192 



IXTEODUCTION". 



following families : : — Colydiid.e, Ceyptophagidte, Cucujidje, 



RHYSODIDiE, BRENTHIDJE, PAEANDEIDiE, and HyPOCEPHAEID^E. 



As Mr. Guy Marshall, as stated before, is working at the Indian 

 Ehynchophoea, it is best to follow his proposed arrangement and 

 adopt four families only : — PlatyeehotiDjE (Aistthelbieve), Been- 

 thid.e, Cueculio^idtE, and Scolttid^: (Ipidje). It is doubtful 

 whether the Nemcxktychidje (Bhiitomaceeid^e) should not be 

 considered as separate ; but in this case the Rhynchitidje might 

 also have a claim to be regarded as distinct. It is, however, 

 largely a matter of choice at present. The four families here 

 given may be distinguished as follows: — 



I. Antennas rarely clavate and never strongly 

 so ; rostrum straight, in the same plane 



as the upper surface Brenthidae, p. 192. 



IT. Antennas more or less clavate, usually 

 strongly so. 

 i. Maxillary palpi resembling those of the 

 other (Meoptera, not rigid ; labrum 

 distinct ; legs not fossorial ; rostrum 



short, broad, and fiat Platyrrhinidae (Anthribidae), 



ii. Maxillary palpi short, conical, and [p. 193. 



rigid. 



1. Legs not fossorial; rostrum more or 



less pronounced, but variable .... Curculionidae, p. 194. 



2. Legs fossorial ; rostrum practically 



absent or rudimentary Scolytidae, p. 197. 



It seems strange that, in spite of their peculiar facies, it is very 

 hard to find any definite character on which to separate the 

 Beenthid.e as a whole from the other E-hynchophora. Lacordaire 

 (Gen. Col. vii, p. 399) points out this fact and says that, although 

 no rigid formula can be applied to them, yet the combination of 

 characters gives them a right to form as distinct a family as the 



CUECULIOXIDvE. 



Family 94. BRENTHID^E. 



Form elongate and narrow ; head elongate, as a ride constricted 

 behind, eyes rounded and small, labrum wanting ; rostrum 

 straight, in the same plane as the upper surface, sometimes 

 almost as broad as the head ; prothorax very elongate ; elytra 

 entirely covering the pygidium ; legs stout, femora clavate. Zarvce 

 (as far as known) ivith short legs. 



Prom 800 to 1000 species are contained in this family, which 

 are, with very few exceptions, confined to tropical countries. 

 They are very widely distributed, but only a few have hitherto 



