COLEOPTERA. 379 



form of an auricle; last joint of the tarsi, a? well as its hooks, of a 

 moderate length, or small. 



These Clavicornes are terrestrial, while those of our second sec- 

 tion are aquatic or shore Insects, thus leading to the Palpicornes, 

 most of which inhabit water, and whose antennae never consist of 

 more than nine joints. 



The first section will comprise several small tribes. The first, 

 that of the PALPATORES, in a natural series, should be placed near 

 the Pselaphii and Brachelytra. Their antennae, which are, at least, 

 as long as the head and thorax, slightly enlarge towards the extre- 

 mity, or are nearly filiform; their two first joints are longer than the 

 following ones. The head is distinguished from the thorax by an 

 ovoid strangulation. 



The maxillary palpi project, are long and inflated at the extremity. 

 The abdomen is large, oval or ovoid, and embraced laterally by the 

 elytra. The legs are elongated, thighs clavate, and tarsial joints 

 entire. 



These Insects remain on the ground, under stones and other bo- 

 dies. Some the Scydmaeni frequent wet places. We will unite 

 them in a single genus, that of 



MASTIGUS. 



Joints of the antennae nearly in the form of a reversed cone, the first very 

 long and the last ones hardly thicker than the others; the two last joints of 

 the maxillary palpi forming an oval club; thorax almost ovoid; abdomen 

 oval. 



In all the following Clavicornes the head is generally sunk in the 

 thorax, and the maxillary palpi are never at the same time so much 

 projected and clavate; the ensemble of their physiognomy also ex- 

 hibits other differences. 



The genus Hister forms our second tribe, which we will name the 

 HISTEROIDES. Here the four posterior legs are more remote from 

 each other at base than the two anterior, a character alone that 

 distinguishes this tribe from all others of the same family. The legs 

 are contractile, and the outer side of the tibiae is dentated or spinous. 

 The antennae are always geniculate, and terminated by a solid club 

 composed of crowded joints. The body is extremely firm, and usually 

 forms a square or parallelepiped; the prsesternum is frequently di- 

 lated anteriorly, and the elytra are as often truncated. The man- 



