126 
THE ORDER OF COI.EOPTERA. 
excavatwm are shining black species, the latter being distinguished by 
two short horns on the head of the male; the flavipes is known by its 
bluish pruinose surface and yellow legs ; and the elipticum, common in 
the Southern States, which is readily distinguished by the oblique red 
spot on the anterior part of each elytron. 
Section III. TETEAMERA. 
Apparently four joints in all the tarsi ; the joints dilated and brush-like beneath , with the 
penultimate usually bi-lobed. 
The structure of the tarsi in this section is very uniform, being always 
composed of four distinct joints, with a faint rudiment of the missing 
joint at the base of the last. We have seen above that in some very 
small species of the pentamerous section, one or more of the tarsal joints 
are riulimental or wanting; but it is a curious fact, which may have 
some important bearing in the classification of these insects, that in the 
small Peutamera with deficient tarsi, it is usually the first joint which 
is in a rudimental state, whilst in the genuine Tetramera it is always 
the fourth joint that is undeveloped. The joints are dilated and cush- 
ioned beneath with a dense brush of hairs (except the Scolytkhe), and 
the last joint but one is almost always bi-lobed, with the last joint in- 
serted betweeu the lobes. But in some of the Chrysomelides proper, 
the penultimate joint, though dilated as usual, is entire or only slightly 
notched at the end. The dilated, cushioned and bi-lobed tarsi are pe- 
culiar to the beetles of this section with a few exceptions, and therefore 
serve readily to distinguish them, independently of the number of tarsal 
joints. This structure of the feet, as we have elsewhere remarked, seems 
to be specially adapted to enabling these insects to adhere to the sur- 
face of leaves and smooth bark, and accordingly all the numerous spe- 
cies of this section are vegetable feeders. Many of them feed upon 
foliage, some bore into the trunks or branches of trees, and others feed 
upon fruits or seeds. This section, therefore, embraces a greater number 
of species injurious to the agriculturist, than all the other sections com- 
bined. 
The larvic vary considerably in the different tribes, and will be de- 
scribed in their proper connections. It may be stated generally, that 
in those which reside in wood or in fruits the feet are usually wanting, 
or at most are merely rudimental, whilst those which live upon the sur- 
face of leaves have six small but well developed feet. 
The beetles with four-jointed feet are divided into four tribes, as fol- 
lows: 
Tribe 1st (or 16th of the whole number). Snout-beetles or Weevils. 
Fructivora roxtrata. Ehyncophoua, Latreille. Head more or less pro- 
