ANALOGIES OF THE PREDATORES. 253 



the whole order, corresponding to the Insessores among 

 birds, and to the quadrumanous Mammalia, by their 

 power of grasping. It is a remarkable circumstance, 

 that in such a vast assemblage of animals as the Coleo- 

 ptera there is no primary group, which is aquatic, such 

 as the natatorial order among birds, and the CetcB among 

 quadrupeds. Hence it is that, at first sight, there seems 

 no sort of relationship between the soft-winged tribe of 

 Malacodermes, and the aquatic Dyticidce : nevertheless, 

 we have no doubt that this is a true analogy ; for these 

 are the only groups where the legs in the great majority 

 are decidedly compressed, and we might also say the 

 least developed for either running or grasping. The un- 

 certainty, already hinted at, as to the true type of the 

 Silphidce, leaves us in much doubt as to their direct 

 analogy to the Monilicornes. But if, as we suspect, 

 the Pimelidce fiW. this situation, the difficulty of detecting 

 their analogy is not very great ; for every entomologist 

 must confess that they are the Chrysomelce, as it^ were, 

 of the Predatores, — having moniliform antennje; short, 

 thick, and round bodies ; and tarsi not much unlike each 

 other. Lastly, the Staphylinidce, dissimilar in every 

 respect to the Capricorn beetles, nevertheless possess that 

 great protrusion of the jaws, which belong to all such 

 types as represent the ruminating animals, and their re- 

 presentatives (like the toucans and hornbills) among 

 birds. So far, therefore, we have proved this disposi- 

 tion of the predatorial beetles, which dififers but slightly 

 from that of MacLeay, to be strictly natural, not only 

 from the affinities which connect each of their families, 

 but by bringing this series to a test which has never 

 yet been attempted. 



(227.) The above comparison, however, is made be- 

 tween groups widely dissimilar both in rank and affinity : 

 we shall, therefore, compare the predaceous tribe with 

 that to which it is immediately connected ; where, the 

 relations being nearer, the analogies, of course, will be 

 stronger. 



