DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



sandy countries of the south of Europe, to Af- 

 rica, and the south west part of Asia. Some of 

 them avoid the light ; such as the opatrum, Fabr., 

 the tenebrio, Fabr., the blaps, the pimelia, the 

 scaurus, and the erocfcw, Fabr., of which Linnaeus 

 formed but one genus, tenebrio. They gene- 

 rally conceal themselves in the sand or under 

 stones, crawl slowly, and are often incapable 

 of flight. We frequently see in our houses the 

 tenebrio molitor (n° 27) , the larva of which is 

 known by the name of meal-worm. The t. mor- 

 tisagus (n° 5) is found in the damp and obscure 

 recesses of houses ; it is of a coal-black colour, 

 and when crushed or even handled diffuses 

 a highly unpleasant smell. Some other coleop- 

 tera belonging to this section have wings, and 

 varied colours; they are most of them herbi- 

 vorous. Many, such as the crodalon, Fabr., dia- 

 peris, Geoff., cistela, Fabr., mordella, Lin., have 

 some affinity with the preceding ; the others 

 differ from them in having the head large, and 

 in the shape of a heart, in the softness of 

 their abdomen, and wing-shells, and in their 

 blistering properties : such is the cantharis (meloe 

 njesicatorius, Lin.), n° 2 bis and following. In Italy 

 and China the physicians use for the same pur- 

 pose the species of the genus mylabris, amongst 

 which we shall notice the meloe cichorii\ Lin. 



