COLEOPl^ERA, 515 



THE FOURTH FAMILY OF THE COLEOPTERA FENTAMERA,— 



The Clavicornes, — 

 Has, like the preceding family, four palpi; ilic elytra entirely cover tlic upper side of tlie abdomen, or 

 if.-:; greater portion ; the antennae almost always thicker at the tjp5, and often terminated hy a perfo- 

 liated or sohd mass. They are larger than the maxillary palpi, witli the hase naked or Imt scarcely 

 covered; the legs are not fitted for swimming, and the joints of the tarsi, or at least those of the 

 posterior feet, are ordinarily entire. They feed for the most part in the larva state on animal matter. 



Wc divide this family into two sections, the first of which has the following characters : — Antennas 

 always composed of eleven joints ; longer than the head, but forming after the third joint a fusiform 

 or cylindrical mass ; the second joint not dilated into an ear-shaped appendage ; tcrnnnal joint of the 

 tarsi, as well as the ungues, small, or of moderate size. 



These Clavicornes live out of water, wdiilst those of the second section are aquatic or subaquatic, 

 and thus lead to the PaljAcoj'nes, wdiieh are for the most part aquatic, and of which the antenna: have 

 not more than nine joints. Tlic first section comprises several small tribes. 



The first tribe, that of the Palpaiores, appears to approach, in a natural series, the Pselaphi and 



Bracbelytra, [in respect of their mouth-organs and habits]. Their antennas (at least as long as the 



head and thoiax) are slightly thickened to the tips, or are nearly filiform, with the two basal joints 



longer than the fallowing; tlie head is separated from the thorax hy a narrowed part; the maxillaiy 



palpi are long, advanced, and thickened at the tips; the abdomen is large, oval, or ovoid, and laterally 



embraced by the elytra; the legs are long, "with the thighs clavate, and the tarsal joints entire. Tiiey 



are found on the ground under stones, &:c. Some {Scydmosiius) frequent damp places. We unite 



them into one genus, — 



Mastigus, Hoff. 



DIasfi !/}(.':, has the anteiin;i? [elbowed], with the basal joint very long; ; the last two joints of the maxillary palpi 

 form an oval mass ; tlie thorax is ovoid. M. palpalis, Latr. 



Sci/dmr^nu-'i, Latr., has the antennae scarcely elbowed, [tlie basal joint not beinff long] ; the maxillary palpi are 

 tej-minated by a min\ite jiointed joint, and the thorax nearly globose. .S, Hclwiriii, Latr. I^L Dlu-qs discovered 

 S. c!arai)i.s, ^'Vlh, in an ant's-nest, which tends to conlirm my views of tlie relation of this genu:^ with the 

 I'selaplii, at tlie end of tlie Bracbclytva. 



In all the Claviconici following, tlie head is generally received into the thorax; and the maxillai-y 

 palpi are never porrectcd and clavate at the same time. The whole of their appearance exhibits other 

 distinguishing characters. 



The genus Ilisier forms our second trilje, named Ilisteroides. The four hind legs are wider apart 

 at their insertion than the two anterior, wdiich character alone distinguishes this gen-ns from all the 

 others of this family ; the feet are contractile, and tlie outer edge of the tibias is toothed or spinose ; 

 the antenna: are always elbowed, and terminated liy a solid mass, composed of joints very close to- 

 gether ; the body is of a very solid consistence, generally square, or parallelopiped, with the prosternum 

 often ddated in front, and the elytra truncate ; the mandibles are strong, advanced, and often of un- 

 equal size ; the palpi are nearly filiform, or slightly thickened at the tips, and terminated by an oval or 

 ovoid joint. In rehiti(m to their habits, the toothing of their tibite, &c., these insects approach the 

 Coprophagous Lamellicornes; hut in other respects, chietly anatomical, they naturally approach the Silphae. 



These animals feed on cadaverous or stercorareous matters, rotten vegetable substances, such as 

 manure, old fungi, &c. Others reside under the hark of trees. They creep slowly ; they are of a 

 very shining black or bronzed colour. Such of the larva; as have been observed feed upon the same 

 substances as the perfect insects. Their ho(hes are of a linear form, depressed, nearly smooth, soft, 

 and of a yellowish white colour, with the exception of the feet and first segment of the body, of which 

 the skin is scaly, and of a hrown or reddish colour ; it is furnished with six short feet, and terminated 

 behind in two articulated appendages and an anal tubular elongation ; llie scaly plate of the first segment 

 is longitudinally channelled. 



This tribe exclusively comprises, as above said, the genus 



HisTEE, Linn. 



Some of these have the tibise, at least those of the fore-legs, triangular, and toothed on the outer edge ; the a: - 

 tenna; always exposed and free; the body generally square, and but httle if at all thickened. 



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