ANNULOSA JAVANICA. 49 



Obs. The occurrence in Java of genera like this, hitherto supposed to be peculiar to America, 

 is a circumstance important in entomological geography, and which we shall frequently have 

 occasion to allude to. In the mean time I shall observe that the antenna? of the only specimen 

 in the East-India Company's collection have lost their last joints, having only two of that 

 setiform part which so singularly distinguishes this genus from all others known. (Vide Lett. 

 Gen. Ins. et Crust. Vol. 2. p. 44.) Such antennas agree in scarcely any respect with those of 

 other Chilopodomorpha, and I am therefore by no means convinced of the propriety of placing 

 this insect here, and must consider the matter as undecided until a more accurate investigation 

 shall have been made from an unmutilated specimen. 



Stirps5. BRACHELYTRA. Lat. 

 It is a singular circumstance that no insect of this stirps, which is the same as the Linnean 

 genus Staphylinus was collected by Dr. Horsfield. This at all events proves the extreme rarity 

 of such insects in Java. Of their existence in the island I have no doubt, since they have 

 been brought both from New Holland and the Continent of India, and it would therefore be 

 remarkable did they not occur in the intervening islands. When it is considered that the 

 British species of this stirps are so numerous, it appears very extraordinary that not one should » 



have occurred in Java. But in this, as in all other tropical climates, the surface of the earth is 

 almost exclusively occupied by ants, and according to Dr. Horsfield, where the common ants 

 are not found the Termites or white ants possess the territory. These two tribes, which are 

 constantly at war, or rather, which clear away and destroy each other as their numbers res- 

 pectively predominate, have in a great measure divided the surface of the island among them- 

 selves. From their incredible numbers, particularly of the common ant, little is left on the 

 surface for other insects. Swarming on every spot, and incessantly in motion, they attack and 

 devour whatever animal matter they meet with in a much shorter period than would be thought 

 possible by a person who had not witnessed the fact. But nevertheless whenever in his excursions 

 Dr. Horsfield observed the carcase of any animal, he and his assistants carefully examined it, and 

 from the care they took in such labours, he is convinced that had Silphidce, Staphylinidas and 

 such carrion-feeding families of insects occurred in any tolerable abundance, they could scarcely 

 have escaped his researches. With respect to such genera of Brachelytra as inhabit flowers, 

 he scarcely conceives, had they been common, that they could have escaped him, as he was in 

 constant habit of collecting on plants and flowers. 



In the third volume of the Begne Jfnimul, M. Latreille has divided his groupe of Brachelytres 

 into four sections, which he terms Fissilabres, Longipalpes, Applatis and Miwocep hales, all 

 of which are apparently natural groupes. Now if to these we add his grand division of Dimerous 

 insects, we have the whole of the Brachelytra, which may therefore be arranged thus : 



Brachelytra. 



2. Aberrant groupe ? 



Caput haud thoracis 



magnitudine. 



1. Normal groupe? 



Caput thoracis 



magnitudine. 



The 



5. 



Tachyporidce, 



vel 



Microcephales Lat. 



4. 



Pselaphidce, Leach 



vel 



Dimera Lat. 



3. 



Omalidce, 



vel 



Applatis Lat. 



2. 



Slenida:, 



vel 



Longipalpes Lat. 



1. 



Slaphylinida? , 



vel 



Fisiilabres Lat. 





H 







