162 
THE ORDER OP COLEOPTERA. 
lies ; and accordingly authors have differed much as to the number of 
primary divisions. Linnams, having included Donacia in the long- 
horned genus Leptura, described the remainder of the present tribe un- 
der the three genera, Hispa, Cassida and Chrysomela. And if we take 
these, as we do most of the Lin mean genera, as types of families, it may 
well be questioned whether any more obvious or natural classification 
of these insects can be suggested to day. 
Latreille, in the Regne Animal, divided them into two families, which 
he designated by the names Eupoda, signifying largely developed legs ; 
and Cyclica , in allusion to the circular or rounded form of most of the 
species. The former includes Donacia, Crioceris and the exotic genus 
Sagra. The more extensive family of Cyclica he divided into three 
tribes, which are equivalent to our sub-families, viz: the Cassidariaa, 
the Ohrysomelime, and the Galerucit®. These divisions he founds 
partly upon the habits of the larvae, which he divides into four kinds: 
1st, those which cover their bodies with their excrement, (Cassidariaj) ; 
2d, those which live exposed on leaves, (Ohrysomelinse proper); 3d, 
those which inhabit tubes which they drag about with them, (Cryptoce- 
phalus and certain other genera of Ohrysomelinae) ; and 4th, those which 
live concealed in the interior of leaves, feeding on their parenchyma, 
(Haltica, and its sub-genera, among the Galerucitce). 
This arrangement of Latreille seems to us much less natural and sat- 
isfactory than are usually the classifications of this eminent entomolo- 
gist. By it the small division of Eupoda is made to hold a rank equiva- 
lent to all the rest of the Chrysomelida} combined, and yet its most com- 
mon and numerous genera (Crioceris, Orsodacna, etc.), bear a close resem- 
blance to some of the Galerucides, and do not differ from many of the 
Cyclica, either in form or the habits of their larvae, so much as the sub- 
family of Hispides. Moreover, the family name of Eupoda applies with 
but little force to many of these common species, though it is very ap- 
propriate to some of the foreign genera. With respect to the habits of 
the larvae, however interesting in themselves, they furnish a very imper- 
fect basis of classification, since most of the habits above referred to are 
common to several of the sub-families. 
Mr. Westwood admits four primary divisions, which he raises to the 
rank of families, viz : Crioceridae, Cassididce, Galerucidse', and Chryso- 
melidae. Dr. LeConte has publislied a number of able papers upon the 
Chrysomelida} of North America, but being scattered through various 
scientific periodicals, they are not very accessible to the general student. 
In a recent volume of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences, of Philadelphia, Mr. G. R. Crotch, with the assistance of Drs. 
LeCoute and Horn, and with the aid of their extensive cabinets, has 
published a pretty full synopsis of the Phytophaga of the United States, 
