( cxiii ) 



of Longicorns have. So far as one can see, therefoi-e, there is 

 nothing in the habits of Glenea and AmpJiionycha to account 

 for the difference in their claws. 



It has been suggested to me that one of the reasons why so 

 many Lamellicorn Coleoptera have toothed or bifid claws is 

 that they are arboreal in their habits, the ground beetles, 

 Geodephaga, having them simple. It is certainly true that the 

 Geodephaga, generally speaking, have simple claws, although 

 there are exceptions that I shall have to allude to later on ; 

 but all the Ceioniidx and Dy)iastidx, which comprise about 

 half of the Lamellicorns, have simple claws, and it cannot be 

 said that they are in any way ground beetles. The Cetoniide& 

 and Trichiidse. are commonly found on flowers and shrubs, 

 and so are some of the Dynasiidse,. There may be, however, 

 some difference in their habits in other ways. The larvae of 

 Melolonthidai are, so far as I know, root -feeders, whilst the 

 larviB of Cetomidx and Trichiidx live more in decaying wood. 

 I do not know much of the habits of exotic Dynastidiv, but 

 some species, at least, are root-feeders, like the Melolonthidse. 

 The evidence in favour of the toothed or bifid claws of the 

 Melolonthidx. being accounted for by their arboreal habits is 

 not, therefore, very strong. 



We may now look at raptorial insects. First of all we 

 may take the Dragon-flies, Odonata. I have already had to 

 refer to these. A large number have bifid claws, the others 

 have them toothed. Both forms of claw can be very fairly 

 matched in the Rutelidai or Melolonthidse. I have already 

 referred to the i-aptorial wasps of the genera Fomjnlus, Salius 

 and Pejysis which have toothed or bifid claws, but other 

 genera which prey on insects such as Cerceris and Crahro 

 have them simple. The Diptera of the families Asilidee, and 

 Empidse. which are predaceous have simple claws, as have also 

 the Neuroptera of the families Myrineleonidee, Ascalaphidee 

 and Nynq^hidse. 



I will now say a few words about pectinate claws. To an 

 entomologist these are often beautiful objects under the 

 microscope. The claws are sometimes rather sti'aight, some- 

 times strongly curved, and, of course, the number of teeth 



