218 LONGICORNIA. [Prionide. 
PRIONIDE. 
This family contains upwards of two hundred genera and a large 
number of species; in Europe, however, only half-a-dozen genera, 
represented by eight species, have been discovered ; of these one species 
only is found in Britain; it is, however, one of our most conspicuous insects ; 
the Prionide contain some of the largest of the Coleoptera ; they are 
distinguished by their connate and obsolete labrum, margined thorax, and 
produced prosternum; the anterior cox are transverse and distant, with 
the cavities open behind, and are furnished with linear trochantins; the 
mandibles are strong, incurved at apex; the thorax is somewhat indis- 
tinctly margined, and is strongly spined at sides; the femora are long 
and not clavate; the general form is large and more or less depressed, 
the elytra being as a rule somewhat coriaceous in appearance; the first 
segment of the abdomen is not or scarcely longer than the second; the 
first three joints of the tarsi are broad, and are strongly pubescent on 
their under-side. 
PRIONUS, Geoflroy. 
This genus contains about thirty species, which are rather widely dis- 
tributed, species occurring in Siberia, China, Japan, and Central Asia, 
and also i in North America from Canada southwards, and the Australian 
region; it does not appear to be a tropical genus ; three species are found 
in “Europe. 
The transformations of P. coriarius are figured and described by Résel, 
quoted by Westwood (Classification, 1 . 362) ; the larva is of a white 
colour, broad and rather flat, and gradually and somewhat strongly 
narrowed towards apex; the head is moderately large, and is capable of 
being considerably retracted into the prothorax, which is large, being 
longer than the meso- and metathorax together; the mandibles are very 
strong and powerful; the ocelli are obsolete ; the legs and antenne are 
very short ; the abdominal segments are furnished with fleshy tubercles 
which are ‘used for locomotion; the anal appendage is simple. When 
full fed this larva forms a large cocoon, chiefly composed of chips of 
gnawed wood, in which it passes the pupal state ; before changing it 
bores its hole close towards the outer surface of the tree, that the perfect 
insect may easily make its escape ; it is found in oak, beech, horse- 
chestnut, ash, &e. 
P. coriarius, L. A very large and conspicuous species, oblong, 
rather depressed, slightly shiny, without pubescence on upper side, of 
a pitchy black or dark pitchy brown colour, under-side usually more or 
less castaneous, with the breast rather densely pubescent; head rather 
small, with strong projecting mandibles, eyes transverse, not strongly 
emarginate, antenne long and robust and strongly serrate in the males, 
shorter and less serrate in the females ; thorax transverse, sinuate at base, 
much narrower than elytra, spined at sides, rugosely punctured ; scutel- 
