DERMESTJ D.E. THROSCUS. 119 



horns, pointed and directed backwards, and at the tip of the same 

 ring is a truncate fleshy wart, serving as a seventh leg to the 

 animal when in motion: — they change their skin many times; and 

 when about to change into pupae they construct a cocoon of the 

 refuse of the materials upon which they have been feeding : — they 

 are extremely destructive to collections of natural history and to 

 the stores of furriers, &c, their voracity being very great ; and, in 

 feeding, they not only devour the skins of animals, but totally 

 divest them of hair : they also attack the dead bodies of animals of 

 all kinds, consuming all the fleshy and tendinous parts, and leaving 

 nothing but the mere skeleton remaining : they occur every where, 

 and are extremely difficult to guard against by reason of their com- 

 parative minuteness ; they are, however, of great importance in 

 the economy of nature, by assisting so extensively in the destruction 

 of animal remains, in destroying those portions that are left un- 

 touched by the larvae of the Scatophagse, &c , which do not touch 

 the skin or tendons : they are usually concealed within the sub- 

 stance of the animal, rarely appearing upon the surface ; and when 

 disturbed they quit their retreat with apparent fear, and walk 

 timidly and irregularly, and if touched instantly remain quiet, re- 

 tracting their antennae and legs. 



The indigenous genera of this family may be thus characterized : 



fsequales. Palpi articulo fbilobo: . 169. Thuoscus. 



ultimo subsecuriformi : Tarsi | 

 Antennae I articulo penultimo \ 



thorace ' | 



[simplici: . 171. Ctesias. 

 I fbreviores: . . 170. Dermestes. 



^breviores. Pa-pi | 

 fili formes, maxil- \ 



lares caaxiljis | longiores, ar- f ovato-truacato: 172. Megatoma. 

 L, ticulo ultimo -{ 



(_elongato-ovato, 



attenuate : 173. Attagenus. 



Genus CLXIX. — Throscus, Latreille. 



Antennas pilose, as long as the thorax, during repose concealed in grooves beneath 

 the sides of the latter, the basal joint robust, subovate; the second less robust, 

 elongate-quadrate ; the six following smaller, subglobose; the remainder form- 

 ing an elongate, perfoliate club, dilated on the inner edge, the basal joint of 

 which is obovate-truncate, the second transverse, the terminal conical, with its 

 apex acute. Palpi short, clavate, the terminal joint somewhat securiform : head 

 obtuse, deflexed, inserted up to the eyes in the thorax, the latter subtrapezi- 

 form, broadest at the base, which is lobate, with the hinder angles produced 

 Mandirulata. Vol. III. 15th Aug. 1830. K 



