MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 191 



armed with a spine, the tip received into a cavity of 

 breast ; body hard ; elliptic, conic, or trigonate, some- 

 times elongate ; head short, deeply inserted in tho- 

 rax ; thorax with hind edges acute ; legs short, 

 capable of being closely applied to bodj^. Feed on 

 wood, sap leaves, or flowers. 



45. Family. — Gold-Beaters (Buprestidae). Antennae 



short, serrated ; mandibles entire ; palpi 

 mostly filiform ; thorax sometimes lobate 

 behind, the hind angles slightly produced, 

 never acute ; bodj^ hard, oblong-ovate or de- 

 pressed ; elytra frequently narrowed at tip; 

 tarsi short, third and fourth joints generally 

 heart-shaped. Reside in thick woods and 

 forests ) fly actively in the sunshine ; colours 

 bright, often metallic. 



46. Family. — Oak-Beetles (Eucnemidse). Antennae 



pectinated or serrated, lodged in repose in 

 grooves on under side of thorax \ mandibles 

 ending in a simple tooth ; palpi with apical 

 joint large ; body oblong-cylindric, or ovoid ; 

 elytra rounded at tip ; tarsi compressed or 

 dilated ; claws sometimes denticulated. Liv- 

 ing in decayed oak-trees ; flying in the hot 

 sunshine ; unable to leap. 



47. Family. — Springing-Beetles (Elateridae). An- 



tennae short, more or less serrated ; mandibles 

 notched at tip ; palpi ending in a large trian- 

 gular joint ; thorax with hind angles produced 

 into an acute spine, sides grooved for recep- 

 tion of antennae; presternum produced be- 



