of Buprestidse and Elateridse. 197 



The first type is met with in those Elateridse of which the 

 larvae hunt in the fields, under leaves and moss, in meadows or 

 in decaying wood. The care of the off'spring is here so slight 

 that the beetle has time for running about to seek food for it- 

 self; and as this consists of pollen, the mouth resembles not a 

 little that of those Cerambycidse which feed on the same sub- 

 stance, particularly Lepturini. The labrum protrudes, covering 

 the mouth from above. The mandibles are triangular, gradu- 

 ally pointed and arched, of no considerable strength, with small 

 socket and condyle; the joint is cleft into two sharp teeth, one 

 above the other ; the whole inner margin is arched, and presents 

 a sharp edge with a marginal fringe. The maxillary lobes are 

 large, particularly the outer one ; their skin is thin, and their 

 edge covered by a close beard. The mentum is short and thin ; 

 the stipites of the labial palpi long, very moveable; the lingua 

 large, broad, and bifid, with thin skin, and the margin closely 

 fringed with hair, the stipes narrow and strong ; the terminal 

 joint of the palpi almost always subsecuriform, with a large 

 palparium. This is the structure of the mouth in the group of 

 Elaterini. 



The other type, which is almost exclusively governed with 

 regard to the propagation of the species, is met with in those 

 Elateridse which, as larvae, hunt in more confined localities, 

 particularly in galleries in wood. The care of the eggs, together 

 with the considerable labour which may fall to their lot in order 

 to get out of the timber, leaves very little time for the beetles 

 to seek food for themselves ; and according to the greater or less 

 preponderance of these considerations, two modifications of this 

 type are developed, of which one is analogous to that of Callidiini 

 amongst Cerambycidse, the other to that of Asemini and Prionini 

 in the same family. 



The first of these modifications characterizes the group of 

 Eucnemidini, and differs less considerably from the structure 

 of Elaterini. The labrum is more or less obsolete. The man- 

 dibles are very powerful, and still furnished with an edge ; but 

 it is more or less clumsy and thick, and is without any fringe; 

 the socket and condyle are large, the point sometimes entire, 

 sometimes divided into two or more sharp teeth. The other two 

 pairs of buccal organs are very small in proportion. Maxillary 

 lobes and lingua considerably shortened, and rather to be de- 

 scribed as covered with fine hair than as being provided with a 

 marginal beard. The terminal joint of the palpi is of propor- 

 tionally enormous size, broad, and securiform, with very large 

 palparium. 



In the second subtype, characteristic of the group Melasini, 

 the labrum has entirely disappeared; the mandibles are of 



