39^ THE BLOSSOM EATER* 



Genus XXVII.— M^/o^. T:he BloJ/bm Eater, 



Jn the firfl edition of the Sjftem of Nature, there were 

 only one fpecies of this genus taken notice of j in the 

 later improvements of that celebrated work, there are 

 fixteen kinds of thefe animals enumerated ; while, per- 

 haps, a ftill greater number remains to engage the re- 

 fearches of future hiftorians. This lingular tribe, con- 

 tains in it the genuine cantharis, or blidering fij, and is 

 diftinguifhed bj having moniliform antennae, with the 

 laft. articulation of an oval ihape. In all thefe infe£ts the 

 hefid is inflefted and gibbous ; the thorax round ; and the 

 elytra flexible *. 



The infefts of this genus are either winged or apte- 

 rous ; 111 the former, the elytra are fhort, extending a- 

 bout half the length of the abdomen : In the latter, thefe 

 parts reach the whole length of the body, and conceal 

 under them two (lender wings ; In all of them the anten- 

 nae refemble a necklace, compofed of a number of fmall 

 rings ; thofe of the middle larger than thofe near either 

 extremity. 



Meloe profcarabseus f . This infeft is foft to the touch, 

 and of a deep black, with a flight Ihade of purple towards 

 the under part of the body. The feet and the antennae 



are 



* Syftema Nat. p- 679. f Mowffet Edit. lat. j6%. 



