CLASS V. INSECTA. 171 



Stirps 3. — LahiaUpalpi scarcely distinct: antenna placed in an ex- 

 cavation of the thorax: mandibles -nitli their apex arcuate and 

 acute. 



Genus 103. MICROPEPLUS. Lair., I^ach. 

 Antenna: with the chib composed of but one joint : 7naxil!ary palpi with 



t!ie lust joint suluila.te. 

 Sp. 1 j\[ic!\ porcatus. Black ; elytra cancellated. 

 Stuphylinus porcatus. PaykuU. 

 Inhabits sandy ground. 



Fam. XI. Stapiiylixid.c. 



AntenncB gradually thickening towards their extremities, or terminated 

 l)y a perfoliated mass : eh/tiri covering about half the abdomen, or 

 less, hut very rarely more : bodj/ long, and more or less narrow. 



Gravenhorst has written an admirable monogra}ih on this family, 

 entitled jMonogniptiia Voleoplei'orum IMicropteroriun. 



This is a very extensive family; several hundred species are found 

 in this country. They inhabit fungi in all its states; dimg, roots of 

 grass, flowers, under the bark of trees ; and may be found in immen'se 

 numbers in sand pits, and in the dung of animals, from which they 

 may be driven by immersing the dung in water in the spring and 

 ^ummer months ; by this means many hundred specimens may be 

 obttiined in a single day : the smaller species should be placed on 

 a piece of gummed paper, with the legs and antenuce carefully ex- 

 tended to show their characters. It is necessary to collect great 

 numbers of them, as they demand a very minute examination, 

 which, in many instances, requires the aid of a microscope, the 

 characters being so very obscure. 



Division I. — Anterior ma?-gin of the head (hearing the mandibles) imme- 

 diately/ behind, flic eyes, terminated by a tranarer^ie straight line, (or with 

 a line slightly bent in the middle,) not i-onndcd or c7-ouked at their sides. 

 AntcnntE inserted beloio the iniddlc part of the ubovementioned line. Tho- 

 ■riiv long. Keek distinct. Body very long and nurrvw. Elytra covering a 

 xery small portion oj' the abdomen. 



Genus 104. STAPIIYLINUS. Linn., Fabr., Lair., Oliv., Lam., 



Gravenh., Leach. 



Palpi filiform : antenyia towards their extremities distinctly thicker. 



nioniliform, the last juint obliquely truncate or emarginate : itp 



deeply emarginate. 

 -Sp. 1. Staph, erythropfcrnx. Black ; tlie greater part of the antenna^, 



elytra, and feet red; hinder margins of the head and thorax, the 



