CLASSIFICATION. 



39 



rhidse, Cyathoceridas (containing oue species from Central 

 America), Georyssidae, JIeterocerid;e, Parnidae, Derodontidae, 

 Cioidae, Sphindidas, Bostrychidae, Ptinidae, ACalacodermidae, 

 Melyridae (or Malachiidas), Cleridae, Lymexylonidae, Dascil- 

 lidae, Rhipiceridae, Elateridse, Buprestidae. 



Series 4. Heteromera. — Front and middle tarsi five-jointed, hind tarsi 

 four-jointed. Oilier characters very variable. 



Families. Tenebrionidas, Cistelidae, Lagriidae, Othniidae (a 

 very doubtful family), ^Egialitidae, Monommidae, Nilionidae. 

 Melandryidse, Pythidse, Pyrochroidae, Antliicidae, (Ede- 

 meridae, Mordellidae (including- Rhipidophoridse), Cantliaridae 

 (or Meloidas), Trictenotomidae. 



Series 5. Phytophaga. — Tarsi four-jointed (apparently), but with a 

 small additional joint at the base of the fourth joint ; sole 

 usually densely pubescent (sometimes the tarsi are bare be- 

 neath or bristly, and occasionally the small joint at the base 

 of the fourth is more distinct). 



Families. Bruchidae, Chrysomelidae (containing - four sub- 

 families, Eupoda, Camptosomes, Cyclica, Cryptosomes), 

 Cerambycidae (containing three subfamilies, Prionides, 

 Cerambycides, Lamiides). 



Series 6. Khynchophora. — Head prolonged in front to form a beak ; 



gula indistinguishable. (Palpi usually not evident.) Tarsi 

 four-jointed (apparently), but with a very minute additional 

 joint at the extreme base of the fourth joint. 



Families. Anthribidae, Curculionidae, Scolytidae, Brenthidas. 



Two families are considered by Sharp to be of uncertain position, 

 the Aglycyuerid^e (from the Canary Islands, New Zealand, and 

 New Caledonia) and the Piioterriiinid.e (from the Hawaiian 

 Islands exclusively) ; they may be aberrant Ithynchophora, but 

 this is very doubtful . 



The weak point in this classification is the series Polymorpiia, 

 which is unwieldy and of necessity loosely defined, for it is only 

 formed to include all the elements (mostly discordant) which 

 cannot be placed under any other division. It seems, however, 

 impossible, in the present state of our knowledge, to avoid these 

 large heterogeneous groups, and the objection applies with as much 

 or even more force to the Heterorrhabda of Kolbe or the Poly- 

 phaga of Ganglbauer, which embraces a considerably wider scope 

 than the Polymorpha as used by Sharp. If one of these compre- 

 hensive terms must be employed, and it seems impossible, for con- 

 venience' sake, to do without them, it seems best to adopt the 

 name " Polycerata " as including the old divisions Clavicornia, 

 Serricornia, etc. For all practical purposes, however, the 

 groups might as well be distinguished by letters or figures. 

 G-anglbauer's term has certainly the advantage of answering 

 to the term Adephaga, but, on the other hand, it includes the 

 Lamellicornia. 



Apart from the division Polymorpiia Sharp ? s arrangement differs 

 but little from the system of Leconte and Horn, except that the 

 latter include the Stylopid^e under the Heteromera, whereas 



