386 CLASSIFICATION OF THE KHTNCHOPHOROUS COLEOPTERA. 



The bases of the classification of the Rhj'iichophora which 

 have been proposed are briefly these : 



I. Schonherr* treated the great mass of these insects (exclu- 

 ding only the Scolytidse), as constituting a single family, divi- 

 ded as follows : — 



A. Antennae not geniculate ; antennal gi'ooves wautiug ; Orthoceri. 



Bruchides, Anthribides, Camarotides, Attelabides, Rhiuomacerides, 

 Ithycerides, Apionides, Eliamphides, Brenthides, Cylades, Ulocer- 

 ides, Oxyrhyuchides. 



B. Autenuaj geniculate ; grooves almost always distinct ; Gonatoceri. 



a. Rostrum short, deformed, auteuute subterminal ; 



BrachyrJtynchi. 

 *Antenual grooves extending below the eyes; Brachycerides, Enti- 

 mides, Pachyrhynchides, Brachyderides, Cleonides, Molytides, 

 Byrsopides (the last with the rostrum I'eceived in aprosternal exca- 

 vation). 

 ** Anteunal grooves directed towards the eye ; 

 Phyllobiides, Cyclomides, Otiorhynchides. 



h. Beak cylindrical, slender, auteniiaj inserted far behind the tip : 

 Erirhiuides, Cholides, Cryptorhynchides, Cionides, Rhynch- 

 ophorides, Couoderides, Cossouides, Dryophthorides. 



31ecorhynclii. 



In the gradual progress of the work this last legion, the Meco- 

 rhynchi, were divided into Synmerides, having the front coxae 

 contiguous, and Apostasimerides, having them distant. 



The distinctions between the tribes above mentioned were 

 founded mostly on insignificant and evanescent modifications in 

 the form of the beak and antennae ; so that with the immense 

 mass of genera and species described, it became quite impossible 

 to determine either from the work itself. 



II. Although the faults found with this artificial system were 

 neither few nor A^aguely expressed, yet it was not until the prog- 

 ress (1863) of his admirable work on the Genera of Coleoptera 

 by my deceased friend Prof. Lacordaire required this immense 

 labor to be done over again, that any attempt was made at a new 

 arrangement ; the system of Lacordaire was essentially this : 



The series was divided into six families ; Curculionidse, Brachi- 

 dae, Anthribidae, Brenthidae, Uloceridae and Scol3'tidae. Of these 

 the Bruchidae were recognized as having scarcely any relations 



* Genera et Species Curculionidum, Paris, 1S33-1S44. 



