225 
The Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., Coleopterist’s Manual, 
voL III, p. 149, places it among the Silphidse or Clavicornes, 
as does M. Laporte, Hist. Nat , Coleopt., II., p. 3 ; both, 
apparently, somewhat blindly following the original 
describer; while Guerin- Meneville, White, Gerstaecker, 
Blanchard, and, finally. Dr. Sharp and M. Auguste Lameere, 
of Belgium, follow Westwood and Burmeister’s classification, 
that it is a veritable Longicorn. 
Mr. Curtis, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. XXL, 1854, 
gives a figure of Mr. Aspinall Turner’s specimen (sold to 
M. Oberthur, of Rennes, at Stevens’ auction-rooms in Feb., 
1881, for a large sum) and advocates its connection with the 
Lamellicornes, e. g. Lucanus and Cladognathus. 
Mr. Spinola, followed more recently by Mr. J. Leconte, of 
the United States considers it ought to be separated from 
all families of Coleoptera. 
The following is a brief description of this marvellous 
insect : — 
Hypocephalus armatus (Desm.) 
= Mesoclastus paradoxus (Gistl.). 
Jaws with two lobes. 
Palpi, moderate in size, robust, subequal. 
Mandibles fairly long, vertical. 
Head capable of great contraction, so as almost to disappear 
under the prothorax. 
Antennw very short, moniliform, eleven-jointed. 
Eyes finely granulated. 
Prothorax oviform, larger than the elytra, entire, and finely 
bordered laterally. 
Legs excessively robust, the posterior particularly so. 
Tarsi pentamerous or five-jointed. 
Wings absent. 
Abdomen small in proportion to the size of the insect, five- 
jointed. 
Length to inches. 
