PAUSUS, in natural history, a genus of insects of the order Coleoptera. Anten na two-jointed, the upper joint very large, inflected, hooked, pedicillate ; head pointing forwards, with a convex, jugular thorax narrow, unequal, scutellate ; shells flexile, deflected, trun cate ; four feet placed at the fore part of the breast, thighs with minute appen dages ; tarsi four-jointed. There are five species ; two of which are fully de scribed in the " Linnwan Transactions," vol. 4. P. microcephalus, head unarm ed ; club an oblong sphere ; shells as long as the body, not punctured ; shanks linear. It inhabits the Banana islands. P. sphcerocerus: head horned ; club glo bular : shells shorter than the abdomen, punctured ; shanks dilated at the tip. It is found at Sierra Leone ; wanders about in the nighttime during the months of January and February, and becomes blind or benumbed on the approach of light ; the globes of the antenna give a kind of phosphoric light in the dark ; the body is polished, and of Chesnut co lour, a little narrower than the last ; horn between the eyes straight, conic, tipped with a tuft of cartilaginous hairs ; eyes larger ; thorax the same breadth as the head; wings shining and violet.
This genus is remarkable for the singu lar conformation of its antenna, and for the almost prophetic anticipation of the future, under which it received its name. The great Swedish naturalist, foreseeing the termination of his vast labours, and that he would not again be called upon to form any other genus of insects, applied to this the designation which it now bears, Pauses," signifying a pause or rest ; it was in reality the last genus he formed, and it is believed that the species of it with which be was acquainted were amongst the last insects, if not the very last, which he described