g 8 ANNULOSA JAVANICA. 



In his Genera Insectorum et Crustaceorum, vol. ii. p. 2 and 8, Latreille has proved the affinity 

 of the SilphidcB to the Nitidulidce, thus adopting another opinion not only of Linnaeus, but of 

 Degeer and Olivier. 



In the same Histoire Generate, and Genera Insectorum et Crustaceorum, Latreille thinks the 

 affinity of the Nitidulidce and Engidce so close, that he makes only one family of them, thus 

 adopting an opinion of Geoffroy and Fabricius. 



Finally, in the Histoire Generate, vol. x. p. 16, M. Latreille acknowledges that the Engidce 

 have, "beaucoup de rapport avec les Dermestes,'" thus adopting an opinion of Linnaeus, Scopoli, 

 Geoffroy, Fabricius, and Olivier. 



Now these various affinities have never yet been supposed to lead to any general consequence, 

 and nevertheless if connected, which, as was before said, they never yet have been, they pro- 

 duce the following symmetrical table of the stirps : 



Necrophaga. 

 1. Aberrant groupe? e 5. Dermestidw. 



Antennarum clava brevis articulis solummodo duobus J 

 vel tribus ? j 



Dermestes Lin. ^3. Nitidulida:, (leading by Micropeplus to the Brachelytra.) 



2. Normal grovpe ? C 



Antennarum clava elongata valde perfoliata quatuor J 2. Silphidts. 



vel quinque articulis. J 



T . I 1 . Scaphididcs. 



SlLPEA Lin. v r 



The Necrophaga thus comprize almost all those insects which Linnaeus called either Der- 

 mestes or Silphae. So close indeed is the affinity of these two Linnasan genera, that of the 

 modern genus Nitidula we find one species assigned by the Swedish naturalist to his genus 

 Silpha, and another to his genus Dermestes. 



The Nitidulida lead, by means of Cercus and Micropeplus, to the Brachelytra. That Micro- 

 peplus is an insect which leaves the typical Necrophaga, is clear from its different antennae, and 

 from its having been described as a Staphylinus by so many authors. 



Many, if not the greatest part, of Latreille's Taxicornes belong to this stirps, which, however, 

 has too few Javanese species in it to induce me at present to investigate it accurately. I shall 

 therefore now content myself with saying, that Latreille's groupe of Clavicornes, as given in 

 the Dictionnaire d' Hist. Naturelle, is altogether artificial. It is a heterogeneous collection, that 

 is not only inferior to all his former groupings of this family, but is even inferior to what M. 

 Dumeril had already done in characterizing his Helocera. 



* 

 Fam. 1. SCAPHIDIDtE. 



The first thing which strikes us in the appearance of this family is the remarkable relation of 

 analogy which it bears to the Mordellidce, the place of which, in their own circle of affinity, is 

 thus pointed out. Mr. Spence has, among other pertinent remarks on the genus Cholera, in 

 the 11th volume of the Linnsean Transactions, justly observed, that the resemblance between 

 Mordella and Choleva is merely superficial. So also is the relation between Scaphidium and 



liipiphorus, 



