74 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



hive-bee, the Coleoptera partake in no inconsider- 

 able degree of the interest arising from both these 

 sources, while they offer some claims on our atten- 

 tion peculiar to themselves. 



In consequence of the compactness and solidity 

 of their structure, and symmetrical perfection of 

 their forms, the greater number of writers on ento- 

 mology have been led to follow Linne, in assigning 

 to the Coleoptera the precedence over the other 

 tribes in their systematic classifications. The dis- 

 tinctness of their insections and articulations, to- 

 gether with the clearly defined figure of the organs 

 of manducation, render them the most characteris- 

 tic representatives of the class to which they be- 

 long ; while certain relations of analogy which some 

 of the species are thought to bear to the vertebrated 

 tribes, seem to point out their relationship to a 

 superior race of beings. They may be said to 

 symbolize those higher animals which are most 

 remarkable for the perfection of their organs, and 

 which are therefore regarded as the types of their 

 respective classes, such as the feline race among 

 quadrupeds, and eagles among birds. These con- 

 siderations, taken in connexion with the great size, 

 singular forms, and brilliant colouring, of many of 

 the species, as well as the ease with which they 

 can be preserved in much of their living beauty, 

 have long rendered them favourite subjects of study 

 with those who have devoted their attention to an- 

 nulose zoology. At the same timej the important 



