120 
THE ORDER OF COLEOFTERA. 
length. Their colors are black or brown, and some of those of the lat- 
ter color are ornamented with yellow markings. 
The following are the principal genera : 
A. Head without a neck. 
B. Anteumo with the four last joints abruptly enlarged Tetratoma. 
B B. Antenna} filiform or slightly and gradually enlarged. 
C. Anterior cox* contiguous. 
D. Middle cox* contiguous, with distinct trocliantins MELANDRYA. 
I)D. Middle cox* separate, without trocliantins SBRROF alpub . 
C C. Anterior cox* separate. 
E. Head horizontal Synchro a. 
E E. Head vertical Eustroriius, Hallombkus, Orchesia. 
A A. Head with a short nock ; eyes coarsely granulated and deeply notched Scraptia. 
We have space to refer to only a few of the most noticeable species. 
We have two species of Tetratoma, which depart from the ordinary 
habits of the family by being inhabitants of fungi. The Melandrya 
striata, Say, is six-tenths of an inch long, pure black, the thorax with a 
middle furrow, and a depression on each side, and the elytra deeply 
striate and punctate. Serropalpus 4 maculatua, Say, is a third of an 
inch in length, of a deep brown color, with two angular yellow spots on 
each elytron. Hypulus trifasciatus, Melsh, is quarter of an inch or less 
in length, yellow, with three irregular brown bands across the elytron. 
These, like the other species of the family, are found under the loose 
bark of trees in an advanced state of decay. One of the most common 
larva* found in such situations is that of the Synchroa punctata, New in., 
a plain ligfit-brown species about half an inch in length. This larva is 
of an elongate cylindrical form, with six short legs, and two horny 
points at the posterior extremity of the body. 
The genus Pentlie , of Newman, is placed in this family by LeOonte, 
but in the sub-family of Helopides by Lacordaire. The palpi are rather 
long and robust, but not hatchet-shaped at the end like most of the 
Serropalpi. It contains two rather large, oval, depressed beetles, up- 
wards of half an inch in length, and of a deep black color : the P. obli- 
quata, and the P. pimelia, of Fabricius ; the former being distinguished 
by having the scutellum clothed with rust-red hairs. They are common 
species, being found under the bark of decayed trees and in rotten 
stumps. Their sub-cortical habits furnish an argument for retaining 
them in the present tribe. 
Trihe XIV. 
1 1 ETEROM EROUS GROUND-BEETLES. 
Ileteromera tcrricola. Melasoma, Latreille. 
This tribe contains a large and diverse assemblage of beetles, distin- 
guished chiefly by their heteromerous tarsi, their usually slightly da- 
