COLEOPTERA. 377 



their heads, incline their antennae, and contract their feet; in this 

 apparent state of lethargy they remain for some time. Their mo- 

 tions are generally slow, and those that are winged rarely take to 

 flight to escape. Their larvae are very noxious to us, and bear a 

 great resemblance to those of the Scarabaeides. Their body, fre- 

 quently curved into an arc, is soft and whitish^ the head and feet are 

 brown and squamous. Their mandibles are strong. With frag- 

 ments of various substances, which they detach by gnawing, they 

 construct a shell in which they become nymphs. Other species es- 

 tablish their domicil in the country, in old wood, and under stones; 

 their habits are the same. 



Such are the characters of the genus 



PTINUS, Lin* 



In some, the head and thorax, or the anterior half of the body is narrower 

 than the abdomen; the antennae are always terminated in the same manner, 

 simple or but slightly serrated, and at least almost as long as the body. 



The antennae of the true Ptini are inserted between the eyes, which are 

 protuberant or convex. Their body is oblong. 



They are generally found in houses, and chiefly in granaries and inhabit- 

 ed places. Their larvae destroy our herbaria and desiccated specimens of 

 animals. The antennae of the males are longer than those of the females, 

 and in several species, these latter are apterous. 



P. fur, L. One line and a half in length; light brown; antennae as long 

 as the body; a pointed projection on each side of the thorax, and between 

 them two others, rounded and covered with a yellowish down; two trans- 

 verse, greyish bands on the elytra, formed by hairs. 



According to De Geer, it feeds on Flies and other dead Insects that fall 

 in its way. The larvae are very injurious to herbaria and other collections 

 of natural history. 



The remaining subgenera are Gibbium, Ptilinus, &c. We may more 

 particularly notice the 



AKOBIUM, Fab. 



The antennae are terminated by three larger or longer joints, but the two 

 penultimates are in the form of a reversed and elongated cone, and that of 

 the end is oval or nearly cylindrical; they consist of eleven joints. 



Several species of this genus inhabit the interior of our houses, where, in 

 their larva state, they are very noxious, attacking the timbers, furniture, 

 books, &c. and piercing little round holes in them similar to those made 

 by a very small gimblet. The larvae of other species of Anobium attack 

 flour, wafers, cabinets of Birds, Insects, Sec. 



Both sexes frequently summon each other by reiterated and rapid strokes 

 2 X 



