224 MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 
disposed across the back. The last segment has a pair of hooks at its termination. In 
some cases there are two additional hooks on the back of this segment. 
Stigmata.—Confined to the nine abdominal segments ; borne in some cases on conical 
projections along the margins, or in front of them near their base. 
Legs.—Terminated by a single claw. ١ 
I propose to recapitulate what is already known ‘regarding such larve as have been 
described, along with any additional information I’ may possess on the subject, in a 
separate chapter at the close of this Monograph. 
CLASSIFICATION OF THE FAMILY. 
The essential characters of the family may be anticipated from the foregoing résumé; 
they may be briefly summed up as follows :— 
Ventral segments free, five in number, the first visible both at the middle and sides ; 
some of the dorsal segments membranous. Antenne more or less clavate, but not geni- 
culate. Tarsi five-jointed, in general dilated; fourth article the smallest, usually very 
minute. Anterior coxe transverse, not prominent; anterior cotyloid cavities transverse, 
oblique, more or less open, and tapering towards the outer side. 
This diagnosis excludes Cybocephalus, the Ritizophagi, the Peltide and Trogositid 
which have by various authors been ranked as members of this family, but He 
although all closely allied to it, seem to me either deserving of being raised into distinct 
families themselves or placed elsewhere. I shall briefly state my reasons for this opinion. 
As to Cybocephalus, in the first place, although it possesses many of the characters of 
a Nitidula, it does not look like one. This may appear a very childish reason, but it is 
less so than it looks. Any one who has ever devoted himself to the study of any natural 
family knows that the members of it have all a sort of family resemblance, which he 
who has been constantly poring over them recognizes in an instant without examining 
a single organ. To my eye Cybocephalus wants this family resemblance. It has more the 
appearance of an Agathidium than a Nitidula, and on examination we find that the charac- 
ters of some of the parts which are usually considered of first importance differ from those 
of the Nitidularie. The thorax and the cotyloid cavities of the anterior coxze, although 
transverse, are not formed quite on the same plan. The figures 6 a and 6 û show their usual 
form in the Nitidularie ; fig. 16 shows their form in Cybocephalus. Then the tarsi differ 
in the number of articles. Cybocephalus has only four articles to the tarsi, Fig. 16; 
the Nitidularie have five: Erichson thought that there was a fifth article, os 
so extremely small as to be overlooked. Duval says there are only four, and (5 —— 
my examination confirms his. Duval’s extreme care and marvellous skill 
in minute dissection warrant me in relying on his conclusions*, the more f “yrocephatus 
so that I have had the advantage of seeing him make the dissections and ^ vore 
satisfying myself of the accuracy of his observation. Further, it is much smaller in size 
* The following are M. Duval's remarks :—“ Erichson, it is true, has thought that the tarsi of Cybocephalus con- 
sisted of five articles, of which the fourth was extremely small ; but he is certainly in error ; and it was easy to fall into 
it with insects so small and so difficult of examination on account of their form. I have assured myself with the 
greatest care, in three species and in the two sexes, that not even a rudimentary article existed at the base of the latter, 
and that oe the tarsi in point of fact consisted only of four articles." , . . ** For that verification I have made 
