THE INSECTS OF NEW JERSEY. 237 



ing animal or vegetable matter, in excrement, fungi or fermenting sap, 

 and are among the most universally distributed of all beetles. Many of 

 them are predatory, and some have been accused of feeding on living 

 plants; but on the whole they are of importance to the agriculturist only 

 as scavengers, and as they aid in reducing the dead animal and vegeta- 

 ble matter into shape for assimilation by plants. 



The classification of the group is unsatisfactory, and 

 the New Jersey collections are not all well determined 

 There has been no general revision since the last edition 

 of the list, but there have been important papers by Dr. 

 Fenyes, Major Casey and others. A great many new 

 species have been described, some from neighboring 

 States, which are certain to be found in New Jersey; but 

 ii has been deemed best not to include more than a very 

 few of these. There is no doubt that a thorough revision 

 of the family, including the New Jersey material, will 



Staphylmid. 



add many species to our list. 



GYROPH/ENA Mann. 

 G. vinula Er. Throughout the State in toadstools. 



HOMOLOTA Mann. 



H. plana Gyll. "New Jersey" (U S N M). 



H. lividipennis Mann. Ft. Lee (Bt) ; Snake Hill, Arlington (Sf); Cramer 

 Hill V, Westville IV, VI, Longport VI, Beesley's Point III (Rk). 



THINUSA Casey. 



T. maritima Casey. (Polystoma) Highland Beach V, 30 (Sf); Brigan- 

 tine Beach IX (Hn); Longport VI (div) ; Cape May VII (Sz). 



BOLITOCHARA Mann. 



B. trimaculata Er. (Homolota) Ft. Lee (Bt) ; Collingswood III, 2 



(GG). 



FALAGRIA Mann. 



F. dissecta Er. Ft. Lee (Bt) ; Snake Hill, Arlington (Sf); Woodbury V 

 (Rk); DaCosta VII (Bm). 



F. cingulata Lee. Ft. Lee, Highlands, IV, V, under bark of rotten wood 

 (Sf). 



MERONERA Casey. 



M. venustula Er. (Falagria) Ft. Lee IV (Bt) ; Westville IV (Rk) ; 

 Gloucester V (Brn). 



CHITALIA Sharp. 



C. scutellaris Lee. "Coney Island" (Casey); sure to occur on our own 



coast in similar situations. 



C. bilobata Say. (Falagria) Camden III, 30 (Rk). 

 C. nigrescens Casey. - 'Iowa to New Jersey" (Casey). 



