upon the British Elateridcz. 17 



known) in the arrangement of this fine family.* There are also 

 characters to be derived from the trophi, the antennce, the ster- 

 num and the feet, as shown by Latreille; and if the antennae could 

 be depended upon, it would be most desirable to make them a 

 leading secondary character, as the mouth is often so concealed 

 that without dissection it is impossible to get a view of the pal|)i. 

 One objection apparently in adopting the antennae to furnish 

 generic characters is, that they not only vary specifically, but they 

 differ in the sexes. Such being the case, the female antennae 

 must not be disregarded ; and I expect, if well analyzed, many of 

 the genera would subside into more useful sections. A mono- 

 graph on the Elateridcc would be an enterprise that would well 

 reward any one who had the leisure to undertake such a labour 

 of love, if the task were executed faithfully. I believe no one at 

 present has gone beyond parcelling the British species into some- 

 what imaginary groups ; and the best sketch I have met with of 

 the sections of our British species was published in Mr. West- 

 wood's Modern Classification. 



I will only add, as it may not be generally known to Entomo- 

 logists, that in my Reports published in the " Journal of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of London," I have entered at great length 

 upon the economy of the Wire-worms; and the better to illustrate 

 their history, figures and elaborate dissections are given of them, 

 as well as of ten species of Elaters, and several of their larvaj, 

 with the parasitic insects which infest them in the wire-worm and 

 the imago state. "j" 



* Vol. i. 3rd Series, p. 43, PI. 2, No. 3. 



t Vol.v. p. 180—237, and Plates I and J. Vide also Morton's "Cyclopedia 

 of Agriculture" and " Catalogue des Larves des Coleopteres," par M. F. Chapuis 

 and M. E. Candeze, p. 141, 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IL 



Fig. L Ectiniis aterrimus, Linn. 



1 a, the antenna; 1 b, front view of head. 

 Fig. 2. Ectinus? gcigates, Cuit. 



2 c, the antenna; 2 J, front view of head. 

 Fig 3. Nov. Gen.? puiicto-lineatui, Peleiin. 



3e, the antenna ; 3/, front view of head. 

 Fig. 4, Elater nigrinus, Payk. 



4g, the antenna ; 4/i, front view of head. 

 Fig. 5. Apliilai-sus marititnus, Curt. 



5 /, the antenm ; 5 k, front view of head. 

 Fig. 6. Cardiophorusformosus, Cutt. 

 Fig. 7. AplotarsHS? cothunialus. Curt. 



11, the antenna; 7m, front view of head. 



N.B. All the figures are mapnified and drawn from specimens in the Author's 

 Collection; the cross lines showing the dimensions of the Elalers. 



VOL. HI. M. S. TART I. —JULY, 1854. - C 



