430 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol XVII. 



the top are thus brought together. These beetles aTe usually shining 



black in colour and are abundant in decaying wocd in tropical forests. 



The larvee appear to have only four legs, 



the first pair being short processes which 



are used to produce sounds by scraping over 



striated surfaces on the next pair. Very 



little is at present known about these insects 



in India. I have however a few notes about 



some of the common species. Leptaulax 



dentalis ( Fig. 92 left ) is a beetle with 



Fig. 92.— Leptaulax dentalis . . 



(Bhutan) ( left ). Basilianus a black shining thorax and longitudinally 



andamanensis (Andaman Is- . . , , , T . . . , . . .. , 



lands) QrigM). ridged elytra. It is abundant m rotten wood 



in the Assam Duars and submontane tracts of Bhutau. I have taken 

 it plentifully in rotting trunks of ' sal' [Shorea), ' semul' (Bombaos), etc. 

 Basilianus andamanensis is a large shining black beetle with heavily lon- 

 gitudinally striate elytra. 

 It is said to be common in 

 rotting wood in the Anda- 

 man Islands (Fig. 92 

 right). Pleurarius brachy- 

 phyllus (Fig. 93 left) has 

 been taken by the writer 

 in decaying stumps in the 

 Ootacamund Hill in S. 

 India. Tceniocerus bicuspis 



(Fig. 93 right) is a smaller 



".__, : Fig. 93. — Pleurarius bracbyphyllus (Ootacamund 



species trom felkkim. Hills) (lefty Tajniocerus bicuspis QSikkhim) (r%gM). 



Fam. II. Lucanidse (Stag-beetles). 



The stag-beetles are well known owing to the enormous horns pre- 

 sent on the head. These horns are really greatly developed mandibles, 

 and are only present in the male beetle. Upper lip is small and the 

 mentum is not cleft. The antennal end consists of a fixed cone, which 

 is rigid and does not open and elose (Fig. 916). The reason for or use 

 made of the extraordinary development of the mandibles in the male is 

 still in dispute. Very few close observations of the insects would appear 

 to have been made. The horns are at times as long as the rest of the 

 insect and are armed with formidable projections or teeth. The elytra 



