SYRRHU5. 
374 
V 
Genus VII. — Byrrhus. 
This tribe when in its larva ftate, refembles the worms 
of the dermeftes ; like them alfo they are extremely vo- 
racious, and are but too well known to thofe who are 
employed in collecting the fubjeds of natural hiftory. 
Their antennae, when they arrive at the winged ftate, 
are clavated, terminating in a capitulum or knob of a 
folid fubftance and oval lhape. 
The byrrhus verbafci of Linnaus is of this genus, 
whofe elytra are fo thickly fet with fmall fcales, that the 
black colour of them is no where to be feen. Tbefe 
fcales were of a white colour in the fubjeft we examin- 
ed, and fo arranged, that they formed three undulating 
ftripes acrofs the elytra ; between tbefe ftripes theie were 
others of a fimilar form, but of a reddilh brown. The 
infeCt is fometimes to be found ftripped of this fcaly co- 
vering, which fo disfigures it, that it can hardly be re* 
cognifed for the fame animal. 
