400 RHYNCHOPHORA. [Magdalis. 
the antenne inserted a little before the middle of the rostrum which is 
plainly, but not strongly, curved. 
In hedges, &c.; attached to certain Rosacee; the larva has been found in the 
branches of Malus communis; rare; Wimbledon; Lee (Champion) ; Darenth, June 
25, 1854 (Power); Ashford; Lewisham; Cowley, July, 1860 (Power) ; Guestling, 
near Hastings; Portsdown Hill, near Portsmouth (Moncreaff); Forest of Dean, on 
hawthorn blossom ; Bewdley (Blatch). 
SCOLYTIDZ. 
The members of this family are small, usually cylindrical, insects, of a 
reddish, brownish, or testaceous colour; in very rare instances, as in the 
male of Xyleborus dispar, the body behind the thorax is sub-globose ; in 
form and general appearance they are closely allied to the Bostrychide 
and Cisside, but although they may be considered as presenting affinities 
towards these families, they are in reality true Rhynchophora, and are 
closely allied to certain of the Cossonina ; in fact the genera Stenoscelis 
and Pseudostenocelis, belonging to the latter tribe, are practically indis- 
tinguishable from the Scolytide, except by dissection ; they come nearest 
in appearance to Hylastes ; the following may be mentioned as the most 
important characters of the family :—Mandibles stout, curved, more or 
less toothed on their inner side ; labrum, as a rule, very feebly developed; 
antenne inserted on the sides of the head, between the eyes and thie 
mandibles, club large, usually solid, rarely with the joints distinct, scape 
long, funiculus, asa rule, short, with the number of joints very variable 
(in our genera from 3- to 7-jointed) ; rostrum short and broad, sometimes 
quite rudimentary ; head prominent in some tribes, covered by the thorax 
in others ; thorax variable, especially in sculpture, but usually large, and 
very rarely distinctly narrower than the elytra; elytra nearly always 
cylindrical ; mesosternum large, metasternum long or very long ; anterior 
coxee usually contiguous, intermediate and posterior cox more or less 
separated ; legs moderate or stout, and compressed, anterior tibize almost 
always denticulate or crenulate on their outer margin; tarsi somewhat 
variable, last joint long, with the claws simple, tarsal joints not spongy 
beneath. 
The species are nearly all wood-feeders* and in many cases are among 
the most formidable enemies to trees; occasionally they cause widespread 
devastation, especially to pines, elms, &e.; as arule they burrow between 
the wood and the bark, but some species (such as Platypus and T'rypo- 
dendron) bore into the solid wood; it has been supposed that only 
decaying trees are attacked, but the truth appears to be that sound trees 
are first penetrated by the perfect insects and thus become enfeebled and 
afford a favourable breeding-place for the larvae which complete the 
destruction. 
* The species belonging to the genus Thamnurgus, Eich., feed in the stems of 
Euphorbia, Delphinium, Origanum, &e. 
