36 THE ORDER OP COLEOPTERA. 



ture of their antennae ; and these sub-sections are again naturally divi- 

 sible into a number of subordinate divisions or tribes. The following 

 table gives a synopsis of the sub-sections, tribes, and families of the 

 pentamerous beetles. The names given to these sub-sections are gen- 

 erally recognized, and in common use, except the first and the third. 

 The term fiUcornes^ though sufiiciently characteristic of the predaceous 

 beetles as compared with others of the pentamerous section, does not 

 sharply distinguish them from some of the beetles of the other sections; 

 and the term 7noniUcornes, apj^lied to the third sub-section — which is 

 composed chiefly of the family of Staphylinid?e, though tolerably char- 

 acteristic, especially of the larger and typical species — is not ordinarily 

 applied to them, for the reason that the beetles of this division are more 

 readily and strongly distinguished by another character, namely, the 

 remarkable shortness of their wing-covers, expressed by the Greek term 

 hrachelytra, by which they are generally designated, or the correspond- 

 ing Latin word brevipennes, which is sometimes, but less commonly 

 used. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE PENTAMEROUS COLEOPTERA. 



Sub-sec. I. Filicornes. Attennse filiform. Habits predaceous. 

 Tribe 1. Predaceous ground beetles. {Carnivora terrestria.) 

 Geodephaga, MacLeay. 



Families: Cicindelidae ; Carabidae. 

 Tribe 2. Predaceous water beetles. {Carnivora aquatica.) Hy- 

 DRADEPHAGA, MacLeay. 



Families : Dytiscidse ; Gyrinidge. 



Sub-sec. 11. Clavicomes. Antennae club-shaped. Habits mostly 

 putrivorous. 

 Tribe 3. Water sea van ger-beetles. {Putrivora aquatica.) 

 Phllhydrida, MacLeay. 



Families : Parnidae ; Hydro]3hilid{e. 

 Tribe 4. Land scavenger-beetles. [Putrivora terrestria.) 

 I^ecrophaga partly, Latreille. 

 Families: Silphidae ; Scaphidiidae ; Histeridae ; NitudilidtB: 

 Dermestidte; Mycetophagidje ; Oryptophagidte ; Byrrhidse; 

 Anisotomidoe ; Phalacridop; Trichopterygidie 5 Scydmenidse; 

 TrogositidiiB ; Cucujidte; Colydiidiie ; Lathridiida^. 



Sub-sec. HI. Monilicomes . Antenniii more or less moniliform 

 or bead-like; wing covers very short. Habits mostly pu- 

 trivorous. 

 Tribe 5. Short- winged scavengers. [Putrivora hrevipennata.) 

 Brachelytra, Latreille. 

 Families : Staphylinidaj ; PselaphidjB. 



