in zoology, a genus of insects belonging to the order of coleoptera: the antennæ are slender; the elytra are dimidiated, and cover the wings; and the tail is simple, and furnished with two oblong bladders. There are 17 species, principally distinguished by their colour.

**STAPLE** primarily signifies a public place or market, whi- ther merchants, &c. are obliged to bring their goods to be bought by the people, as the Greve, or the places along the Seine, for sale of wines and corn, at Paris, whether the merchants of other parts are obliged to bring those commodities.

Formerly the merchants of England were obliged to carry their wool, cloth, lead, and other like staple-commodities of this realm, in order to utter the same by wholesale; and these staples were appointed to be constantly kept at York, Lincoln, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Westminster, Canterbury, Chichester, Winchester, Exeter, and Bristol; in each whereof a public mart was appointed to be kept, and each of them had a court of the mayor of the staple, for deciding differences, held according to the law-merchant, in a summary way.