378 INSECTA. 



of their mandibles against the wood they inhabit, and mutually answer the 

 signal. Such is the cause of that noise, resembling the accelerated tick of a 

 watch, which is so often heard, and which is superstitiously called the death- 

 watch. 



A. tesselatum. Fab. Three lines in length; a dead dusky brown, with 

 yellowish spots formed by hau's; thorax smooth? elytra not striated. 



A. periinax. Blackish ; thorax with a yellowish spot at each posterior 

 angle, and near the middle of its base a compressed eminence divided an- 

 teriorly by a depression; elytra with punctured striae. According to De 

 Geer, it will permit itself to be roasted to death by a slow fire, rather than 

 exhibit the least sign of life when it is seized. 

 ■ There are other species. 



The third and last section of the Serricornes, forming also a last 

 tribe^ that of the Xylotrogi, is distinguished from the two preced- 

 ing ones, as we have already stated, by the entire freedom of the 

 head; and consists of the genus 



■'" '^ ■'''^LyMEXYiiON, Fab. 



.i I'.y.rti'- : -/ 

 Now consisting of Mractoeerus, Hylecoetus, Lymexylon, Cupes and Rhysodes. 



FAMILY lY, 



CLAVICORNES(l). 



In the fourth family of the penlamerous Coleoptera, as in the thirds 

 we find four palpi, and elytra covering the superior surface of the 

 abdomen, or its greater portion; but it differs in the antennas, which 

 are almost always tliicker at the extremity, that even frequently 

 forms a perfoliaceous or solid club; they are longer than the maxil- 

 lary palpi, and their base is exposed, or barely covered. The legs 

 are not natatory, and the joints of the tarsi, at least those of the 

 posterior ones, are usually entire. 



In their larva state, at least, they feed on animal matters. 



We will divide this family into two sections: the common charac- 

 ters of the first of w"hich are, antennse always composed of eleven' 

 joints, longer than the head, not forming from the third a fusiform 

 or nearly cylindrical club, and their second joint not dilated in the 



(1) Club -horned. 



