Bkoun. — On Pericoptus trilncatus. 280 



these the intermediate is the most bulky, though the aincal is actually 

 longer than it, and tapers somewhat towards the extremity. The head, 

 including the mandibles, clypeus, and epistome, is more or less irregularly 

 rugose, its sculpture, however, becoming finer towards the base, where there 

 is an obvious longitudmal groove. The second and three terminal segments 

 are almost glabrous, the intervening ones being more or less studded with 

 short spiniform bristles, here and there intermingled with rather long hair- 

 like bristles ; these latter are also distributed over the surface of the other 

 segments, the apex of the last, moreover, bears more and coarser spines than 

 are to be seen elsewhere. The under-surface bears many bristles, but is 

 devoid of spmes. 



The maxillary palpi, including the basal articulation, are four-jointed, 

 the joints are cylindrical, the terminal being the longest and slightly 

 acuminate. The autennoB are more than twice the length of the palpi, 

 formed of four distinct articulations, the socket not being reckoned ; the 

 true second joint is a good deal longer than the others, and, like the first, 

 cylindrical, but obliquely cut away at the end ; the third joint is so placed 

 as to appear slightly forked, and is prolonged beyond the point of insertion 

 of the apical joint, which, therefore, is quite furcate, and has tw^o, more or 

 less evident, indentations at each side. The clypeus is transversal, nearly 

 truncate, and densely ciliated anteriorly. The eye is quite rudimentary, 

 being represented by a small oval elevation close to the antennal orbit. 

 The legs are rather long and robust, bent, coarsely hispid, and four -jointed, 

 with an additional articulation terminating in a large, broad, horny claw : 

 the second joint is short, and, doubtless, merges in the tibia of the perfect 

 insect. The sjnracles are situated at the sides of the second, fifth, sixth, 

 seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth segments. 



In my second and smaller example, the under-side is roughly carinated 

 longitudinally, and the terminal joint of one antenna seems as if cleft to its 

 base. On examining the joint carefully, I notice that the inner side of one 

 part is concave, and, consequently, adapted to receive the other. This 

 peculiarity of structure, most likely accidentally exposed to view, indicates 

 the presence of a rudimentary lamellated club, normally concealed by a 

 more or less tough film instead of the usual larval joint. 



This larva may be met with occasionally in the loose sand of the sea- 

 beach, under logs whose buried portion has become somewhat decomposed ; 

 but whether a certain stage of decay must have been reached before the 

 larva resorts to the log, or the female for the deposition of the egg, I am, as 

 yet, unable to state positively ; this much, however, is certain, that the 

 process of decomposition is greatly accelerated by the larva which gnaws 

 into the wood itself. The masticated wood having passed through its 



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