THE HABITS OF THE MALACODERMES. 323 



as to hide the head either partially or entirely. Thus 

 we find the two typical families, at least,, have their 

 direct analogies in the neighbouring circle of the Moni- 

 licornes; and this fact, although insufficient to com- 

 pensate for the absence of the other analogies, tends to 

 show that, in the typical groups, at least, we cannot 

 greatly err. 



(290.) The habits of the insects are of a mixed cha- 

 racter : many are exclusively carnivorous, for instance, 

 those which are parasitical ; others are only carnivorous 

 in their larva state ; whereas, in others, in this state, 

 they are herbivorous, and their taste for flesh is acquired 

 only on assuming their perfect condition. We find in 

 this group, likewise, structural peculiarities of a very 

 marked character, for we have here both heteromerous 

 and pentamerous insects. We have already mentioned 

 some of the chief distinctions of our first family, the 

 Lampyrida, for instance, namely, their phosphorescent 

 luminosity, which we are assured is the beacon of love, 

 the females being frequently apterous ; and as a seem- 

 ing corroboration of this, it is the female which is the 

 most brilliant. They appear to possess a control over 

 its exhibition, and which is evidently a wise provision ; 

 for this " beaming lamp " would attract their enemies as 

 well as their friends ; and what was intended for their 

 preservation and continuance, would otherwise be the 

 guide to their destruction. It is the under side of the 

 terminal segments of the abdomen which display this 

 brilliancy ; and although we have stated above, that we 

 never observed this phosphorescence in the Brazils, we 

 do not mean to say that it is improbable, for the Brazil- 

 ian species equally possess the analogous pale spots and 

 segments, whence the light issues in those European 

 species we are acquainted with. This family is very 

 numerous, and contains many very natural genera : the 

 most remarkable are those with greatly developed an- 

 tennae, as Amydetes, in which they consist of at least 

 twenty joints, each of which throws off a long curving 

 plume ; Phengodes, also, where, however, the antennae 

 Y 2 



