Objects for the Microscope. 79 



land ; found in June near Darenth Wood and Coombe 

 Wood. It is one of the Cerambycidae, a section of the 

 Longicornes. These have only four joints in the tarsi, the 

 last three furnished with short brushes, and the first and 

 second joints heart-shaped. The mouth is very differently 

 constructed from those before described. The two maxillary 

 lobes are remarkably distinct and prolonged beyond the 

 palpi : the last joint of the palpi thick, conical, and dark- 

 coloured. I may mention here, as Stenopterus is rare in 

 England, that a very pretty species of the same family may 

 be readily found on willows, and the mouth will show the 

 same kind of maxillae, with this one difference in the palpi 

 that the maxillary palpi are very much smaller than the 

 labial, or even the maxillary lobes. 



The beetle to which I refer is Cerambyx moschatus, or 

 Musk-beetle, about an inch long, green, shaded with blue, 

 or a more golden colour, emitting a scent of musk or of 

 otto of roses on being handled. It has long antennae, and 

 kidney-shaped eyes surrounding the base of the antennae. 

 The larva is a soft white maggot, burrowing under the 

 bark of trees. 



A IN T E N N M. 



The antennae, or feelers, are very important organs in 

 all insects ; but especially in the flies and beetles. In both 

 these orders the shape, position, and number of joints in 

 the antenna?, form distinguishing characters in the genera 

 and species of insects. 



They are situated on the head, near the eyes. They 

 deserve particular attention and study ; for no organs are 

 more wonderful or more useful, and, until lately, none so 

 little understood. The order Coleoptera is divided by 

 them into the families, Lamellicornes, Clavicornes, Serri- 

 cornes, and Palpicornes. For examples of these, which 

 are very beautiful, look at the head of the common Dung- 

 beetle, which has a clubbed antenna, formed of leaflets, 

 capable of being shut up. 



