CERANTHERA-CERAPHRON. 



771 



he has termed Lamia aniputator. It is found suf- 

 ficiently common in the Islands of South America, 

 and is occasionally noticed in St. Vincent, where it, 

 was observed to make a noise by rubbing the thorax 

 against the base of the elytra.. It delights in the 

 mimosa groves, preferring Mimosa lebbcc 1 :, Linn., 

 which it attacks and prevents it from becoming too 

 luxuriant, and thus depriving the neighbouring vege- 

 tation of the necessary supply of air. This it effects 

 in a two-fold manner. The larva excavates the 

 branches by means of its powerful jaw?, which pro- 

 duce a sufficiently distinct sound when in motion, and 

 in order the more readily to make its way through 

 its labyrinth-like passage, it occasionally turns back- 

 wards and expels its excrement through an orifice in 

 the branch. When it is full grown, the surface o! 

 the branch alone remains entire, the wood inside 

 being consumed, it then forms its nest of chips of 

 wood and becomes a pupa. The perfect insect hav- 

 ing made its way out of the tree is not less destructive, 

 gnawing off the branches, by cutting circularly round 

 their axis, when the wounded branch falls to the 

 ground at the first wind, and soon dies. It likewise 

 wounds the bark with its jaws, in order the more 

 readily to deposit its eggs, by means of its retractile 

 ovipositor, in the puncture thus made. 



The larva of the Ccrambi/x hems of Linnaeus, is 

 reputed to have been the Cossus of the ancients, 

 which was served at their tables as a very favourite 

 dish. See Cossus. 



In this state the insect remains several years, and 

 it is owing to this circumstance that, in the neighbour- 

 hood of our dock-yards, timber warehouses, &c., many 

 very splendid exotic species of this family are occa- 

 sionally found alive, having been brought from their 

 native countries in the logs of wood. We under- 

 stand that a gentleman connected with the London 

 Docks has made a very extensive collection of such 

 Imported insects. 



In the Linncean system, the Longicorn beetles 

 composed the three genera Lcpturu, Ncci/dalis, and 

 ('t'nonbiix. Of these, the first is now formed into the 

 family Lc/x'ttr/dce, the second is still considered as a 

 genus, but the last, from the vast accession of new 

 species, exhibiting various important modifications of 

 structure, has been divided into two great divisions, 

 which have been regarded as families, namely, the 

 Pronida- and CerambycidcB, (the genus Necijdalis, 

 forming part of the latter). More recently, several 

 French authors have divided the Ccrambycidcc 

 into two group?, namely, the Cerambycidce and 

 Lamiidfc. As, however, our chief English authors 

 have adopted the former method of distribution, it 

 will perhaps be deemed more convenient that we 

 should follow in their steps ; premising, however, 

 that the Lamiidfc, as a sub-family, are distinguished 

 by the vertical position of the head, the filiform palpi 

 which are not thickened at the tips, and the thorax, 

 which is cylindrical with the sides, armed with one 

 or more strong points. 



M. Audinet Serville has just completed a revision 

 of the characters of the Ceraiitbycidtc, and some idea 

 may be obtained of the extent of his labours and of 

 the group itself, when it is stated, that (exclusive of 

 the Lantuda:) he has characterised not less than ninety 

 genera of the true Ccrambi/cidcc, in the annals of the 

 French Entomological Society, for the last year. As 

 the distinguishing peculiarities of these groups are, 

 for the most part, structural, we shall content our- 



selves with this notice of them, without giving even 

 their names, as we have generally done in such eases. 



In this country we possess only fifteen genera, 

 including those of the Lamiida;, namely, Hamati- 

 C/ICTKS, Meig. (Cerambyjc, Serv.), Cerambyx (Callie/iroma, 

 Latreille, Aromia, Serv.), Acanthoclnus, Monochamus, 

 Pogonocherus, Lamia, ApJielocnemia, Sapcrda, Qbrium, 

 Cdllldiitm, Cli/lus, Tctrops, Tetraopes, Motor chus, and 

 Stenopterus. 



The musk beetle, Cerambyx moschatits of Linnaeus, 

 i has been generally considered as entitled to retain 

 the Linmran name of the genus, although Latreille 

 and Serville have given it a different generic appella- 

 tion, founded upon the fragrant odour which it dis- 

 seminates during its living state, which has been 



C. moschatus. 



compared to ottar of roses, and which is retained for 

 some time after death. M. Serville states that this 

 scent becomes more intense at the time of coupling. 

 It is, indeed, sufficiently strong to be perceptible when 

 walking near the tree on which the insects are 

 standing. The name of musk beetle given to this 

 species is not, however, correct, as the scent is very 

 different from that of the drug whence its appellation 

 is derived. The insect varies in length from an inch 

 to an inch and a half, and is of a fine green colour, 

 with bluish legs and antennae. It is very abundant on 

 willow trees in the neighbourhood of London. 



CER ANTHER A (Beauvois). An ever-green 

 tropical shrub belonging to the fifth class and first 

 order of Linnaeus, and to the natural order Violarica:. 

 Generic character : calyx, upper lip marginate, the 

 lower divided ; corolla, throat inflated, upper lip long 

 and two-lobed, the lower in three divisions ; stamens 

 standing apart and protruding; anthers incumbent, 

 two-lobed, with awns on each side ; style divided at 

 the apex. 



CERAPHRON (Jurine). A minute genus of 

 hymenopterous insects, belonging to the section 

 Terebrantia, and family Proctotrupidis. The wings 

 are furnished only with a narrow stigma, and a single 

 nerve running from that point nearly to the tip of the 

 wings ; the antennae of the females are composed of 

 ten joints, of which the first is very long, and the 

 remainder gradually thickened to the tips. According 

 to Mr. Say, it is to a species of this genus, which he 

 has named Ccrnphron destructor, that the inhabitants 

 of North America are indebted for the partial de- 

 struction of the Hessian fly (see CECIDOMYIA), all 

 the species of the genus having habits very similar to 

 those of the Ichneumonidae. Latreille and Curtis 

 3K2 



