472 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



sandy countries of the south of Europe, to Af- 

 rica, and the south west part of Asia. Some of 

 them avoid the light ; such as the opatrum, Fabr., 

 the tenebrio, Fabr., the blaps y the pimelia, the 

 scaurus, and the erodius.^abr., of which Linnaeus 

 formed but one genus, tenebrio. They gene- 

 rally conceal themselves in the sand or under 

 stones, crawl slowly, and are often incapable 

 of flight. We frequently see in our houses the 

 tenebrio molitor (n 27), the larva of which is 

 known by the name of meal-worm. The t. mor- 

 tisagus (n 5) is found in the damp and obscure 

 recesses of houses ; it is of a coal-black colour, 

 and when crushed or even handled diffuses 

 a highly unpleasant smell. Some other coleop- 

 tera belonging to this section have wings, and 

 varied colours; they are most of them herbi- 

 vorous. Many, such as the crodalon, Fabr., dia- 

 peris, Geoff., cistela. Fabr., mordella, Lin., have 

 some affinity with the preceding; the others 

 differ from them in having the head large, and 

 in the shape of a heart, in the softness of 

 their abdomen, and wing-shells, and in their 

 blistering properties : such is the cantharis (nieloe 

 vesicatorius , Lin.), n 2 to and following. In Italy 

 and China the physicians use for the same pur- 

 pose the species of the genus mylabris, amongst 

 which we shall notice the nieloe cichorii, Lin. 



