136 BRITISH BEETLES. 



seven free ventral segments ; and the elytra very seldom 

 punctate-striate, and usually not covering the sides of 

 the abdomen. 



In the remainder there is great variation in the an- 

 tennae, hardness of the body, etc. ; so that it is impos- 

 sible to couple them with the true Malacodermi ; and 

 yet they differ so much inter se as to require the forma- 

 tion of many other sections for their reception if sepa- 

 rated from that group, although none of their associa- 

 tions are equivalent in extent or distinctness to it. 



The ATOPID.E are here represented by one genus and 

 species, Dascillus cervinus, a large, oblong-oval, convex, 

 hard, dull-grey, downy insect, not uncommon in flowers, 

 especially in chalky districts. It has prominent man- 

 dibles, straight and spurred tibiae, and each of the 

 second, third, and fourth joints of the tarsi furnished 

 with a bilobed lamella. Its short, flat, eyeless larva is 

 set with rows of long hairs, and has four-jointed an- 

 tennae, rather long legs, horny plates on the upper seg- 

 ments, and no anal prolongation : it lives in the earth 

 at the roots of plants. 



The CYPHONIDJS are all much smaller and less oblong, 

 with softer integuments, and very fragile. They have 

 sharp mandibles, which are not prominent; the pro- 

 sternum linear and transverse ; the mesothoracic epimera 

 elongate, and those of the metathorax not conspicuous ; 

 the femora hollowed on the under side ; the tibiae angu- 

 lated ; and no bilobed lamellae to the tarsi. 



Their larvae, which feed on water-plants, differ con- 

 siderably from those of the Atopida (which somewhat 

 resemble the Lamellicorn type), being more like those 

 of the genus Silpha. 



The perfect insects are obtained by sweeping in marshy 



