The males of this remarkable insect, like those of Lymexylon 

 (pi. .'38'2), are characterized by large and extraordinary palpi, 

 and the great length of the elytra renders it unnecessary for the 

 wings to be folded, or at most only at the apex ; but although 

 they agree in these respects, the serrated antennae of the ge- 

 nus before us will enable the student to distinguish it from 

 Lymexylon. 



I have on a former occasion given my reasons for placing 

 these insects with the Cantharichr, but at the same time if na- 

 tural affinities could be found aniony-st the Pentamera I should 

 prefer associating them with that tribe. Latreille places Hy- 

 leccetus, Ly?7iexylon, and Atradocerus between MalacJiius and 

 Tillus, and the Baron Dejean between the Clerida and the 

 PtinidcB. These are all timber-feeding genera, and the Hy- 

 lecoeti seem to be attached to the birch. 



H. dermestoides, although stated by Latreille to inhabit this 

 country, and recorded by Stewart as being found in old neg- 

 lected woods, was not considered an indigenous species until 

 last year, when Mr. Thomas Desvignes took six males and one 

 female on the 1st of May in Sherwood Forest, Nottingham- 

 shire, in that portion called Birkland Wood, near Ollerton. It 

 was about noon that he saw them flying round one of the old 

 Birch-trees, upon which they alighted and then ran quickly up 

 and down the bark. The only female he found was of a bright 

 ochreous colour ; several of the males had somewhat ferrugi- 

 nous elytra with their apex fuscous, like the one represented 

 in the plate ; but he took two entirely black, excepting the legs, 

 one of which he obligingly added to my Cabinet. 



The Plant is Actcca spicata, Herb Christopher, from spe- 

 cimens which Mr. T. Howson showed me growing at Mal- 

 ham Cove, Yorkshire. 



