73 [ 483 ] 



througliout, and clothed only with somewhat scattered bristles; and 

 secondly bi-lohed feet, in which the joints are somewhat widened and de- 

 pressed, with the last joint but one wider than the others, and divided 

 into two lobes, between which the last joint is inserted, and all of them 

 clothed beneath with densely crowded short stiff hairs, of the same 

 length, so as to resemble a brush ; sometimes also compared to a piece 

 of sponge. 



As a general rule, beetles with simple feet reside upon the ground, or 

 under the bark of dead trees, or in other decomposing matter, and are 

 either carnivorous or rypophagous (filth eating) in their habits ; and 

 those which have bilobed and spongy feet live upon the foliage of trees 

 and other plants, this structure of the feet seeming to be especially 

 adapted to enabling them to adhere to the surface of leaves ; and ac- 

 cordingly most of these insects are herbivorous. 



But this general statement is subject to important exceptions. Some 

 of the lamellicorn beetles ( Melonthidce, RuUlidcB, etc.^ have simple feet 

 and yet feed upon the foliage of trees ; but these insects do not run 

 over the leaves, but simply cling to them with their sharp claws, whilst 

 feeding. 



So, also, some carnivorous beetles f Telephoridce and CoccinellidceJ, 

 which pursue their prey over the foliage of trees, have their feet bilobed 

 and spongy. 



It is an interesting circumstance that those insects (MelolontliidcB, etc^/ 

 which only cling to the foliage by their claws, do not breed upon the 

 trees, but pass their larval period under ground, subsisting upon roots 

 or other subterranean matters, and only visit the trees for the sake of 

 feeding ; whereas the true Phy tophaga, with spongy feet ( Chrysomelidw 

 and their allies) live upon the plants upon which they feed, through all 

 the stages of their existence. 



It is also a curious coincidence that the insects first mentioned, which 

 only visit the trees occasionally for the purpose of feeding, do so only 

 by night ; whilst the genuine Phytophaga (plant eaters) are diurnal in 

 their habits. 



There is another partial but important exception to the rule 

 above laid down, as respects the males of many carnivorous beetles, 

 which have some of the joints of their anterior feet much widened and 

 brushed underneath ; but here the last joint but one is not bilobed, and 

 the brush is usually confined to the anterior pair of feet, rarely extend- 

 ing to the middle pair, and never to the hind ones ; besides being lim- 

 ited exclusively to the males. 



Whilst some of the other orders of insects excel the Coleoptera in the 

 perfection of their instincts, no other order can be compared with them 

 in the diversity of their food, and their corresponding habits and organ- 

 ization. Indeed the Coleoptera combine, to a great extent, the food , 

 Vol. IV-^3 



