64 FAMILIES OF PETALOCEBA WHICH LIVE 



eimilarity of construction in the genus Acanthocerus and 

 several of the Saprophagous Rectocera, such as Spharites 

 glabratus, {Hister glabratus F.) &c. But that character 

 which is as striking in the Saprophagous Rectacera as it 

 is in the three other cohunns forming the subject of this 

 work, — namely, the anterior tibiee being dentated, — is 

 often in the Trogidce, indistinct ; so that we have here an- 

 other proof of the absurdity of restricting nature to any 

 characters which are not obviously and directly founded 

 on the manner of living. 



Fam. V. DYNASTID^. 



Antennae articulis decern, hasilari longo, conico, hirsutoj se- 

 cundo subgloboso ; 3° 4" 5° et 6" brevissimis trans- 

 versis, paulo sensim latioribus ; tribus ultimis capi- 

 tulum triphyllum ovatum sapius breveformantibus. 



Labrum membranaceum, clypeo sepiusfere penitus occul- 

 tatiim, ejusque pagina infers adherens, margine 

 antico rotundato, sericeo pilorum fasckulo s&pius 

 Jimbriato. 



Mandibulse subtrigona, cornee, basi crassa, latere ex- 

 terno sepe eminulo, supra versus apicem concaves 

 vel ploTKE, subtus convexiusculcE. 



Maxillae dentate vel inermes, caule crustaceo, processu 

 unico, corneo vel coriaceo, hirsuto vel setoso. 



Palpi maxillares articulo basilari minimo. 



Palpi labiales menti versus apicem inserti. 



Mentum pilosum, convexum, elongatum, labium occulians, 

 apice obtuso vel iruncato. 



Caput subtrigonum ; clypeo sepe cornuto. Coi-pus sultus 



