OP THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



117 



must be adopted. But the old genus, Brent/nis,* has also been subdi- 

 vided; and as our insect, by this subdivision, falls into its last new 

 genus, the specific name must be altered to conform thereto. Thus it 

 is that the old familiar Benthns sejytentrionls^ employed for so many 

 years in works both popular and technical, becomes Eu%> sails minxita;- 

 and thus it is that entomology, more than any other department of 

 zoology, is cursed with a constant chopping and changing of names, 

 principally because her devotees have so far failed to adopt some sim- 

 ple rules for guidance that shall give more stability, and, in a meas- 

 ure, put a stop to this everlasting flux in her nomenclature. 



Now, how did Mr. Leonard, and through him Harris, fall into the 

 error of giving, as of the larva of our Brenthian, a description which, 

 though quoted without remark by most subsequent authors, was called 

 into question by Chapuis and Candeze,f and proves to be erroneous ? 

 The explanation is simple, and the error comes of stating as unquali- 

 fied fact that which rests on no absolute proof. Boring in the same 

 wood, and making holes that are undistinguishable from those made 

 by the Brenthian larva, I have found a larva (Fig. 32, a) which, while 

 bearing a general superficial resemblance to it, is yet easily distin- 

 guished by having distinct antennae, conspicuous thoracic legs, an 

 anal prolog, and a curious horny excavation at the end of the bodj'- 

 (Fig. 32, <;/, e). Indeed, it answers fully to the description given by 

 Harris as of the Brenthian larva, and which I here- 

 with quote : — " When fully grown, the grub measures 

 rather more than an inch in length, and not quite one- 

 tenth of an. inch in thickness. It is nearly cylindrical, 

 being only a little flattened on the under side, and is of 

 a whitish color, except the last segment, which is dark 

 chestnut-brown. Each of the first three segments is 

 provided with a pair of legs, and there is a fleshy prop- 

 leg under the hinder extremity of the body. The last 

 ^^^moN*"^— "J^iOT- ^^S^^^nt is of a horny consistence, and is obliquely 



of'hemi*™^,^!^^!^^^!^*^^^^ ^^ '^^^ ®"^i ^o ^^ to form a kind of gouge or 

 cXaVJcnd'or the scoop, the odges of which are furnished with little 

 Tiewj/"^^'""^''"'^'^ notches or teeth. It is by means of this singular scoop 

 that the grub shovels the minute grains of the wood out of its bur- 

 row." Subjoined will be found a more detailed description : 



* Brenthus ]3roi)er has the thorax depressed and deeply chainieled. Eupsalishas the thorax convex 

 above, and not channeled. "This genus represents the Arrheuodides of Lacondaire, distlnj^viished by 

 the Conical thorax not compressed in front, the antennae moderately robu-t, lint not ternnnated by a 

 club. Head transverse, mandililes prominent. Among the genera of tliegioup, Eiipsatis is knovrnhy 

 its short and broad rostrum, the broad head, the femora slender and cylindrical at base It is closely 

 allied to Arrenhodes, in which our species had been placed, but dilVers by the himl angles of the head 

 being eftaced, and the surface shining."— Horn, luc. cit. 



t Mem. dc la Soc, Roy. dc Luc/c, VIII., p. :rM, IsS:?. 



