PLATE CUtXXY, 1 5 



The little Infeft before us might be referred to the Silpha genus 

 of Linnaeus ; but as his definiton of the Silphae has been fubjeaed 

 to many objeftions and amendments of later authors, we forbear 

 placing it amongft them. Linnaeus has made no diftinaion between 

 fuch fpecies as have perfoliated antennae, and thofe with antennas 

 increafing in bulk from the bafe to the end *, thereby including S. 

 Vefpillo with & thsracia and S. obfcura, though in an early edition of 

 the Fauna Suecica, S. Vefpillo was placed amongft the Scarahai, and 

 the two laft with the CaJJidce. 



Schceffer divided the Silphae of Linnaeus into two genera, Silpha 

 and Peltis. Geoffroy arranged fome of them amongft his Dermejlides, 

 and formed his genus Peltis, of fuch as have the thorax and elytra 

 ftrongly margined, and perfoliated antennae. Geoffroy defcribed our 

 prefent fubjea under the name Tritoma. Fabricius afterwards, in 

 his Mantilla, arranged it under Ips, a new genus formed from 

 part of the Silpha of Linnaeus and Dermejlides of Geoffroy. In the 

 Entomologia Syftematica, he has again feparated the Ips, and made 

 Myeetophagus a new genus of fifteen fpecies, in which he includes 

 this Infeft. 



To thofe who have adopted the fyftem of Fabricius, it is unne- 

 ceffary to fay, that the fundamental part of his arrangement is taken 

 from the mouth of the Infect, which certainly is objeaionable, be- 

 caufe that part is dry, and very frequently injured or deftroyed in 

 Infedts that have been long in a cabinet, and is very fmall in mod 

 kinds when alive ; fo that, though we have followed his arrangement 

 in the generic definition, we have been lefs prolix than a full eluci- 

 dation of it might require. 



The figures in the annexed plate 2. 2. reprefent the natural fize 

 and magnified appearance. 



* Silfba Antenna extrorfum craffiores. Elytra jnarginata. Cafut prominens. Thorax 

 planhifculus, margi.natus. t'mn. Gen. Inf. 



C 4> PLATE 



