102 RHYNCHOUPHORA. 
geniculate, antenna, appear to be allied to the Mycterina and Salpingina, 
and certain of the Otiorrhynchide seem to have a strong analogy with 
the higher Tenebrionide, as pointed out by Dr, Leconte (Rhynchophora 
of America North of Mexico, Introduction, p. xiv.) ; the Rhynchophora, 
as their name implies, are roughly distinguished by the presence of a 
rostrum or snout, but this is absent or more or Jess rudimentary in the 
Platyrrhinide and Scolytide and is, on the other hand, present in 
certain of the Heteromera (as Mycterus and Rhinosimus); according to 
Leconte (1. c. p. xii.) “ Rhynchophorous Coleoptera are those in which 
the posterior lateral elements of the head and prothorax coalesce on the 
median line of the under surface of the body, so as to unite by a single 
suture.” Dr, Sharp, however, has lately pointed out (Trans. Ent. Soc., 
London, 1889, Part I. p. 41) that this definition does not hold good in 
the case of the Attelabide and certain of the Rhynchitide, and that in 
fact in other families besides these the apices of the epimera are not 
conjoined (1. c. p. 42, note); we are therefore obliged to give up the 
character (which has been adopted by Bedel and others), as not being 
by any means universal, and no other single distinguishing character 
appears as yet to have been discovered. 
The series contains a very large number of species; in the Munich 
Catalogue (1871-2), nearly 12,000 are mentioned, of which 10,000 
belong to the Curculionide ; the number of species now described must 
be at least 15,000, and Dr. Sharp is of opinion that the number of those 
existing must be 100,000, and may very probabiy reach 150,000 ; they 
appear to be the most archaic and the least developed of the Coleoptera ; 
the oldest known members of the order appear to consist in great 
measure of Curculionide, and from the Carboniferous period onwards 
the Rhynchophora are found to be increasingly numerous in all the 
geological strata; with regard to this point Leconte (1. c. p. vil.) makes 
the following remarks: “I have previously expressed my opinion that 
the Rhynchophora, being the lowest type of Coleoptera, are therefore 
geologically the oldest. Regarding then the fixity cf insect types, as 
shown by the resemblance of ancient forms to those of the present time, 
the uniformity in food and manner of life, and the immense number of 
genera in this complex, with which we are dealing, we have a right to 
expect that there will be a proportionally larger survival of unchanged 
descendants of those species or genera which were first introduced, We 
will, therefore, have a more perfect series of connecting forms than can 
be found in other orders of insects, whose methods of life expose them 
to the influences of destruction of modification by external cireum- 
stances’; the presence of the more perfect series of connecting forms 
seems to be a fact and not merely a theory, and it is due in great 
measure to this that it is so difficult to divide the group in any way 
satisfactorily. 
The following may be mentioned as the chief characters :—Head 
usnally prolonged before the eyes into a rostium or beak, which is some- 
