THE DASYCERA. 301 



are completely at variance with those who have gone 

 before us ; and yet they have every appearance of coin- 

 ciding with every thing that we have hitherto written 

 upon the natural system. Thus encouraged, we have 

 had less scruple in giving them to the public ; and we 

 hope it may be instrumental in breaking up the present 

 disjointed and empirical mode of studying animals, and 

 more particularly insects : our great object will then be 

 accomplished. 



(272.) A few remarks upon the group we have 

 provisionally called Dafiycera will close our present 

 sketch of these capricorns. They (^Cosmisoma, Core- 

 mia, Disaulax, &c.) are commonly termed, by collectors, 

 hottle brushes, from the circumstance of a considerable 

 number having fascicles, or tufts of hairs, situated about 

 halfway on their antennae, and sometimes, though rarely, 

 on their hinder feet. These appendages, however, are 

 sometimes found in certain insects, which in all other 

 respects belong to the Lumiidce ; while in many of those 

 v/hich seem naturally situated among the Lepturidce, 

 there are great differences in all other parts of their 

 structure. Nothing but analysis, therefore, will de- 

 termine whether these resemblances are relations of 

 analogy or of affinity. In the mean time, however, we 

 cannot resist the belief that, between the StenocorincB on 

 one side, and the JVecydalince on the other, a large portion 

 of these insects will intervene, and constitute the most 

 aberrant sub-family of the floral capricorns. Those 

 which ai)pear to us the most typical, have the thorax 

 cylindrical, nearly half as long as the body, and always 

 smooth ; the head smaU, truncate, and sunk ; and all 

 these three parts are nearly of equal breadth throughout. 

 In this respect, they considerably resemble the Saperdce, 

 but in all other points are totally different. The legs 

 are slender, thighs very clavate, and the first tarsal joint 

 lengthened: the elytra are truncated and unarmed; but, 

 in such as show an affinity to the Stenocorince, they are 

 spiaed ; while in others, which remind us of the Necy- 

 dalince, the thorax is short, broadest in the middle, and 



