568 INSECTA. 



Individuals, very different as to colour, are sometimes found 

 in coitu — the result of this intercourse, however, has never been 

 observed. 



C. 7-punctata, L.; Oliv., Col, VI, 98, i, 1. Length, three 

 lines; black; elytra red, with three black dots on each and a 

 seventh, common to both, underneath the scutellum. The most 

 common species in France. 



* C. 2-puncUita, L. ; Oliv., lb., vii, 104. All black, with a short, 

 red, transverse band on the elytra(l). 

 There, the body is much flattened, in the form of a shield, and 

 the head is concealed under an almost semicircular thorax. The 

 antennae present distinctly but nine joints, and terminate in an elon- 

 gated club. The joints of the tarsi are entire. The praesternum 

 forms a sort of chin-cloth anteriorly. 

 Such are the characters of the genus 



Clypeaster, Andersch. — Cossyphus, Gyll. 



They are found under the bark of trees, and under stones(2). 



FAMILY III. 



PSELAPliII(3). 



These Insects, which constitute our third and last family of 

 the Trimera, in their sliort and truncated elytra that only 

 cover part of the abdomen, bear a certain resemblance to the 

 Brachelytra, and particularly to the Aleocharae,. This last 

 part of their body, however, is much shorter, wide, very ob- 

 tuse and rounded posteriorly. The antennae, terminated by 

 a club or thicker towards the extremity, sometimes consist of 

 but six joints. The maxillary palpi are usually very large. 



(1) For the other species, see Oliv., lb.; Schoenh., Synon. Insect., II, p. 151, 

 and Gyllenh., Insect. Suec. The genera Scymnus and Cacidula, separated from 

 the preceding one, do not appear to me to be sufficiently distinct from it. 



(2) See Schocnherr and Gyllenhall. One species, the C- pusillus, Dej., is figured 

 by Ahrens in his Faun. Insect. Europ., fascic, VIII, t. X. 



(3) But few Insects are now so well known as these. For this knowledge we 

 are chiefly indebted to the zeal and labours of MM. Reichenbach (Monog. 

 Pselaph.), Muller (Mag. Entom. Germ.), Leach (Zoolog. Misc.), and Gyllenhall — 

 Insect. Suec, IV. 



