ORDER COLEOPTERA. 385 



coleoptera for the most part aquatic, and whose antennas liave 

 never more than nine articulations. 



The first section will comprehend many small tribes. 



The first, that of Palpatores, it appears to us, ought to 

 come, in a natural series, near the pselaphi, and the coleop- 

 tera of the family of brachelytra, from their organs of man- 

 ducation. Their antennse, at least as long as the head and 

 corslet, grow a little thick towards the end, or are almost 

 filiform, with the first two articulations longer than the fol- 

 lowing. The head is ovoid, and distinguished from the 

 corslet by a strangulation. The maxillary palpi are long, 

 advanced, and swelled towards their extremity. The abdo- 

 men is large, ovaliform or ovoid, and embraced laterally by 

 the elytra. The feet are elongated, the thighs in a knob, and 

 the articulations of the tarsi entire. 



These insects remain on the ground, under stones, or other 

 bodies. Some of them {Scydmcenus) frequent humid places. 

 We shall unite them into a single genus, that of 



Mastigus. 



Mastigus, Hoff*. Ptinus, Fab. 



Have the antennae composed of articulations having almost 

 the form of an inverted cone, the first of which is very long, 

 and the final ones but little thicker than the others. The 

 last two of the maxillary palpi compose an ovaliform knob. 

 The corslet is almost of an ovoid figure. The abdomen is 

 ovaliforn. {Mastigus palpalis, Lat. Gen. Crust, et Insect. I. 

 281, viii. 5. Schoen. Sym. Ins I. ii. p. 59, and Kllig. Entom. 

 Mon. p. 163.) 



ScYDMOETsrus, Latr. Gill. Pselaphus, Illig. Payk. Anthicris, 



Fab. 



Have the antennae grained, sensibly swelled towards their 



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