162 THE OBDER OF COLEOPTERA. 



lies; and accordingly authors have differed much as to the number of 

 primary divisions. Linnaeus, having included Donacia in the long- 

 horned genus Leptura, described the remainder of the present tribe un- 

 der the three genera, Hispa, Cassida and Chrysomela. And if we take 

 these, as we do most of the Linniean genera, as types of families, it may 

 well be questioned whether any more obvious or natural classification 

 of these insects can be suggested to day. 



Latreille, in the Eegne Animal, divided them into two families, which 

 he designated by the names JEujjoda, signifying largely developed legs ; 

 and Gyclica, in allusion to the circular or rounded form of most of the 

 species. The former includes Donacia, Crioceris and the exotic genus 

 Sagra. The more extensive family of Cyclica he divided into three 

 tribes, which are equivalent to our sub-families, viz : the Cassidarite, 

 the ChrysomelinsB, and the Galerucitse. These divisions he founds 

 partly upon the habits of the larvae, which he divides into four kinds: 

 Ist, those which cover their bodies with their excrement, (Cassidariee) ; 

 2d, those which live exposed on leaves, (Chrysomelinie proper) ; 3d, 

 those which inhabit tubes which they drag about with them, (Cryptoce- 

 phalus and certain other genera of Chrysomelinse) ; and 4th, those which 

 live concealed in the interior of leaves, feeding on their parenchyma, 

 (Haltica, and its sub-genera, among the Galerucitse). 



This arrangement of Latreille seems to us much less natural and sat- 

 isfactory than are usually the classifications of this eminent eutomolo- 

 gist. By it the small division of Eupoda is made to hold a rank equiva- 

 lent to all the rest of the Chrysomelidfe combined, and yet its most com- 

 mon and numerous genera (Crioceris, Orsodacna, etc.), bear a close resem- 

 blance to some of the Galerucides, and do not differ from many of the 

 Cyclica, either in form or the habits of their larvae, so much as the sub- 

 family of Hispides. Moreover, the family name of Eupoda applies with 

 but little force to many of these common species, though it is very ap- 

 propriate to some of the foreign genera. With respect to the habits of 

 the larvae, however interesting in themselves, they furnish a very imper- 

 fect basis of classification, since most of the habits above referred to are 

 common to several of the sub-families. 



Mr. Westwood admits four primary divisions, which he raises to the 

 rank of families, viz : Crioceridi^, Cassididae, Galerucidae, and Chryso- 

 melidfe. Dr. LeConte has published a number of able papers upon the 

 Chrysomelidae of North America, but being scattered through various 

 scientific periodicals, they are not very accessible to the general student. 



In a recent volume of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, of Philadelphia, Mr. G. E. Crotch, with the assistance of Drs. 

 LeConte and Horn, and with the aid of their extensive cabinets, has 

 published a pretty full synopsis of the Phytophaga of the United States, 



