74 
NATURAL HISTORY OF 
hive-bee, the Coleoptera partake in no inconsider- 
able degree of the interest arising from both these 
sources, while they offer some claims on’ our atten- 
tion peculiar to themselves. 
In consequence of the compactness and solidity 
of their structure, and symmetrical perfection of 
their forms, the greater number of writers on ento- 
mology have been led* to follow Linne, in assigning 
to the Coleoptera the precedence over the other 
tribes in their systematic classifications. The dis- 
tinctness of their insections and articulations, to- 
gether with the clearly defined figure of the organs 
of manducation, render them the most characteris- 
tic representatives of the class to which they be- 
long ; while certain relations of analogy which some 
of the species are thought to bear to the vertebrated 
tribes, seem to point out their relationship to a 
superior race of beings. They may be said to 
symbolize those higher animals which are most 
remarkable for the perfection of their organs, and 
which are therefore regarded as the types of their 
respective classes, such as the feline race among 
quadrupeds, and eagles among birds. These con- 
siderations, taken in connexion with the great size, 
singular forms, and brilliant colouring, of many of 
the species, as well as the ease with which they 
can be preserved in much of their living beauty, 
have long rendered them favourite subjects of study 
with those who have devoted their attention to an- 
nulose zoology. At the same time, the important 
