﻿OF 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  K''J 
  

  

  prove 
  its 
  anomalous 
  nature; 
  the 
  tarsi, 
  although 
  lobed 
  occasionally, 
  are 
  never 
  inflated, 
  or 
  

   tufted 
  beneath, 
  as 
  in 
  some 
  Elaterides; 
  the 
  mesosternum 
  is 
  similarly 
  constructed 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  

   genera: 
  I 
  was, 
  therefore, 
  led 
  to 
  regard 
  these 
  as 
  characters 
  of 
  importance, 
  and 
  to 
  try 
  

   what 
  might 
  be 
  produced 
  by 
  their 
  application 
  to 
  the 
  large 
  and 
  complicated 
  group 
  of 
  genuine 
  

   Elaters; 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  I 
  obtained 
  three 
  sets: 
  

  

  1. 
  Species 
  having 
  the 
  tarsi 
  uniformly 
  pubescent, 
  sometimes 
  lobed; 
  the 
  presternum 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  

   sharp 
  spine; 
  the 
  mesosternum 
  never 
  protuberant; 
  the 
  antennro 
  never 
  received 
  in 
  grooves. 
  

  

  These 
  comprise 
  the 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  ordinary 
  Elaters, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  divided 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  first 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  antenna?, 
  and 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  coxal 
  plates 
  into 
  several 
  smaller 
  groups, 
  and, 
  

   finally, 
  into 
  genera, 
  as 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  hereafter. 
  

  

  2. 
  Species 
  having 
  the 
  tarsi 
  more 
  densely 
  pubescent 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  tufts 
  beneath, 
  never 
  lobed, 
  but 
  

   frequently 
  swelled 
  out; 
  the 
  mesosternum 
  frequently 
  prominent 
  ; 
  the 
  prosternum 
  always 
  lobed, 
  and 
  

   always 
  armed 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  spine. 
  

  

  These 
  are 
  mostly 
  large 
  species, 
  not 
  so 
  variable 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  front 
  or 
  coxal 
  plates 
  as 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   ceding 
  group, 
  but 
  containing 
  three 
  forms, 
  which, 
  although 
  not 
  having 
  an 
  exact 
  uniformity 
  of 
  struc- 
  

   ture, 
  are 
  related 
  to 
  each 
  other, 
  and 
  are 
  distinguished 
  by 
  strong 
  contrasts 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  group. 
  

  

  a. 
  Those 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  antenna 
  are 
  received 
  in 
  deep 
  grooves. 
  

  

  b. 
  Those 
  having 
  luminiferous 
  vesicles 
  on 
  the 
  thorax. 
  

  

  c. 
  Those 
  having 
  a 
  prominent 
  mesosternum. 
  

  

  3. 
  Small 
  species 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  mesosternum 
  is 
  also 
  somewhat 
  prominent, 
  but 
  the 
  spine 
  of 
  the 
  pros- 
  

   ternum 
  is 
  short 
  and 
  suddenly 
  truncate. 
  The 
  tarsi 
  are 
  pubescent, 
  and 
  their 
  fourth 
  joint 
  is 
  occasion- 
  

   ally 
  lobed. 
  This 
  contains 
  only 
  one 
  genus: 
  Cardiophorus. 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  affinity 
  of 
  this 
  family, 
  I 
  have 
  but 
  little 
  to 
  say: 
  the 
  earlier 
  states 
  of 
  

   the 
  animal 
  will 
  perhaps 
  give 
  us 
  more 
  information; 
  but 
  the 
  time 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  come 
  for 
  any 
  

   rational 
  systematic 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  families 
  of 
  Coleoptera 
  among 
  themselves. 
  We 
  

   are 
  yet 
  too 
  little 
  acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  comparative 
  value 
  of 
  characters 
  to 
  subordinate 
  the 
  

   relations 
  properly: 
  the 
  results 
  thus 
  far 
  obtained 
  have 
  certainly 
  been 
  very 
  imperfect, 
  and 
  

   I 
  fear 
  that 
  while 
  the 
  zeal 
  for 
  making 
  known 
  isolated 
  species 
  and 
  genera 
  continues 
  as 
  

   great 
  as 
  at 
  present, 
  that 
  the 
  time 
  is 
  far 
  distant 
  when 
  any 
  definite 
  results 
  may 
  be 
  expected. 
  

  

  The 
  relation 
  between 
  Buprestida? 
  and 
  Elatcridse 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  much 
  exaggerated, 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  the 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  prosternum 
  enables 
  these 
  families 
  to 
  be 
  

   distinguished 
  from 
  all 
  others 
  with 
  pentamcrous 
  tarsi. 
  The 
  only 
  other 
  evidence 
  of 
  such 
  

   affinity 
  rests 
  in 
  the 
  resemblance 
  between 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  Melasis, 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  Buprestid;e; 
  

   from 
  other 
  grounds, 
  I 
  have 
  great 
  doubt 
  of 
  the 
  propriety 
  of 
  retaining 
  Melasis 
  and 
  Tharops 
  

   in 
  this 
  family; 
  but 
  as 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  where 
  else 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  placed, 
  it 
  seems 
  necessary 
  

   for 
  the 
  present 
  to 
  leave 
  them 
  where 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  placed 
  by 
  others. 
  

  

  The 
  form 
  and 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  point 
  more 
  clearly 
  to 
  a 
  relation 
  with 
  the 
  Tenebrio- 
  

   nida? 
  and 
  Melandryada^ 
  ; 
  but, 
  besides 
  many 
  other 
  characters, 
  these 
  families 
  differ 
  essen- 
  

   tially 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  posterior 
  tarsi 
  of 
  the 
  imago 
  four-jointed. 
  The 
  resemblance, 
  in 
  ex- 
  

   ternal 
  appearance 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  general 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  mouth, 
  is, 
  

   however, 
  very 
  considerable 
  between 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  genera, 
  and 
  certain 
  Melandryadse, 
  such 
  

   as 
  Orchesia. 
  The 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  affinities, 
  which 
  exist 
  in 
  that 
  direction, 
  cannot 
  be 
  

   done, 
  until 
  a 
  thorough 
  revision 
  of 
  the 
  Tenebrionida\ 
  with 
  a 
  division 
  into 
  groups 
  upon 
  ra- 
  

  

  