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AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vol. VIII. —JULY, 1874.— No. 7. 
ece ORI DTD 
THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE RHYNCHOPHOROUS 
COLEOPTERA.* 
BY JOHX L. LECONTE, M.D. 
Ar the meeting of the Academy held in Washington, Jan., 
1867, I had the honor to offer some remarks} upon the system- 
atic value of the great complex of Coleopterous insects known 
as Rhynchophora. 
It was my intention, as then stated, to follow the memoir just 
mentioned with another, in which the classification of the Rhyn- 
chophora and separation into families should be discussed, in the 
hope of developing a more satisfactory system of arrangement 
than had been thus far obtained. 
Circumstances have prevented me from following this par- 
ticular line of investigation to a definite result, until within a 
short time, though it has frequently occupied my attention for 
brief intervals. The time, however, has not been altogether 
lost, for I found that, with each return to the investigation, I 
obtained an additional, though small insight into the constitution 
of this complex, which has been the subject of repeated efforts 
by the most laborious and successful students of entomology in 
Europe. : i 
E T NAA a oc ek 
* Read before the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, April 21, 1874. 
t Am. Jour. Science and Arts, xliv, July, 1867- 
ee 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by the PEABODY ACADEMY OF 
SCIENCE, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ~ 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. VIII. 25 (385) 
