COLEOPTERA : LUCANID.E. 423 



larvae closely resemble the perfect insects both in appear- 

 ance and habits. 



HISTERID/E, Leach, OR MIMIC-BEETLE FAMILY. This 

 Family comprises small beetles of a square or oblong- 

 quadrate form, very hard, and with a highly polished sur- 

 face. The antennae are short, elbowed and terminated 

 by a large, solid club, and the elytra short and truncate. 

 These beetles scarcely exceed one third of an inch in 

 length, the color is generally black and shining, and they 

 have the habit of counterfeiting death when disturbed. 



DERMESTID/E, Leach, OR SKIN-BEETLE FAMILY. --This 

 Family embraces beetles which have an ovoid or oblong 

 thick body, covered with scales or hairs, the head short 

 and deeply inserted into the cavity of the thorax, and 

 five-jointed tarsi. In the larva state they attack the 

 skins and bodies of dried animals of all kinds, feathers, 

 furs, dried meats, bacon, horns and hoofs, books, papers, 

 and cork. 



The Genus Dcnnestcs contains the Bacon-Beetle, D. 

 lardarius, Fabr., which is oblong-oval, black, the base of 

 the elytra grayish-buff. 



The Genus AntJircnns contains A. musceomm, Fabr., 

 which is met with in its perfect state in flowers, and which 

 feigns death the moment it is disturbed. The larvae are 

 very destructive to zoological collections, and are distin- 

 guished by their elongate-ovate thick form, strong horny 

 jaws, small bundles of hairs arranged along the sides, and 

 the larger tufts of hair upon the tail. 



BYRRHID^E, Leach. - This Family comprises beetles 

 which have the body short, oval, or rounded, very con- 

 vex, and generally covered with a short pile. 



LUCANID.E, Latr., OR HORN-BUG FAMILY. - - This Fam- 

 ily comprises beetles which have the body hard, oblong, 

 and rounded behind, head large and broad, thorax short 

 and as wide as the abdomen, upper jaws large, and 



