220 Mr. Westwood on the Affinities of Clinidium. 



situation with the remark, " Nonobstant le nombre des articles des tar- 

 " ses, ce genre parait se rapprocher des Cucujes et meme de certains 

 ** Brentes a trompe courts dans les deux sexes. Les habitudes sont les 

 " memes que celles des Xylophages." 



With regard to Clinidium, Mr. Kirby states, that " it exhibits also 

 " some general resemblance to the Rhynchophorous genus BrenfMs, which 

 " I believe is also a timber devourer, but it seems to me still nearer to 

 " Cucujus, Fab., as for instance, Cue. rufus, which has a pedunculated 

 " head, and another North American species, which, like Clinidium^ is 

 " pentamerous." 



The observations of Mr. Kirby upon its supposed relationship with the 

 other families mentioned by him, may, I think, be passed over in silence, 

 that acute entomologist having himself clearly shewn that they can 

 scarcely be regarded otherwise than as analogies. Its supposed affinity 

 to Brentus havhig also been noticed by Latreille, in reference to the 

 affinities of Rhysodes, is worthy of peculiar mention, but this, I must 

 admit, appears to me to be extremely slight, and also not to be regarded 

 otherwise than as an analogous resemblance. 



Hence I think we may take it for granted that we ought to look for the 

 immediate affinities of these insects amongst the Cucujida and the fami- 

 lies which are allied to that group ; and as the affinity of Rhysodes with 

 Colydium or Lyctus, or the family Xylophages of Latreille, is not very 

 immediate, as may be perceived from the observation of Dalman quoted 

 above, we must consequently direct our attention to the Cucujidce, and 

 the only characters which would separate the insects in question from 

 that family, as defined by Latreille, appear to be the pentamerous tarsi, 

 and the less depressed form of the body, since in almost every other 

 respect, if we consider either their structure or habits, they will be found 

 to agree, and even in regard to the tarsi, (as Mr. Kirby has shewn, and 

 as I hope even more satisfactorily to prove,) this difference does not, in 

 fact, exist ; with regard also to the less depressed form of the body, I 

 cannot consider this a character of sufficient importance to allow a sepa- 

 ration of insects otherwise intimately allied ; indeed it can only be re- 

 garded as indicative of the approach towards the more cylindric form of 

 the allied families. Still, however, it must be admitted, that this affinity 

 is not of that nature which might be termed immediate, but that there 

 are evidently some links in the chain yet to be supplied. 



