202 



CoLEOrTERA.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-TiGEK Beetles. 



segments, of which the first is the largest, and may be 

 considered as a ceplulothorax. In this state the males 

 are easily distinguished from the females. The cephalo- 

 thoras of the male larva is conical and arched, and the 

 last segment of the body is straight and pointed. In 

 tlie females the cephalothorax is truncated or rounded 

 in front, and flattened or scale-like in the rest of its 

 extent, and the terminal segment of the body is large 

 and rounded." 



Professor Westwood exhibited at the Entomological 

 Society, in 1858, a mutilated strepsipterous insect 

 (J^Iyrmecolax), taken by Sir. Nietuer of Ceylon, as it 

 was issuing out of the body of a Ceylonese ant. In 

 this genus the antennae are remarkably large. On Plate 

 4 are figured six species of the males of these very 

 curious insects. — Fig. 16 is the Xenos vesparum of 

 Rossi, found in Italy on a species of Polistes common 

 around Florence. It was tlie first discovered species. 



Figs. 12, 14, and 17 belong to the genus Stylops of 

 Kirby. Fig. 12 is the Stijlops Kirhii; fig. 14, the 

 Stylops mdlltm; fig. 17, Slylops Dalit, named after 



J. C. Dale, Esq., of Glanville's Wootton, Dorset, who 

 dicovered it and other species of Strepsiptera. 



Fig. 13 is the curiously-jjcctinatcd horned Halicto- 

 pluKjus Curtisii, named by Jlr. Dale after John Curtis, 

 Esq., whose superb work on "British Entomology," 

 with its truly admirable figures of insects and beautiful 

 British plants, has not been surpassed in any work on 

 natural history. 



Fig. 15 is the Elenchus Walhcri, named by Mr. 

 Curtis after Francis Walker, Esq., a most amiable, 

 intelligent, and dihgent British entomologist. 



Note. — It is my opinion, that in reality every order 

 has, like Scotland and England, its " dehateahle ground," 

 and that Strepsiptera are neither Coleoptera nor a dis- 

 tinct order, but connect Coleoptera with Hymenoptera; 

 and so the Forficulfe connect the Coleoptera with the 

 Orthoptera ; the Perlse connect the Ortboptera with the 

 Neuroptera ; the Pliryganefc, or Trichoptera, and the 

 Neuroptera with the Lepidoptera; and so on. I fancy I 

 could show it in Myriapoda, Arachuida, and Crustacea. 



Order— COLEOPTEKA (Beetles). 



These insects belong to an order called Coleoptera, 

 from two Greek words for " a sheath " and " wings," the 

 latter appendages being generally covered by, or con- 

 cealed beneath, two hard cases which protect them. 

 In the Stag beetles they are very apparent, and meet 

 close on the back, having generally a straight suture or 

 •)dge. Coleoptera vary in their antennae: compare the 

 thread-like antenna of the Tiger beetle with the leaf- 

 plated organ possessed by the Cockchafer. Some have 

 tlie antennae immensely long, as in the Longicorns. 

 The antennae are organs of a sense probably but little 

 understood, hearing, feeling, and some third sense as yet 

 unknown to man — a sense, which enal'les a shrimp to 

 see, to smell, to catch its food. In the antenna; lies 

 the "free-masonry" of the ants; they salute each other 

 with these, like soldiers on guard giving the pass- 

 word. The antennae are as wonderful as they are 

 different ; you may see this in two Water beetles, easily 

 obtained, Dytiscus and Hydrous. There is much atten- 

 tion requisite to observe these differences, if you are one 

 who wishes to attend to tliem with discrimination, or in 

 other words, " scientifically." 



In the feet, you will find that most beetles have five 

 joints, but otliers have only four on the foot of the hind 

 legs, as in Blaps and Tenebrio. Longicorns have only 

 four apparent, while Lady-birds have only three joints 

 to the tarsus. 



1 felt inclined to begin with the Brachelytra, and 

 then to have taken the Adephaga, and tried to form a 

 new arrangement ; but a popular work is not the 

 place for that purpose. I will, however, alter the 

 situation of some of the groups, such as Dreniidtr, 

 which I consider to be Longicorns. I adopt, in great 

 measure, the Latreillian system. 



M. Lacordaire's work on Genera is a monument of 



industry and ability. He has made it comparatively 

 easy now to class Coleoptera, and to ascertain at one 

 view what has been done, by his references to species. 



Section— PENTAMEPA. 



We are indebted to the French naturalist for an 

 easy, though not always strictly correct way, of divid- 

 ing Coleoptera into sections. This is by counting the 

 joints of their feet or tarsi. In the first section called 

 Pentamera,* all the tarsi have five joints, while in the 

 other sections a diflerent numeration obtains. 



SuB-SECTioK— ADEPHAGA. 



The Adephagous beetles are all predaceous in their 

 character, some getting their prey on the ground, and 

 others in the water. The outer lobe of the maxillae 

 is distinct and articulated, " so that these insects have 

 been ordinarily stated to possess six palpi; one pair 

 being attached to the lower lip, and a pair to each of 

 the maxilla;, as though the gluttony of these insects 

 required an additional organ.''f The antennfe and legs 

 are long and slender, and the tarsi of the front legs are 

 generally dilated in the males. The Tiger beetles, 

 the Ground beetles, and the Water beetles, belong to 

 this group, which is widely scattered over the world ; 

 and although the colours of the greater part of the 

 species are dull, black, and deep brown, yet many of 

 them are brilliant green, and otlier brighter colours, 

 and they are frequently beautifully varied with Imes 

 and spots of yellow and white. 



* Uivri, five, aTid fiE^of, a part or division, 

 f Westwood ; Modern Classification, vol. i. p. 45. 



