Their larva: are very injurious, aud hear a f^q-cat rcscinljlaucc to those of the Scarabtei ; their body, 

 wliich is generally curvcil, is soft and vvhitish, "\\illi the iiead and feet hrown and scaly; their mandibles 

 are strong ; they construct, with lhc fragment of the materials they have gnawed, a cocoon, in which 

 they change to 1)li|)ic. Other species t:tke u[t tlieir abode in old wood-stakes or under stones : iu otliL-r 

 respects their habits are similar. Such are ihe general characters of the genus 



pTiNUs, Linn. 

 Some have the front of the Imdy narrower than the abdomen, and the antenna:; simjdc or slightly 

 serrated, and at least as long as the hndy. 



Ptiin/s, Linn., has the antennas inserted below the eye^, and thn hmly is ohlong. These insects frequent houses, 

 and especially granaries, and the uninhabited portions <'( thr fnrnirr. Their larva: devonr dried plant?, and the 

 prepared dry skins of animals. The antenna' of tlie males are lon'^-er tlian those of the feniaies^ and in n;any 

 siiecies the latter are win:;less. Pf. fur, Linn. 



Glhbium, Scop., has the antenna; inserted in front of the eyrs, and the body is short, nearly ^lobnhir. FLscoluia, 

 Pt. sidcatusy Fabr. [This last is the type of Leach's j^enus C/'-/i/'n/i, h.-ivjn;^'- the thorax sulcated,] 



The others have the body either oval or ovoid, or nearly eylimbic ; the tliorax as broad as the abdomen ; the 

 antennce either uniform and serraleil, or pectinated, or tei'miniited by three lai-ye joints ; they are alsu shorter than 

 the body. 

 Ptiiiiuts, GeolT., has the male antenna; stronir'y pectinated, and llie female serrated. Pt. jicctiniconils, Fabr. 

 Xi/lcCinus, Latr., and Ochlnn, Zeigi., have the antenna; simply serrated in both sexes. 



Dorcatonin, Hei'hst., has tlie antennre suddenly terminated by three lar;::e joints, and only 9-jninted. JJ. drcs- 

 deitsis, Herbst. 

 Anoblum, Fabr., has the antenna: also terminated liy three hn^e joints, biif they are ll-jointed. Many species 



of this i;eiia.s inhabit the inteiior of onr houses, where they do nim'h 

 injnry, in the larva state, by ;,Tia\viiig furniture, books, &:c., ■\-\hii;h they 

 pierce with little round holes, like those made by a line drill. Their 

 excrementforms the fine white powder observed in the holes of worm- 

 eaten wuoil. either larva; feed upon flowers, wafers, collections of birds, 

 iiiseels, &e. The two sexcs, when caUinj;" each other during the period 

 of ilii'ir amiiurs, beat with their jaws upon the wood-work on which 

 they are stationeil, for a succession of times, mutually replyinf^ to each 

 other. This is the cause of the noise, similar to the quickened ticking; 

 1 ti; ni — .\..ui.u.ii^'-i^rt_.i|.m. ii^jurtii si/c ,iri.i of a v\ .'itch , u liirh is oftcn heard [especially in uld liou.-es], and >\hiLh 



has reei.-i\ed from the superstitious the nanie of the Death-watch. 

 Anobntm fiiymiiim, Oliv. (A. pcrt'niax, Fabr.), is of an uniform brownish-black colour, and is very common in houses. 

 A. periinax, Linn, [derives its specific name from the pertinacity with which it maintains its attempLat deception], 

 preferring, aeeorthm,^ to De Geer, to sull'er death under a slow fire, rather than give the lea^t siiiu of life. 



also a last tribe — that of the Xijlo/ror/i — is 

 celidMs, bv having tlic head entirely iVee, and 

 lis duide: — 



(lent ;inil brusli-like in the males, tenniiialMl by a 

 -htly Ihieknird at tlie middle. 

 e anteunEe cumpreKsed, siib-faslfoian ; tlu- llnMax 



The tldrd and last section of ihe Scrricnrnes, forming 

 distinguished, as above stated, from the twr. iireeeding s( 

 is composed of the gcnns Li/n/f\ri//oii, Falir., wlncli we tin 



Some ba\e t)i!- maxillary palpi imicb louirer ; the hdiial prn 

 lar^'c ovoid joint in tlie females; Ihe antinna: are stioit. mnl ; 



Ali-'irlui'i-ni.^, I'alis de [irauv., has the elytra very niiunle; 

 i^qiiare. and tlte abdnnien depre.-scd. A. nrrinhiloidr.^. I'al. (luin^ a. 



lh//ra»'/H.s; Lah'., has tlic elytra nearly as long as the ab(h:nncn, ihe nntenn.T rompresseil, and the tburax ne 

 etpeire. //. ih-roirslokles, Linn. Inhabits Germany, Fn,e;land, and (lie north (U'Lurope. 



Li/iiir.<'//o/>, Fjbr.. diflVrs from the last in havinff the antenn;e simple and sub-mmdUfnrm, and thethurax n^. 

 cylindrical. L. naralr, Isibr. This insect is very common in the oak forests of the nm Ih uf I'.nmiie, bnt r;ir 

 the nriirhlionrhnnd (if I'arls [and in En;,^land]. It.s larva is very lunu', almost like a Fihnia. Smne time a-. 

 multir.lied to such an extent m the dock-yards at Tonhm Miat the injuries it eonunitted in the wood-wn 

 very ;j:reat. 



The others have the maxillary palpi very short, and alike in both sexes. The antenna are always sin;ple, and <if 

 equal thickness throuG;hout. 



Cuprs, Fabr., has the antenn;e composed uf nearly eylimlrieal joints, and the penuUmiale joint of the tarsi is 

 bilobed. C. capifata, Fabr. North America. 



Rlujsoiles, Latr., has tlie antenna; raoniliform, and ad the joints of the tarsi are entire. K. cA<ii-ahis, l\'ihn. Nnt- 

 withstandim,'- the number of joints in the tarsi, this ^-enus approaches tv* /(/((.v and cerljdn hrfult \\\\.\\ a -hoit 

 rostrum in both sexes. Tlieir habits are similar to those of the Xylophagi. 



ally 



ks were 



