COLEOPTERA. 141 



the Chrysomelae, Galerucae, &c. expel a yellow mucilaginous 

 humour of a penetrating and disagreeable odour, from the arti- 

 culation of the thighs with the tibiae. They feed on Aphides, 

 their larvte, which in form and their metamorphoses greatly re- 

 semble those of the Chrysoraelte, employing the same aliment. 

 According to the observations of M. Leon Dufour, they are pro- 

 vided with salivary vessels. 



Individuals, very different as to colour, are sometimes found 

 in coitu — the result of this intercourse, however, has never been 

 observed. 



C. 1 -punctata, L. ; Oliv., Col. VI, 98, i, 1. Length, three, 

 lines; black ; elytra red, with three black dots on each, and a se- 

 venth, common to both, underneath the scutellum. The most 

 common species in France. 



C. 2-punctata, L. ; Oliv., lb., vii, 104. All black, with a short, 

 red, transverse band on the elytra *. 



There, the body is much flattened, in the form of a shield, and the 

 head is concealed under an almost semicircular thorax. The antennae 

 present distinctly but nine joints, and terminate in an elongated club. 

 The joints of the tarsi are entire. The prfBSternum forms a sort of 

 chin-cloth anteriorly. 



Such are the characters of the genus 



Clype ASTER, Andersch. — Cossyphus, Gyll. 

 They are found under the bark of trees, and under stones f. 



FAMILY III. 



PSELAPHII |. 



These Insects, which constitute our third and last family of the 

 Trimera, in their short, and truncated elytra that only cover part of 

 the abdomen, bear a certain resemblance to the Brachelytra, and par- 

 ticularly to the Aleocharae. This last part of their body, however, is 

 much shorter, wide, very obtuse and rounded posteriorly. The an- 

 tennae, terminated by a club, or. thicker towards the extremity, some- 

 times consist of but six joints. The maxillary paljji are usually very 

 large, and all the joints of the tarsi are entire ; the first, mucli shorter 



* For the other species, see Oliv., lb. ; SchcEuh., Synon. Insect., II, p. 151, and 

 Gylleuh., Insect. Suec. The genera Sci/mniis and Cacidula, separated from the pre- 

 ceding one, do not appear to me to be sufficiently distinct from it. 



t See Schosnherr and Gyllenhall. One species, the C. jiusitlus, Dej., is figured by 

 Ahrens in his Faun. Insect. Europ., fascic, VIII, t. X. 



X But few Insects are now so well known as these. For this knowledge we are 

 chiefly indebted to the zeal and labours of MM. Reichenbach (Monog. Pselaph.), 

 MuUer (Mag. Entom. Germ.), Leach (Zoolog. Misc.), and Gyllcuhall — Insect. 

 Suec, IV. 



