COLEOPTERA. 371 



section are aquatic or shore Insects, thus leading to the Pal- 

 picornes, most of which inhabit water, and whose antennae 

 never consist of more than nine joints. 



The first section will comprise several small tribes. The 

 first, that of the Palpatores, in a natural series, should be 

 placed near the Pselaphii and Brachelytra(l). Their anten- 

 nae, which are, at least, as long as the head and thorax, slightly 

 enlarge towards the extremity, or are nearly filiform; their 

 two first joints are longer than the following ones. The head 

 is distinguished from the thorax by an ovoid strangulation. 



The maxillary palpi project, are long and inflated at the 

 extremity. The abdomen is large, oval or ovoid, and em- 

 braced laterally by the elytra. The legs are elongated, thighs 

 clavate, and tarsial joints entire. 



These Insects remain on the ground, under stones and other 

 bodies. Some — the Scydmseni — frequent wet places. We 

 will unite them in a single genus, that of 



Mastigus. 



Mastigus, Hoff. — Ptinus, Fab. 



Joints of the antennae nearly in the form of a reversed cone, the 

 first very long and the last ones hardly thicker than the others; the 

 two last joints of the maxillary palpi forming an oval club; thorax 

 almost ovoid; abdomen oval(2). 



ScYDM^NUs, Lat. Gyll. — Pselaphus, lUig. Payk. — ^nthicus, Fab. 



Antennae granose, sensibly inflated towards the extremity, and but 

 slightly geniculate; maxillary palpi terminated by a very small and 

 pointed joint; thorax nearly globular; the almost ovoid abdomen 

 shorter in proportion than in Mastigus(3). 



In all the following Clavicornes the head is generally sunk 



(1) An approximation which appears to us to result from the organs of mandu- 

 cation and the habits. 



(2) Mastigus 2)alpalis, Lat, Gener. Crust, et Insect., i, 281; viii, 5. See Schoenh. 

 Synon. Insect, 1, ii, p. 59, and KlUg, Entom. Monog., p. 163. 



(3) Scydmaenus Helwigii, Fab.; Notoxus minutus, Panz., Faun. Insect. Germ. 

 XXIII, 5; — S. Godarti, Lat., I, viii, 6; — S. hirticollis? Gyll.; — S. minutus. Id.; 

 ^nihictis minutus. Fab. See Schoenherr, Synon. Insect. I, ii, p. 57- M. Duros, of 

 the King's body-guard, who is peculiarly fortunate in discovering small species, 



