PRIONIDiE. 225 



second joint is eccentric, not being placed upon tlie apex of the 

 first, — the remaining joints are also elongate, — the acuteness of the 

 terminal joint of the palpi, and the slightly emarginated labium : — 

 the species are found beneath bark, chiefly of the oak. 



Sp. 1. flavipes. Nigro-picea, opaca, punctatissima, antennis pedibusque rufes- 

 centibus, thorace lateribus denticulate, angulo antico producto. (Long. corp. 

 Silin.) 



Br. flavipes. Fahricius. — Ul. flavipes. Steph. Catal. 195. No. 2014. 



Dusky or fuscous, obscure: with the antennae, mouth, and legs rufescent: head 

 with two longitudinal impressions on the front: thorax cordate-quadrate, 

 rugulose, with the lateral margins denticulated, the anterior angles pro- 

 duced : elytra punctate-striate, with an elevated carina running parallel with 

 the margins. 



The male has the outer side of the mandibles furnished with a strong hornlike 

 process. 



The only indigenous specimen I have seen of this singular insect, 

 I found in a mutilated condition in June, 18B0, in a window in my 

 own parlour at the Hermitage : it had previously been taken. 



Family XLVI.— PRIONID^, Leach. 



Body elongate, convex : antenntB inserted near the base of the mandibles, mo- 

 derate, setaceous, sometimes moniliform, or with the articulations cylindric- 

 conic, serrated in the males. Labrum minute, or obsolete : mandibles stout, 

 horny, sometimes large, porrect and dentate within, with the apex acute, 

 curved : maxillw stout, with a single or two small processes at the base : head 

 exserted : eyes emarginated : thorax transverse : legs stout, anterior generally 

 longer than the middle : tarsi testaceous, the three basal joints spongy be- 

 neath, the penultimate bilobed. 



The Prionidse are amongst the largest of the British coleoptera, 

 and in common with the insects of this subsection their larvae subsist 

 in decaying trees : — two genera alone are indigenous *, which may 

 be thus distinguished by external characters : — 



TAoram latera mutica ; awtozwo? breves : . 364. Spondylis. 



dentata, aut spinosa : . . 365. Prionus. 



* The genus Acbocinus of Illiger has been captured at large in Britain; 

 but as that genus is exclusively Brazilian, or South American, I shall take no 

 further notice, other than remarking, that the A. accentifer, Olivier, — Steph. Cat. 

 412. JVo. 2016 * note, was found on Tower-hill, London, about twenty-five 

 years since: it had most unquestionably escaped from on board some South 

 American vessel. 



S2 



