24-2 NATURAL ARRANGEMENT OF INSECTS. 



true passage between the lamellicorn and the Capricorn 

 tribes, an affinity, indeed,, that has been more than 

 once remarked by several writers, but which has never 

 yet been acted upon, that we are aware of, in any of the 

 modern systems. The very change of food, of struc- 

 ture, and consequently of habit, from those families 

 which subsist on living, and those which delight, in 

 dead trees, may all be traced within this circle; so that 

 in several of the smaller groups we have the jaws of a 

 Lucanus, with the antennae and the tarsi of a Capricorn 

 beetle. There is a strong analogy between the two ty- 

 pical groups of this family, and those of the scarabs. 

 In the vivid and highly beautiful colours of the Lam- 

 primintv, we have a symbolical representation of the 

 Cetoniadce, while the dark and sombre Lucanince cor- 

 respond in the same manner to the Scarabtfida. The 

 analogy, again, of this family to the Megasomidce, the 

 Dynastince, and all the rasorial types, is too obvious to 

 be dwelt upon ; and may, indeed, be gathered both from 

 their common name of stag beetles, as representing the 

 horned quadrupeds, as well as by their habit of licking 

 up their food, just as an ox licks the grass. 



(216.) The Lucanidtz, as we above consider them, 

 comprise a group of insects of much greater diversification 

 of structure and habits than either of the typical circles 

 that we have just gone through. The genuine Lucanidce 

 constitute our two first families ; and of these, the first 

 contains the most normal insects. The variety of shape 

 in these is very considerable. From nearly the paral- 

 lelopipedal form of Lucanus. Dorcus, and Platycerus, it 

 becomes almost hemispherical, as in Colophon; or cylin- 

 drical, as in Nigidius, Sinodendron, Figulus, Cardanus, 

 and particularly so in Chiron; which latter takes a form 

 and fossorial appearance which seems to point in the 

 direction of Scarites, whilst Sinodendron as distinctly 

 points towards the Bostricliida. The family terminates 

 with the elongate, linear, and depressed Passalus and 

 Paxillus. In size, the Lucanidce, especially Lucanus 

 itself, is very imposing ; this is most conspicuous in 



