102 BHYNCHOPHORA. 



geniculate, antennae, appear to be allied to the Mycterina and Salpingina, 

 and certain of the Otiorrhynchidse seem to have a strong analogy with 

 the higher Tenebrionidee, as pointed out by Dr. Leconte (Rhynchophora 

 of America North of Mexico, Introduction, p. xiv.) ; the Rhynchophora, 

 as their name implies, are roughly distinguished by the presence of a 

 rostrum or snout, but this is absent or more or less rudimentary in the 

 Platyrrhinidse and Scolytidse and is, on the other hand, present in 

 certain of the Heteromera (as Mycterus and Khinosimus) ; according to 

 Leconte (1. c. p. xii.) " Rhynchophorous Coleoptera are those in which 

 the posterior lateral elements of the head and prothorax coalesce on the 

 median line of the under surface of the body, so as to unite by a single 

 suture." Dr. Sharp, however, has lately pointed out (Trans. Ent. Soc., 

 London, 1889, Part I. p. 41) that this definition does not hold good in 

 the case of the Attelabidse and certain of the Rhynchitidse, and that in 

 fact in other families besides these the apices of the epimera are not 

 conjoined (1. c. p. 42, note) ; we are therefore obliged to give up the 

 character (which has been adopted by Bedel and others), as not being 

 by any means universal, and no other single distinguishing character 

 appears as yet to have been discovered. 



The series contains a very large number of species ; in the Munich 

 Catalogue (1871-2), nearly 12,000 are mentioned, of which 10,000 

 belong to the Curculionidse ; the number of species now described must 

 be at least 15,000, and Dr. Sharp is of opinion that the number of those 

 existing must be 100,000, and may very probably reach 150,000; they 

 appear to be the most archaic and the least developed of the Coleoptera ; 

 the oldest known members of the order appear to consist in great 

 measure of Curculionidae, and from the Carboniferous period onwards 

 the Rhynchophora are found to be increasingly numerous in all the 

 geological strata ; with regard to this point Leconte (1. c. p. vii.) makes 

 the following remarks : " I have previously expressed my opinion that 

 the Rhynchophora, being the lowest type of Coleoptera, are therefore 

 geologically the oldest. Regarding then the fixity of insect tvpes, as 

 shown by the resemblance of ancient forms to those of the present time, 

 the uniformity in food and manner of life, and the immense number of 

 genera in this complex, with which we are dealing, we have a right to 

 expect that there will be a proportionally larger survival of unchanged 

 descendants of those species or genera which were first introduced. We 

 will, therefore, have a more perfect series of connecting forms than can 

 be found in other orders of insects, whose methods of life expose them 

 to the influences of destruction or modification by external circum- 

 stances " ; the presence of the more perfect series of connecting forms 

 seems to be a fact and not merely a theory, and it is due in great 

 measure to this that it is so difficult to divide the group in any way 

 satisfactorily. 



The following may be mentioned as the chief characters : Head 

 usually prolonged before the eyes into a rostium or beak, which is some- 



