one, and I should 
much prefer to drop it altogether, especially as, in writing a work like 
the present, one’s views on Classification become very much modified as it 
proceeds ; on the whole, however, I have thought it best to keep to the 
original arrangement I intended to follow. As before remarked (i. 217), 
the retention of these large divisions, as long as it is remembered that 
they are more or less artificial, presents many points of advantage to the 
general student, although the simple division into families is, perhaps, 
more scientifically correct. 
The composition of the series has also been much disputed ; as far as 
our fauna is concerned we may divide it into three groups, the Sternox?, 
Malacodermata, and Ptinoidea, but the Cebrionide (through Campylus) 
aud Rhipidocerida form strong connecting links between the first two, 
and might, perhaps, be ranked with either, and the Malacodermata are 
closely allied to the Ptinoidea through Haplocnemus, Ernobius, &c. 
The following are their chief characteristics :— 
Sternoxi. Integument hard; form, with very few exceptions (e.g. 
Trachys) more or less elongate, and always more or less pointed behind ; 
size very variable, but, as a rule, moderately large ; head sunk in thorax, 
vertical or depressed ; clypeus not, or very rarely, separated off by a 
