6 Longicornia Malayana. 



each of these, as given in the definitions below, the tendency to 

 gravitate to its proper type will be generally manifest in the com- 

 bination of two or more of the characters, and the absence of 

 others, in each genus. In cannot be denied, however, that there 

 are a number of forms, which, place thera as we may, will always 

 be more or less anomalous members of the group to which they 

 may be referred. And it may be added, that there are many 

 genera whose location will depend in a great degree on the im- 

 portance which some particular character may be thought to 

 possess, and this importance may be modified at any time by the 

 discovery of intermediate forms, so that we may be led to detect 

 an affinity between genera, where previously we had no suspicions 

 of any. Systematists, perhaps, allow themselves to be too much 

 influenced by aberrant forms, and too readily disposed to regard 

 them as types of distinct groups. 



It is not to be supposed that these sub-families naturally 

 follow each other exactly in the order they are placed below, 

 but it will be readily understood that it is impossible to arrange 

 them satisfactorily in a linear series. Saperdin<E, for instance, 

 might follow NiphonintTj, Dorcadioninae Lamiinse, &c., but then 

 this would break in upon other affinities of, perhaps, more im- 

 portance. Tapeininae is placed at the end because it is the most 

 anomalous of all the sub-families ; at the same time the Tmesis- 

 terninae, being the transition group to the Cerambycidae, might 

 equally well terminate the series of the Lamiidae. It is not im- 

 probable that some of the sub-families may be further divided 

 with advantage — Amsocerus and allied genera from Acrocininae, 

 for instance; — and it may be doubted if the Lamiinae can be main- 

 tained in their present entirety, but we have none of the former 

 and very few of the latter in this collection. 



Sub-families of LAMIID^. 



[AcANTHODERiNiE. Scapus brevis, clavatus. Caput infra oculos 

 diiatatum. Coxce anticae et intermediae distantes. Corpus 

 depressum. Acelahula antica saepe integra. Tarsi antici 

 maribus fimbriati, vel prolibice elongatse. Ehjtra trigona.] 



[AcRociNiNiE. Scapus aliquando elongatus, clavatus. Ocull 

 ssepe frontales. Acetabula antica angulata. Caput infra oculos 

 diiatatum. Corpus depressum. Pedes antici maribus saepe 

 elongati. Elytra oblonga.] 



AcANTiiociNiN.i;. Caput antice breve, vel transversum. Scapus 

 elongatus, baud clavatus. Tarsi postici elongati. Femora 

 clavata. AiileniKe graciles. 



