THE MALACODERMATA. 
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occurs at Glasgow and elsewhere, being probably 
imported. 
The PtiniDjU and ANOBUDiE, which aro often asso- 
ciated together, are conspicuous for their habit of 
retracting their head beneath the protliorax (Plate X., 
Pig. 1 a), which forms a cowl ; their legs, also, are con- 
tractile, with no spines on the outer edge of the tibiae, 
which have the terminal spurs absent or very small, 
and short five-jointed tarsi, of which the first and 
second joints are almost equal in length. They are 
usually small, of hard integuments, more or less 
cylindrical, and clothed with short pubescence. Of 
the two families, the Ptinidss have the antennae inserted 
in the front part of tho head, and the upper part of 
the prothorax confused with its sides; whilst the 
Anobiidse have the antennae inserted close to the front 
margin of the eyes, a strong ridge separating the 
prouotum from the sides of the prothorax, and the 
anterior coxa) rather more projecting. 
Their larvae, which resemble those of the Lamelli- 
cornia in miniature, feed chiefly upon dead wood ; 
though sometimes upon living trees, bones, seeds, &c. 
I have found the cocoons of Ptinus germanus in an old 
post ; they were formod of a dirty silken fabric, 
mixed with pieces of wood ; and contained the perfect 
insects, which (as usual) do not appear to be active 
immediately after their exclusion from the pupa. 
Ilodobia imperialis (Plate X., Fig. 1) is the chief 
species of the Ptinidse that has any pretensions to 
beauty ; it occurs in old white-thorn bushes. The 
Ptini are found in houses and about old palings, 
often doing considerable damago to Natural History 
