in the Tetramerous and Trimerous Cokoptera. Q5 



five sections : the^7-s^ consisting of Pentamera, or insects havint)- 

 five articulations to each of the tarsi of their six feet ; the second, 

 of Heteromera, or insects having five articulations to the tarsi of 

 the four anterior feet, and only four to those of the two last ; 

 the ^//»y/ consisting of Tetraniera, or insects having four articula- 

 tions to each of the tarsi of the six feet; the fourth, of Trimera, or 

 insects having each of the tarsi with only three articulations ; and 

 the fifth, OÏ Dimera, or insects possessing only two articulations 

 to each of the tarsi of the six feet. In the licgtie Animal we have 

 a sixth section added to these, called Monomera, the insects of 

 which are said to have only one joint to the tarsus. 



It is unfortunate for this system, that if it be considered as 

 an artificial one, in which all coleopterous insects are to find a 

 place, very little examination is sufficient to prove that multitudes 

 of Coleoptcra exist which are neither pentamerous nor monome- 

 rous, nor, in short, belonging to either of the above sections ; such 

 as, for instance, the typical species of Onitis, the males of which 

 appear to have no anterior tarsus* ; the genus Cryptophugiis'^, 

 where the males and females differ in the number of joints to 

 their tarsi ; the aquatic genus Iiydroporus%, which is said to have 

 four joints to the tarsi of the four anterior feet, and five to the 

 two last, &c. &c. : all of which ought to form, by parity of 

 reasoning, so many new sections. It is equally unfortunate that, 

 if this system be considered as a natural one, M. Latreille and 

 others of the more scientific entomologists who have adopted it, 

 appear to have set it at nought whenever it interfered too glaringly 



laiiy and in Samouelle's Compendium has most properly placed the Pselaphidce next 

 to the Staphi/HindfC. In the Ilonc Eiitomologicic, page 6, I attacked the system gene- 

 rally, showing it to be " bi/ no means naliiral." 



* Onitis Sphinx and its affinities, for instance. In (Jnitis Apelles and its affinities 

 we may, however, observe the tarsus ; but then these are species that go oft' to Oniti- 

 cellus. See Horcc Entom. p. 5Q. 



t Horcc Entomologicœ, p. 7. X Ibid. p. 7, note. 



VOL. XV. K with 



