ACANTHOSCELI S A CANTHURUS. 



FAMILY IX. Theucidcc, the lancet fish family. 



FAMILY X. Pharyngolabyryntludte, labyrinth pa- 

 lated fishes. 



FAMILY XI. MugUidcc, the mullet family. 



FAMILY XII. GobioidcE, the goby or sea gudgeon 

 family. 



FAMILY XIII. Carpaptcrca, fishes bearing the pec- 

 toral tins attached to an elongated stem like a wrist. 



FAMILY XIV. Labroides, the wrasse family. 



FAMILY XV. Fi.i/it/idj<; the pipe fish family. 



ACANTHOSCELIS. A genus of Insects, of the 

 order Colcoptcra, family Scarabidce, The antennae 

 aro filiform (thread shaped) ; the first joint very large, 

 the others considerably less, but gradually increasing 

 near the extremity : superior lip very short, and fur- 

 nished with three teeth : mandibles large, projecting, 

 and toothed internally : labial palpi r with the last joint 

 nearly cylindrical: incntuin or chin, articulated and 

 strongly trilobated. Thorax convex, transverse, and 

 almost square. Body short, and convex : elytra short 

 and very convex : anterior legs very strongly palmated : 

 posterior legs short, thick, and covered with spines : 

 trochanters almost as large as the posterior legs. 



The Count De Jean observes, that this new genus was 

 formed by Latreille for the Scaritcs rujicornis of Fa- 

 bricius, and is indicated in his Families naturclles du 

 Regnc Animal. This species appears a good genus, as 

 it is easily distinguished from Scarites by its short, 

 thick, and very convex form, and the above character. 

 ACANTHOCINUS(Megerle). A genus of insects 

 of the order Colcoptera, family Cerambycidas. An- 



Acanthocinus. 



tennae of the male more than four times the length of 

 the body, those of the female above twice its length ; 

 basal joint somewhat robust, second short, third 

 longer than the fourth ; the remainder nearly equal 

 in the female, but gradually lengthening in the male 

 to the terminal joint, which is very long and slender : 

 palpi short, the terminal joint fusiform, acute: body 

 rather depressed : thorax transverse, having a spine 

 on each side : legs robust. 



Acan. ccdilia. Body short and depressed ; the co- 

 lour brownish, and the surface more or less thickly 

 covered with ash-coloured pubescence ; head punc- 

 tured, and having a shallow groove on the forehead ; 

 antennae of the male four or five times the length of 

 the body, those of the female twice its length ; the base 

 of the joints brownish, and covered with cinereous 

 pubescence, the apex black ; thorax thickly and 

 ruggedly punctured, with a strong spine on each side, 

 and four tufts of yellowish pile placed across the disk 

 before the middle ; elytra, with the apex of each 

 rounded, the upper surface unequal, pale brown, with 

 cinereous pubescence and a few scattered tufts of 

 black pile ; the base punctate, the apex nearly smooth, 

 having an oblique irregular fuscous fascia anteriorly, 

 and another, somewhat abbreviated, behind ; under 

 side ferruginous, clothed with whitish glossy pubes- 



cence : legs brownish, pubescent, the tarsi somewhat 

 dusky : length of the body from seven to nine lines. 



The abdomen of the male has the anal segment 

 short and emarginate, but in the female it is produced 

 into a long conical tube of a black colour. 



This is a very local insect, but has been found rather 

 plentiful in Worcestershire, and many of the London 

 cabinets have been supplied through the liberality of 

 Mr. Raddon, the eminent engraver ; specimens have 

 also occurred in the neighbourhood of Kirkaldy, in 

 Scotland, and are preserved in the cabinet of Sir P. 

 Walker. 



Acan. spcculifer. Greyish white, with four spines 

 on the elytra and two on the thorax, forming a coronet 

 of spines, in the male, with a burnished spot like talc, 

 on the disk of each elytron. It is figured in the pre- 

 vious column. Length of the body one inch. 



This beautifully-formed and extensive genus of in- 

 sects are found on timber in their adult state, and their 

 larvae feed on the decayed wood : the feet of these 

 are extremely small, the body soft, and of a whitish 

 colour ; the anterior part larger than the posterior, 

 the head scaly, and furnished with powerful jaws . 

 they are very destructive, perforating the interior of 

 the largest trees. Most of the species of this family 

 produce a singular noise, by rubbing the hinder 

 part of the thorax against the base of the abdomen. 

 Lister calls this a querulous sound, though it bears a 

 nearer resemblance to the rubbing together the milled 

 edges of two pieces of coin, and we are not aware 

 that it is confined to either sex. It has been as- 

 serted by some authors that some of the species are 

 nocturnal. 



In the exserted oviduct of the females of the timber- 

 feeding larvae, a most beautiful provision of the Creator 

 is shown, the animal being enabled to insert its 

 eggs into the crevices of the bark of trees ; thus 

 securing them from the effects of the weather, and 

 protecting them from birds ; for as soon as the cater- 

 pillar escapes from the egg, it begins to enter the wood, 

 and tends greatly to assist in the destruction of those 

 immense trees which, if left to a casual decay, would 

 prevent the growth of others in those extensive 

 forests of tropical climes, where these wood-feed- 

 ing, elegant, and singular insects abound. In very 

 few tribes in this portion of the insect creation do we 

 find more to admire or charm the eye, their beauty 

 of form, variety of colour, length of antennae, and 

 the clothing with which they are invested, seem to 

 claim the attention of man. 



ACANTHURUS. (Lancet Fish). A genus of 

 fishes, belonging to the ninth family of Cuvicr's order 

 of fishes, with spinotis fins. The characters are, the 

 body and tail compressed ; the mouth rather small, 

 and without any teeth on the palate, but furnished 

 with a single row of strong cutting teeth, with jagged 

 points in each jaw ; and they have but one dorsal fin, 

 and on each side of the tail there is one or more very 

 sharp moveable spines, with which the fish inflicts 

 severe and deep wounds, if incautiously handled. It 

 is from the depth of the wounds inflicted by these in- 

 struments, and their tendency to bleed, that the com- 

 mon name of lancet fish isgiven ; and the generic name 

 " spine tail" is founded on the same. There are about 

 six known species, all inhabitants of the warmer seas, and 

 most, at least, found both in the Atlantic and the other 

 tropical oceans. The particular use of these formidable 

 spines in their economy is not well known ; probably 

 they are employed as defensive weapons against larger 



