746 
ON THE STUDY OF ENTOMOLOGY. 
form and manners to an ant. The,larva lives under the bark of de¬ 
caying trees.— Curt. Ent. 
Family LX.—Ptinidse.—10 Genera, 
1 Xiletinus 4 Mezium 7 Anobium 
2 Ptilinus 5 Gibbium 8 Ochina P 
3 Ptinus 6 Dorcatoma 9 Choragus 
10 Ciss 
The most remarkable insects in. this family are those of the chair- 
eaters (Ptinus) these are of a diminuative size, but very destructive. 
They perforate indiscriminatively household furniture, clothes, furs, 
dried animals, in a state of preservation, and most other articles not 
even refusing tobacco, when caught they counterfeit death with much 
adroitness, and scarcely any means except the application of heat 
can arouse them. Also that great cause of terror to the superstious, 
the death-watch, (Anobium tesselatum) may be heard making 
its ominous click both in the tables, chairs, picture, or looking-glass 
frames, bed-posts, or even the floor, where in very old houses it exists 
by thousands. Perhaps all the species of this genus click also. A. 
pertinax (fig. 59, p. 375) and A. striatum, may occasionally be met 
with in small quantities, but are not so common as the tessellatum. 
They have rather a depraved appetite, for although they are consi¬ 
dered timber eaters, they will eat many filthy substances. Mr. 
Sheppard found the A. paniceum feeding upon dried blistering flies, 
(Cantharis vesicatoria.) These like the Ptinus, will counterfeit 
death when in danger, particularly the A. pertinax, which will en¬ 
dure any torturus without moving. All the British species of the 
genus Cis, inhabit Boleti , as well as old wood. The C. Boleti is a 
very common insect, and may be found from February to August in 
the Boletus versicolor, and under the bark of trees : the C. biden- 
tatus (fig. 122) (b) may be occasionally found on the white thorn 
(Crataegus Oxyacantha) in June and July. 
To be Continued. 
