.390 CLASS INSL.CTA. 



under the anterior angle of the corslet. The anterior legs 

 are often narrow, almost linear, and without denticulations. 

 The last upper semi-segment of the abdomen is curved 

 inferiorly, and appears to terminate it.* 



The other clavicornes have the feet inserted at an equal 

 distance from each other. Those of these coleoptera, in which 

 these organs are not contractile, or whose tarsi for the most 

 are refolded against the leg, which have the mandibles most 

 frequently projecting and flatted, or but little thick, and 

 whose prassternum is never dilated anteriorly, will compose 

 five other tribes. 



The third tribe of the family, that of Silphales, presents 

 five very distinct articulations to all the tarsi, and the man- 

 dibles terminated in an entire point, or without emargination 

 or fissure,-f- the antennae are terminated in a knob, most fre- 

 quently perfoliate, and of four or five articulations. The 

 jaws, in the majority, have one corneous tooth in the internal 

 side. The anterior tarsi are often dilated, at least in the 

 male. The elytra of the greater number have, at the external 

 edge, a gutter with a very strong edge. 



This tribe is composed of the genus 



SiLPHA, Lin. Peltis, Geoff. 

 In these the antennas terminate abruptly in a knob, short, 



♦ Dr. Leach refers to G. AbrcBus, the H. globosns, Payk. VIII. 2 ;—H. 

 minutus, ejusd. VIII. 1, and to his genus Onthophilus, the following: H. 

 striatus, Payk. ibid. XL 1 ; H. sulcatus, X. 8; H. hispidus of the same, XL 

 2, appears to be congenerous. The genus Ceutocerus of M. Germar, Insect. 

 Spec. Nov. I. p. 85, 1, 2, appears to come naturally after the histeroides, 

 from the form of the antennse, feet, &c., but the elytra cover the abdomen, 

 and the mandibles are not projecting. I have seen no individual of this 

 genus. 



-j- The internal side, however, sometimes presents denticulations, and 

 such are those of the spkerites. 



