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  REVISION 
  OF 
  THE 
  ELATERID^ 
  

  

  tional 
  characters, 
  lias 
  been 
  made: 
  a 
  Herculean 
  task 
  which 
  might 
  terrify 
  the 
  most 
  adven- 
  

   turous, 
  but 
  which 
  the 
  voluminous 
  and 
  widely-scattered 
  memoirs 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Solier 
  have 
  ren- 
  

   dered 
  still 
  more 
  necessary. 
  

  

  The 
  scheme 
  of 
  arrangement, 
  into 
  primary 
  divisions, 
  above 
  indicated, 
  is 
  as 
  follows: 
  — 
  

  

  Subfam. 
  I. 
  EUCNEMIDES. 
  

   Antennae 
  in 
  sinubus 
  insertae; 
  clypeus 
  antice 
  dilatatus; 
  labrum 
  indistinctum 
  ; 
  abdomen 
  

   5-articulatum: 
  presternum 
  antice 
  non 
  vel 
  vix 
  lobatum. 
  

  

  Div. 
  1. 
  Melusides. 
  

   Antennae 
  fere 
  distantes; 
  palpi 
  maxillares 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  ovali 
  acuto. 
  

  

  Div. 
  2. 
  Eucncmides 
  (genuini.) 
  

   Antenna? 
  approximata:; 
  palpi 
  maxillares 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  magno, 
  dilatato; 
  ungues 
  non 
  

   pectinati. 
  

  

  Div. 
  3. 
  Ccrophytidcs. 
  

  

  Antennae 
  valdc 
  approximate; 
  palpi 
  maxillares 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  magno 
  dilatato; 
  ungues 
  

   pectinati. 
  

  

  Subfam. 
  II. 
  ELATERIDES. 
  

  

  Antenna; 
  in 
  foveis 
  lateralibus, 
  sub 
  fronte 
  inserts; 
  clypeus 
  antice 
  non 
  dilatatus. 
  

  

  Div. 
  4. 
  Elatcridcs 
  (genuini.) 
  

   Mandibular 
  parvae, 
  labrum 
  distinctum; 
  abdomen 
  5-articulatum; 
  palpi 
  labiales 
  breves, 
  

   maxillares 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  maiore 
  prrccipue 
  dilatato: 
  presternum 
  praacipuc 
  lobatum. 
  

  

  Div. 
  5. 
  Ccbrionidcs. 
  

   Mandibular 
  elongate, 
  porrecta?; 
  labrum 
  indistinctum; 
  presternum 
  non 
  lobatum; 
  abdo- 
  

   men 
  sarpe 
  G-articulatum; 
  palpi 
  omnes 
  longiusculi, 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  cylindrico, 
  truncato. 
  

  

  N. 
  B. 
  — 
  The 
  Catalogue 
  of 
  the 
  described 
  Coleoptera 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Mel- 
  

   sheimer, 
  being 
  intended 
  merely 
  as 
  an 
  index 
  to 
  descriptions, 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  quoted 
  in 
  this 
  

   essay 
  for 
  any 
  changes 
  in 
  nomenclature 
  there 
  introduced, 
  as 
  if 
  retained, 
  without 
  special 
  

   reason 
  and 
  reference, 
  they 
  were 
  intended 
  as 
  mere 
  suggestions, 
  and 
  not 
  as 
  contributions 
  

   to 
  science. 
  

  

  Div. 
  1. 
  MELASIDES. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  constructed 
  this 
  group 
  from 
  two 
  genera, 
  Mclasis 
  and 
  Tharops, 
  which 
  differ 
  from 
  

   Eucnemis 
  by 
  the 
  following 
  characters: 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  head 
  is 
  large, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  eyes, 
  which 
  are 
  small, 
  become 
  entirely 
  disengaged 
  from 
  

   the 
  thorax; 
  the 
  antenna? 
  are 
  inserted 
  in 
  emarginations 
  of 
  the 
  clypeus, 
  but 
  are 
  more 
  widely 
  

   separated 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  than 
  in 
  Eucnemides 
  : 
  the 
  ctypeus 
  is 
  emarginate 
  anteriorly 
  in 
  one 
  

   genus, 
  but 
  the 
  labrum 
  is 
  indistinct: 
  the 
  last 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  maxillary 
  palpi 
  is 
  oval 
  and 
  acute, 
  

   very 
  little 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  preceding 
  joint: 
  the 
  prothorax 
  beneath 
  is 
  truncate, 
  the 
  suture 
  

  

  