COLEOPTERA. 127 
with brilliant and metallic colours; their body is smooth or destitute 
of hairs. They are mostly slow and timid, letting themselves fall to 
the ground the moment we attempt to seize them, or folding their 
antennze and feet close to their body. Several species are good 
jumpers. The females are extremely prolific. 
If we take into consideration the different habits of their larvee, 
we will find that the Cyclica are divided into four pricipal sections : 
1, Larvee covering their bodies with their excrement. 
2. Larvee inhabiting tubes which they drag about with chem. 
3. Naked larve. 
4, Larvee concealed in the interior of leaves, and feeding on their 
parenchyma: the Leaping Cyclica. 
Such are the principles on which we have proceeded in the arrange- 
ment of this family. We divide it into three tribes, according to the 
mode in which the antenne are inserted. 
In the first, or the CassipArncm, the antennz are inserted in the 
superior part of the head, and are approximated, straight, short, 
filiform, and almost cylindrical, or gradually enlarged towards the 
extremity. The mouth, altogether underneath, and with short and al- 
most filiform palpi, is sometimes arched (cintree), and sometimes partly 
received into the cavity of the praesternum. The eyes are ovoid or 
round. The legs are contractile and short, and the tarsi flattened ; 
the lobes of the penultimate joint completely inclose the last. 
The body being flat above, these Insects, owing to the disposition 
of their tarsi, are enabled to glue themselves to the surface of leaves, 
and to remain there without motion; besides this, the body is most 
commonly orbicular or oval, and overlapped all round by the thorax 
and elytra. The head is concealed under the thorax, or received into 
its anterior emargination. Their colours are various, and are prettily 
distributed in the form of spots, points, and streaks. Such of their 
larvee as are known to us cover themselves with their feeces. 
The Cassidarize are composed of two genera. In the first, or 
Hispa, Lin., 
The body is oblong, the head is entirely exposed and free, and the 
thorax forms a trapezium. The mandibles have but two or three 
teeth; the exterior maxillary lobe is shorter than the inner one; the 
antenne are filiform and pectinated anteriorly. 
Auurnus, Fab. 
The alurni, which Olivier does not distinguish from his Hispe, 
appear to differ from them only in the form of their mandibles, the 
superior extremity of which is prolonged into a stout and pointed 
tooth, and which, besides, exhibits a second but very short one on the 
inner side. 
The ligula is corneous. 
