144 THE ORDER OF COLEOPTERA. 



Sub-family BARIDHDES. 



Eostrum various, often compressed and thickened at base ; scrobes 

 commencing near tbe middle, and turning rapidly beneath. Scutellum 

 distinct. Eostral canal wanting; but in Centrinus there is an excava- 

 tion between the coxa?, which, in the male, often has a spine on each 

 side. Intermediate segments of the abdomen usually arched or angu- 

 lated behind. The eyes are finely granulated, and partly covered by 

 the thorax. The tib;iB are usually mucronate or pointed at the ex- 

 tremity. Size medium or small ; of elliptical or rhomboidal form ; 

 usually black or brown, sometimes with reddish spots. The larv* live 

 in the stems or roots of plants, and are sometimes very injurious to cul- 

 tivated crops. They undergo their transformations in the detritus 

 which they have made, and with which they construct a kind of cocoon. 



N. A. genera : Centrinus, Sch., (body short and rhomboidal), 11 spe- 

 cies; Baridius, Sch., (bod}' oblong or oval), 30 species; Madams, Sch., 

 (body oblong rhomboidal), 2 species. 



Sub-family CALANDRIDES. 



Eostrum more or less elongated; scrobes short. Antennne basal; 

 scape usually reaching far onto the thorax; knob without joints, horny 

 and shining at base, with a spongy extremity. 

 Eyes finely granulated, large, depressed and ap- 

 proximate below. Tip of abdomen exposed. Tarsi 

 not spongy beneath, 3d joint not bilobed. Size 

 sometimes small, but usually medium or large; 

 some tropical species very large. Color black or 

 reddish. The larvae of the larger species inhabit 

 the stems of plants, whilst the smaller are usually 

 sphenophorus in-puNCTA- dcstructive to grain and seeds. When about to 

 cT4"^!slhS'^viTk,hthL two transform they construct a coarse kind of cocoon 

 T^^Ji^r^tT^:. from the materials in which they live. 

 rside^ieT-afterRiriy.*'^^ We havc three genera: Ehyncophorns, Herbst, 

 of large size, and distinguished for the excessive development of the 

 side pieces of the metasternum, 2 species ; Splienopliorus, Sch., of me- 

 dium or rather large size, usually between a quarter and a half of an 

 inch in length, 42 species ; and Calandra, Clairville, {SitopMlus, Sch.,) 

 less than a quarter of an inch in length, 3 species. 



Subfamily COSSONIDES. 



Eostrum usually rather long ; scrobes short, commencing at or beyond 

 the middle. Antennse short. Eyes small or wanting. Tip of abdomen not 

 exposed. Tarsi short, filiform, not spongy beneath, 3d joint rarely bi- 



