Introduction 1 1 



quite different, based on the theory that parts of the body proper, rather 

 than its appendages, truly show the progressive modifications of the 

 Coleoptera. His early work ^ was considerably altered in 1908 - and 

 as altered gives the following system : 



Adephaga 



Heterophaga ( = PoLYPHAGA Gauglbauer.) 



Haplogastra Sternites of 2d and 3d abdominal segments separate, their pleuraj 



separated by a suture. 



including: Staphylinoidea, Lamellicornia. 



Stmphtogastra sternites of 2d and 3d abdominal segments connate, no trace of 

 suture between their pleurae. 



including: Cupesidae, Malacodermata, Trichodermata, Palpicornia, 

 Dascilloidea, Sternoxia, Bostrichoidea, Heteromera, Clavicornia, 

 Phytophaga, Rhynchophora. 



This system seems to have had some influence upon Kuhnt, in pre- 

 paring the " Illustrierte Bestimmungstabellen "^ and upon Dr. Pierce, 

 but was never fully worked out by Kolbe himself, though his earlier 

 "NatiirUches System der carnivoren Coleoptera" (D. E. Z. 1880, pp. 

 258-280) superficially covers Adephaga. As counteracting the possibly 

 extreme views of Ganglbauer regarding LameUicornia and Rhyncho- 

 phora, Kolbe's work is valuable ; and in corroboration of his estimate 

 of the highest rank for Rhynchophora, I would here quote Dr. Sharp's 

 sentence, "we should be incUned to place such forms as Calandrides 

 among the most perfect of insects." 



Systems based on Genitalia, etc. 



An entirely different point of view is that taken by Sharp and Muir 

 who have devoted considerable time to a comparative study of the 

 genitaha.^ The heterogeneous character of the Heteromera, which 

 have appeared intact in every system so far, is brought out by their 

 work; Cistelidse, Lagriidae and Monommidse are found to resemble 



' Vergleichend-morphologische Untersuchungen an Coleopteren nebst Grundlagen zu einem 

 System und zur Systematik derselben (Arch. f. Naturg 1901, pp. SQ-l.'JO). 



^ Mein .System der Coleopteren (Zeitschr. fur wissenschaftliche Insektenbiologie, IV, 1908, 

 116-400). 



^ Illustrierte Bestimmungs Tabellen der Kafer Deutschlands, Stuttgart, 1912. (This work has 

 10,000 illustrations, including larvae.) 



^ The comparative anatomy of the male genital tube in Coleoptera (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 

 1912, pp. 477-639, and 1918, pp. 223-229). 



