COLEOPTERA. 355 



their larva state, they are very noxious, attacking the timbers, furniture, books, 

 &c., and piercing little round holes in them similar to those made by a very 

 small gimlet. The larvae of other species of Anobium attack flour, wafers, 

 cabinets of Birds, Insects, &c. 



Both sexes frequently summon each other by reiterated and rapid strokes of 

 their mandibles against the wood they inhabit, and mutually answer the signal. 

 Such is the cause of that noise, resembling the accelerated tick of a watch, 

 which is so often heard, and which is superstitiously called the death-watch. 



A. tesselatum, Fab. Three lines in length; a dead dusky brown, with 

 yellowish spots formed by hairs; thorax smooth ; elytra not striated. 



A. pertinax. Blackish ; thorax with a yellowish spot at each posterior angle, 

 and near the middle of its base a compressed eminence divided anteriorly by a 

 depression ; elytra with punctured striae. According to De Geer, it will permit 

 itself to be roasted to death by a slow fire, rather than exhibit the least sign of 

 life when it is seized. 



There are other species. 



The third and last section of the Serricornes, forming also a last tribe, that 

 of the XYLOTROGI, is distinguished from the two preceding ones, as we have 

 already stated, by the entire freedom of the head ; and consists of the genus 



LYMEXYLON, Fabricius. 

 Now consisting of Atractocerus, Hyleccetus, Lymexylon, Cupes and Rhyxodes. 



FAMILY IV. 



CLAVICORNES*. 



IN the fourth family of the pentamerous Coleoptera, as in the third, we find 

 four palpi, and elytra covering the superior surface of the abdomen, or its 

 greater portion; but it differs in the antennae, which are almost always thicker 

 at the extremity, that even frequently forms a perfoliaceous or solid club ; they 

 are longer than the maxillary palpi, and their base is exposed, or barely 

 covered. The legs are not natatory, and the joints of the tarsi, at least those 

 of the posterior ones, are usually entire. 



In their larva state, at least, they feed on animal matters. 



We will divide this family into two sections : the common characters of the 

 first of which are, antennae always composed of eleven joints, longer than the 

 head, not forming from the third a fusiform or nearly cylindrical club, and 

 their second joint not dilated in the form of an auricle ; last joint of the tarsi, 

 as well as its hooks, of a moderate length, or small. 



These Clavicornes are terrestrial, while those of our second section are 



Club-horne;!. 

 A A 2 



