372 IXSECTA. 



in the thorax, and the maxillary palpi are never at the same 

 time so much projected and clavate; the ensemble of their 

 physiognomy also exhibits other differences. 



The. genus Hister forms our second tribe, which, with ba- 

 ron Paykull, who has so profoundly studied it, we will name 

 the HisTEHOiDEs. Here the four posterior legs are more 

 remote from each other at base than the two anterior, a cha- 

 racter alone that distinguishes this tribe from all others of the 

 same family. The legs are contractile, and the outer side of 

 the tibiae is dentated or spinous. The antcnnse are always ge- 

 niculate, and terminated by a solid club composed of crowded 

 joints. The body is extremely firm, and usually forms a square 

 or parallelopiped ; the praesternum is frequently dilated ante- 

 riorly, and the elytra are as often truncated. The mandibles 

 project, are strong, and frequently unequal as to size. The 

 palpi are almost filiform, or slightly enlarged near the end, 

 and terminated by an oval or ovoid joint. 



In habits, the dentations of their tibia?., and some other 

 characters, these Insects seem to approach the Coprophagi 

 Lamellicornes, but from other considerations, founded on their 

 anatomy, they approximate to the Silphai — silch also is the 

 opinion of M. Dufour, Ann. des Sc. Nat., Octob. 1824. The 

 alimentary canal of the species he dissected — the siniiatus — 

 is from four to five times the length of the body. The oeso- 

 phagus is very short; the oblong enlargement that imme- 

 diately follows exhibits through its parietes certain brownish 

 lines, which seem to indicate the existence of internal tritu- 

 rating appendages ; if this be the case, the enlargement is en- 

 titled to the appellation of gizzard ; the chylific ventricle is 

 very long, flexed, and studded with pointed and very salient 

 papilla?. The hepatic vessels have six distinct insertions round 

 the chylific ventricle — Ibid. July 1825. Randohr reduces 

 their number to three, so that each of them would have two 

 insertions : but such a disposition of their vessels is doubtful. 



has detected the S. davatus, Gyll., in an Ant-hill near Paris. This fact, with some 

 others, confirms me in my opinion that these Insects, with the Pselaphii, imme- 

 diately follow the Brachelytra. 



