47&- CLASS INSECTA. 



)rush. The first four articulations of the anterior tarsi are 

 dilated, and furnished with tufts underneath. One of the 

 hooks of all the tarsi is entire, and the other bifid. The an- 

 terior of the first two is accompanied at its base with a 

 corneous leaf, emarginated beneath, round at the end, form- 

 ing a sort of spur.* 



A second division of Xylophilus, and which will include 

 the family of Melolonthides of the younger Mr. Macleay, 

 has the following characters : the labrum is formed like a 

 transverse leaf, in general strongly emarginated underneath 

 in the middle, so that seen in front it has nearly the shape of 

 a reversed and semi-truncated heart. The mentum is as 

 long or longer than it is wide, a little narrowed near the top, 

 either subquadrate or nearly heart-shaped, the upper edge 

 is straight, either more or less emarginated, or concave in 

 the middle, but without a tooth-formed dilatation. The 

 jaws are commonly scaly and armed with many (in general five 

 or six) teeth. 



This division may be separated into two groups, one of 

 which will include G. melolontha of Fab., such as Illiger and 

 myself have restricted it ; and the other, Hoplia of the latter. 

 The first of these subdivisions may keep the name of Melo- 

 lonthides, and the other may receive that of Hoplides. 



We may thus describe the first : — The number of leaves 

 complete in the knob more than three in many ; body gene- 

 rally thick, mandibles strong, altogether or for the most part 

 corneous, having at most but one, membranaceous, downy, 

 appendix situate in the concavity or emargination of the inner 

 side, the upper extremity strongly truncated, with two or 



* Kirby Lin. Trans. XIL 401 ; Geniates barbatus, ibid. XXXL 8 ; 

 Melolontha obscitra, lanata, of Fab., the species named Nij,rifonSf by Mr. 

 Stevens, and described in the Synon. of the Insects of M. Schcenh, and 

 probably other species appear proper to form another sub-genus allied to 

 Geniates, but with the tarsi not dilated. 



