THE DORCADIONINjK. 291 



heard at a considerable distance. It is asserted that the 

 umbones, or movable spines upon the thorax of these in- 

 sects, have no use ; this is merely a confession of igno- 

 rance, for is it at all probable that such an apparatus 

 should be formed for no purpose ? We strongly incline 

 to the opinion of Messrs. Kirby and Spence *, who 

 " hazard the conjecture, that these organs were given to 

 this animal by an all-provident Creator, to enable it to 

 push itself forward, when, in the heart of some tree, it 

 emerges from the pupa, that it may escape from its 

 confinement." The great length of its legs, and from 

 their being folded beneath it, and the confined position 

 it is in, render a provision of this kind essentially requi- 

 site. Macropus, Oreodera, Microplia, &c., enter into 

 this sub-family. 



(259.) The DorcadioniruB are apterous insects, which 

 sometimes have the elytra soldered together. They 

 chiefly occur upon the ground in sandy districts, and 

 are abundant in the South of Europe, especially on the 

 coasts of the Mediterranean ; others occur at the Cape, 

 and a very few come from the Brazils. These insects 

 have usually an elliptical body and short antenme, and 

 are slow and heavy in their motion : they are usually 

 also of small size. Parmena, Dorcadion, and Morimus 

 constitute the most typical forms, and Phrissoma and 

 Cercpgklion appear more aberrant : the latter are peculiar 

 to the southern hemisphere. The Lhsonotince comprise 

 Megaderus, Tnichyderes, and other allied genera. They 

 are generally gaily marked insects, and are chiefly natives 

 of South America : their elytra are usually smooth and 

 shining; and frequently their thorax is very considerably 

 tuberculated, and the body somewhat depressed and at- 

 teimated posteriorly. A common characteristic of the 

 Capricornes, the elongation of the male antennae, is 

 found considerably developed amongst them. The ge- 

 nuine Cerambycince constitute but a small group, and 

 the typical genus is confined to the old world, where, 

 however, it has a wide distribution, occurring as far 



* Int. to Ent., iv. 587. 



u 2 



