246 
BRITISH BEETLES. 
(whether attacking its leaves, flowers, shoots, roots, 
bark, fruit, or timber), they are sometimes promiscuous 
feeders ; and many (as the nut-weevil), on becoming 
full-grown, drop to the earth, in which they undergo 
their final changes, whilst others remain attached to 
the plant, &c., on or in which they have hitherto 
existed, — usually forming a cocoon. 
The aforesaid nut-weevil (but only in its larval 
stage), and the corn-weevil, Galandra granaria (most 
probably an imported insect), of the British species, 
— and the splendid exotic “ Diamond Beetle,” En- 
timus imperial is, so often employed as an object for 
the microscope, — are, perhaps, the most generally 
knowD members of this section. 
The question of the Classification of the Rhynchophora 
is one that must be considered far from settled ; in all 
probability the series will be found to comprise more 
than a hundred thousand species ; it is obvious there- 
fore that, with our extremely limited fauna, we are 
not in a position to discuss it to any extent ; the best 
known recent works on the subject are “ The Classifica- 
tion of the Rhynchophora,” by Dr. Leconte and Dr. 
Horn, and the extra volume of the Drench “ Annales,” 
byM. Bedel, which has just been published : — “Faune 
des Coleopteres du bassin de la Seine, Rhynchophora,” 
Paris, 1888; Dr. Leconte and Dr. Horn divide the group 
into three great sections, on the composition of the 
pygidium in the sexes, and the structure of the under- 
side of the elytra ; certain details of their work are, 
however, more valuable than their general system ; and, 
as far as our fauna at least is concerned, we cannot do 
better at present than follow, with certain modifications, 
the system of M. Bedel ; the series may then be 
