THE NECYDALIN^E. 5295 



them a peculiarly inquisitive appearance. They are 

 usually very agile, and frequently gaily coloured : this 

 is conspicuous in Leptura, Toxotus, and Strangalia; 

 whereas in Rhamnusium, Rhagium, and Cometes, the 

 legs are short and their gait is heavy. They are fre- 

 quently found upon flowers and the trunks of trees, 

 and many species are natives of this country. The 

 other sub-families are noticed below. (263 265.) 

 W.E. Sh.] 



(266. ) On the sub-family Necydalina we sh all venture 

 more at large. After our first theoretical arrangement of 

 the Capricornes , we selected this group for minute ana- 

 lysis, with the object of ascertaining how far the result 

 would demonstrate the accuracy of our general distri- 

 bution of the whole tribe. As we have already ex- 

 plained the distinguishing characters of this group, it 

 will be only necessary to impress upon the reader its 

 true typical perfection. The Necydalince represent 

 the Malacodermes, or soft- winged beetles, in the family 

 of floral Capricornes, precisely the same as do the Sta- 

 phylinidcB in the tribe of Predator es, with which, in 

 fact, it is naturally analogous. Now, the great peculi- 

 arity of the Malacodermes and the Staphylinidce is this, 

 that the elytra are soft, and much less developed than 

 in any other type : hence it follows that, as the Necy- 

 dalin^e represent these two groups, those forms which 

 have the most imperfect elytra become the most typical. 

 They are, in short, pre-eminently imperfect in that 

 particular structure, which distinguishes the Coleoptera. 

 The genus Necydalis of Linnaeus accordingly stands at 

 the head of this sub-family, because, of all those forms 

 which compose it, these have the shortest and the most 

 imperfect elytra. 



(2670 The general aspect of these insects, particularly 

 when alive, and running upon flowers, so closely re- 

 sembles that of the hymenopterous sand-flies [Sphecidce) 

 that even an entomologist is often deceived at the first 

 glance. The wing-cases are so short that the true wings 

 are exposed ; and these, unlike most other beetles, have 

 u 4 



