218 MANDIBULATA. COLEOPTERA. 



Sc. inermis. Martyn, pi. 4. f. 35. — Or.? inermis. Steph. Catal. 115. No. 

 1185. 



The entire body above pitchy-black, smooth : antenna? ferruginous : the an- 

 terior margin of the clypeus elevated, dentate: thorax very convex, with 

 scattered impressions ; the middle of the anterior margin with a short obtuse 

 horn, behind which is an excavation : elytra rugose-striated, with impressed 

 dots: abdomen beneath ferruginous, pilose: legs also ferruginous, dusky 

 exteriorly. 



Marsham describes this species as being in the collection of the 

 late Mr. Beckwith (now incorporated into that of the Zoological 

 Society) ; and a pair are in Mr. Kirby's cabinet, who has also 

 specimens, I believe, from the south of Europe. 



Family XXX.— MELOLONTHID^, MacLeay. 



Antenna? nine- or ten-jointed, the basal joint conic, elongate; the capitulum 

 elongate, composed of from three to seven lamella. Labrum with the anterior 

 margin exposed, sometimes thickened and deeply emarginate beneath : man- 

 dibles stout, corneous hidden, beneath the clypeus : maxilla short, with a cor- 

 neous process within : palpi, maxillary prominent, with the terminal joint 

 ovate or oval, and a little thickened : mention inflected : head subquadrate ; 

 clypeus divided by a transverse suture before the eyes : thorax subquadrate : 

 scutellum distinct : body subconvex, ovate : elytra shorter than the abdomen : 

 legs slender ; tibia not dilated. 



The stout mandibles and corneous dentate maxillse of the insects 

 comprised in this family are admirably calculated for their method 

 of feeding ; their food consisting in their perfect state of living 

 vegetable matter, chiefly the leaves of trees, which they devour 



t Sp. 2. Juvencus. Piceus, thorace antics impresso mucronato, clypeo subemar- 



ginato. 

 Geo. Juvencus. Fabric/us. — Dy. Juvencus. Wilkins' Catal! — Dy. ? Juvencus. 



Steph. Catal. 115. No. 1185. note. 



Pitchy: clypeus rounded, with a transverse elevated striga in the middle: 

 thorax rounded, punctate, black, anteriorly with a small impressed point, 

 and beneath this a very short mucro ; elytra crenate-striate : body pilose. 



In the printed catalogue of the rare insects contained in Mr. Wilkins' cabinet) 

 a reference is made to this insect, as here quoted, but I presume the species 

 last described is intended, which were it not for its locality I should con- 

 ceive synonymous. 



