which led to its being rejected by the French school ; but as Messrs. 
Kirby and Spence published a figure of Siagonium quadricorne in 
the 1st vol. of the Intr. to Ent., the names given to it at that time 
have a just right to be retained. 
At the above period I stated that “ the natural situation of Sia- 
gonium appears to be between Bledius (pi. 143.) and Oxytelus , to 
which it is united by the spined tibiae and uncommon length of the 
last joint of the tarsi.” I have reason to believe now, that it is 
nearly related to Creophilus , Sy?itomium (pi. 228.), and Achenium 
(pi. 115.), a genus with w r hich I was not acquainted at that time, 
yet the straight antennae and slender tarsi of both sexes render 
it inadmissible in the restricted sub-family Staphilinidae, to which 
Achenium belongs. Dejean locates it between Oxyporus and Ble- 
dius ', and Latreille places it after Evcesthetus , making Oxytelus follow 
it. 
In most insects, as well as in the higher orders of animals, where 
the males have horns, the females have only tubercles, or are en- 
tirely destitute of those ornaments, as in the insects before us: 
they not only add much to their beauty, but are very serviceable in 
defending themselves against their enemies, as well as enabling them 
to protect the other sex. The coloured figure is a male, drawn in 
perspective, in order to show the horns upon the head, which makes 
it appear rather narrower than the insect actually is. 
Mr. Kirby first discovered a male of this curious insect in Suffolk 
many years since, and Dr. Stephenson having taken another spe- 
cimen at Kensington, and directed me to the spot, I had the plea- 
sure of finding 2 males and as many females in March 1823 under 
the bark of a felled tree, where it adhered the firmest ; and during 
the summer of that year, Mr. Denny, I am informed, found a pair 
in Norfolk. From its short legs and flat form it is enabled to lie 
very close under the bark, and it did not appear to be very active 
at the early period of the year when I captured my specimens. 
They have also been found during the summer in Windsor Park 
and in Lord Spencer’s Park at Wimbledon by Mr. Westwood, 
and at Fulham in November by S. Sulivan, Esq. 
Mnium liornum , Thread Moss, figured with the insect, is magni- 
fied about four times. 
