BEETLES. 33 



trees of (Eningen. A species of Zonites (Z. vetusta, Heer) is 

 of the same size and colouring as the Z. prausta of Southern 

 Europe, and like that species probably inhabited the nests of 

 bees. 



The Melanosomata are very uncommon in the Miocene beetle- 

 fauna, whilst at the present day Mediterranean countries possess 

 a great abundance of insects belonging to this tribe. 



In the Miocene fauna a few species of Upis are found, resem- 

 bling South- American forms, and there is a species of an extinct 

 genus (Tagenopsis brevicornis, Heer, fig. 257) which agrees in 

 general habit with the existing genus Tayenia, but is distinguished 

 by having the last three joints of the antennae thickened. The 

 species of Tagenia live under the bark of trees. 



The Teredyles also are very sparingly represented. A Clerus 

 (C. Adonis , Heer) is intermediate between Clerus mutillarius and 

 formicarius, Linn., beautifully coloured carnivorous beetles, 

 which pursue the larvae of the wood-eating insects, seeking them 

 in their galleries. Hyleccetus cylmdricus, Heer, resembles H. 

 dermestoides , Linn., which lives in the wood of coniferous and 

 leafy trees. 



The Malacodermata are much more abundant. A glow-worm 

 (Lampyris orciluca, Heer) exactly resembles the common Swiss 

 glow-worm, and no doubt displayed its mild light in the summer 

 nights of Miocene times, just as its relative does at present; 

 the species of Telephorus and Malachius present numerous and 

 very elegant forms, which, notwithstanding their soft texture, 

 have been beautifully preserved, actually as if painted on the 

 stone. This is shown in fig. 256 : the whole of the delicate 

 creature has been preserved ; and in the legs we can still recog- 

 nize the light colour of the tibiae and the form and articulation 

 of the tarsi (fig. 256, b,c,cT). These insects doubtless frequented 

 flowers, and there, like the analogous living forms, pursued 

 still smaller insects. 



Of the 67 species of Sternoxi from (Eningen, 40 belong to the 

 Buprestidae, and 27 to the Elateridse ; and to these must be added 

 5 more species from the Swiss Miocene. They are divided into 

 13 genera, two of which (Fusslinia and Protogenia) are extinct. 

 The genera Capnodis, Chalcophora, and Ancylochira are abun- 

 dantly represented. Two species of Capnodis (C. antiqua, Heer, 



VOL. II. D 



