COMPARISON OF THE ABERRANT TRIBES. 281 



(252.) The Curculionida being, therefore, the most 

 aberrant family of the Capricorn circle, we may glance 

 at those other groups, which are similarly situated among 

 the lamellicorn and predaceous divisions : these are, the 

 Buprestidce in the first, and the Silphidce in the second. 

 Buprestis, indeed, offers two points of analogy with 

 CurculiOy in being, like them, internal feeders upon 

 wood, and in the dilatation of their tarsi ; but in all other 

 respects the two groups are widely different, and, in 

 their perfect state, have not the least similarity to each 

 other. On turning, however, to the Silphida, or rather 

 to their possible representatives the Pimelidce, the 

 analogy between certain groups is very remarkable : 

 thus, for instance, the large apterous forms among the 

 African Brachyceri, with their globose black bodies, 

 immediately remind us of certain Pimelice, more es- 

 pecially of the Fabrician Pimelia and Latreille's Mol- 

 luris ; and in all these are shadowed out the typical 

 form of the Chrysomelida ?, and other Monilicornes, 

 obscurely, indeed, yet still sufficiently to add additional 

 evidence to that already adduced. 



(253.) The analogies of this tribe to the Lamellicor- 

 nes, again, is not without interest ; for although the 

 relations, to all appearance, are remote, there is nothing 

 to militate against the supposition that the primary 

 groups represent each other. 



Analogies of the CAPRICORNES to the LAMELLICOHN and 

 the PREDATORIAL BEETLES. 



Families of the A . Families of the Families of the 



LameUicornes. Analogies Capricornes. Predatores. 



r Form thick, heavy ; co- ^ 



C stances. 3 



r Jaws unusually exsert- ^ 

 LUCANIOE. 3 ed; elytra sometimes PRIONID;E. STAPHYLINID^. 



L abbreviated. 3 



BUPRESTIDJE. i Larva concealed in 7 CURCULTONID^E. SILPHIDJE. 

 HYDROPHILIDJE. ? BOSTRICHIDJS. DTTisciD2E 



