THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 199 



of Other more technical knowledge, their dung-eating habits will separate 

 most of them from the other sub-families. The Melolonthinje (of which 

 the " June-bugs " are good examples) are usually of looser, more slender 

 build, the legs especially being elongate and the tarsi sometimes very 

 slender. The clypeal suture is transverse, not extending up on the head, 

 and the club of the antennae is often elongated in the males. They are 

 entirely vegetable feeders, and occur on leaves and flowers, or flying in 

 the evening — never in dung. The Pleurosticti have mostly very similar 

 habits in the beetle state, though Ligyrus, which somewhat resembles a 

 LacJmosterna in form, but with stouter legs and shorter tarsi, is found 

 under old dung-heaps (not in fresh manure), and Cremastochilus occurs 

 in ants' nests. They are ordinarily heavily-built insects, though not 

 always so, and in lack of knowledge of the characters presented by the 

 spiracles, the beginner must rely chiefly on the specific descriptions for 

 classifying his specimens, since I am unable to give other means for dis- 

 tinguishing them as a group, though readily placed properly by anyone 

 who has any acquaintance with the family. 



The generic key to the Coprophaga, which follows, is primarily 

 based on the " Classification," though for minor divisions I have not 

 scrupled to use such characters as colour and size — the main object 

 being, of course, the easier identification of their specimens by beginners 

 and others who have not access to libraries, either public or private. 

 Their further study may easily be prosecuted, by those who wish it, at the 

 expense of purchase of the works mentioned above. 



TABLE OF GENERA OF COPROPHAGA. 



A. Abdomen with six visible ventral segments. 



b. Antennae with 8 to lo joints. Mandibles concealed by clypeus 



except in y^giaiiu. 



c. Hind tibice with a single terminal spur (except in Canthon 



nigricornis), form shorter, rounded. 



d. Middle and hind tibice slender, but little expanded at 



tip. Head and thorax never horned in either 



sex Ca?ithon. 



dd. Middle and hind tibiae much expanded at tip, horns 

 often present. 



e. Larger species (.32 to r.io in.), no onychium. 



Colour black Copris. 



Colours metallic and green ..Phanceus. 



