62 LAMRLLICORNIA. [Trichius. 



yellow mark. Mr. Smith adds that he has some idea that the S 

 and other West of England specimens may prove to ho T. zonal ux, and 

 the northern specimens to bo T. faxciatus (Zoologist, Aug. 15. INIX). 

 Mr. S. Stevens is also of tho same opinion, and believes that it was 

 taken at Neath in 1845. I have in my collection an undoubted 

 specimen of T. fcueiatut labelled " Wales," from Mr. E. Brown's col- 

 lection, but it is possible it may have been so labelled in error ; others, 

 however, are labelled " Scotland," as if to distinguish them; it aeema 

 strange that the question has not been cleared up during all these years, 

 especially as Mr. Dillwyn seems to have taken them in numbers. 



SERRICORNIA. 



This series, like the Clavicornia (vide vol. i. p. 217) can only be 

 retained for the sake of convenience, as it contains a number of genera 

 and species, which, as far as general appearance go, might certainly 

 with better reason be referred to the last-mentioned group ; if, with 

 Thomson, we remove the Ptinidae and Cissidae and their allies to the 

 Clavicornia we obtain, perhaps, a more even series, but in this case such 

 genera as Ptilinus and Dorcatoma form strong exceptions, while num- 

 bers of the Ptinidae and Anobiidae have more or less filiform antenna?, 

 and cannot in any way be regarded as true Clavicorns ; we have, more- 

 over, still left in the Serricornia the species belonging to Corynctes and 

 its allies which have strongly clavate antennae, although it must be 

 allowed that in many instances the club is more or less serro-clavate ; it is 

 very obvious, therefore, that the series is a very artificial one, and I should 

 much prefer to drop it altogether, especially as, in writing a work like 

 the present, one's views on Classification become very much modified as it 

 proceeds ; on the whole, however, I have thought it best to keep to the 

 original arrangement I intended to follow. As before remarked (i. 217), 

 the retention of these large divisions, as long as it is remembered that 

 they are more or loss artificial, presents many points of advantage to tho 

 general student, although the simple division into families is, perhaps, 

 more scientifically correct. 



The composition of the series has also been much disputed ; as far as 

 our fauna is concerned we may divide it into three groups, the Sternoxi, 

 Malasodermata, and Ptinoidea, but the Cebrionidte (through Campylug) 

 aud Rhipidoceridaj form strong connecting links between the first two, 

 and might, perhaps, be ranked with either, and the Malacoderwata are 

 closely allied to the Ptinoidea through Haplocnermts, Ernobius, &c. 

 The following are their chief characteristics : 



Sternozi. Integument hard ; form, with very few exceptions (e.g. 

 Trachys) more or less elongate, and always more or less pointed behind ; 

 size very variable, but, as a rule, moderately large ; head sunk in thorax, 

 vertical or depressed ; clypeus not, or very rarely, separated off by a 



