BEETLES. 63 



is about an inch and a half long, is equally common in South 

 America. Its larva feeds on the pith of palm-trees, and is 

 considered a great delicacy by the natives. It is probable that all ' 

 the large allied species are also wood-borers. In some of the genera 

 allied to Rliynchophorus (Cyrtotmchelus and Macrochirus, Schonh.), 

 the front pair of legs are very much longer than the others. 



FAMILY II. Brenthidce. 



Antennae eleven-jointed, not clubbed ; rostrum straight and 

 very long; body generally long and narrow, rarely oblong; first 

 and second segments of the abdomen very long. 



This small family is almost confined to the tropics, and the 

 species are easily recognisable by their peculiar shape. One of the 

 largest is Eutmchelus Temminckii, Latr., which is black, with red 

 spots ; it is found in Java. One species of the family only is met 

 with in South Europe. This is Amorphocephalus Coronatus, Gue"r., 

 which is reddish brown, and about half an inch in length ; it is 

 found under bark. 



FAMILY III. Bruchidce. 



Antennae straight, eleven-jointed, serrated on the inside, or 

 thickened towards the tip, or with the three apical joints enlarged, 

 inserted on the sides of the head in a cavity before the eyes ; head 

 generally produced into a short rostrum. 



Includes two sub-families ; in the Bruchince the club of the 

 antennae is not conspicuous, but the joints of the tarsi are distinct, 

 while in the AnthotriUnm the antennae are generally clubbed, the 

 joints of the tarsi are indistinct, and the rostrum is generally longer 

 than in the Bruchince. One example of each may be noticed. 

 Bruchus Pisi, Linn., the Pea Weevil, is about one-sixth of an inch 

 long, and is black, thickly covered in parts with pale grey pubes- 

 cence, especially towards the end of the elytra, where it is marked 

 with two black spots. The base of the antennae and the front 

 tibiae and tarsi are of a reddish yellow. The beetles lay their eggs in 

 spring, when the peas are quite young, and the larvae, when hatched, 

 feed upon the peas. Other very similar species feed on various 

 leguminous plants ; and it is said that worm-eaten peas and beans 

 are very injurious to the animals which feed upon them. 



Tropidoderes Albirostris, Herbst, is a black species, about a 

 quarter of a inch long, with dense white hairs on the rostrum, on 

 a large space toward the tip of each of the elytra, on the under 



