BEETLES. 30 



ground, in fungi, in ant-hills, on damp sandy shores, 

 and on flowers. The larvte, which resemble them closely, 

 generally prey upon other insects. Many of the beetles have 

 a peculiar odour, and when approached raise their tails. Many 

 species fly in the sunshine, and occasionally get into the human 

 eye. These numerous little insects are very hard to identify, 

 and we shall therefore only mention a few of the more 

 important genera. 



Genus Myrmedonia, Erichs. 

 Body elongated ; head separated from the thorax by a short 

 neck. The antennae are longer than the head, the second joint 

 being much shorter than the third. The maxilhie are bilobate, 

 with fine pubescence. They are common under stones, especially 

 where there are ants. 



* 31. canalimdata, Fabr. Brick-red, closely punctured, with 

 a black transverse band across the middle of the abdomen. 

 The pronotum is rather longer than broad, with rounded 

 angles. It is common in the vicinity of ant-nests, under 

 stones, &c. 



Genus Homalota, Mannerh. 



Maxillae with small spines on the inner margin. There are 

 no ocelli. This is a large genus of several hundred small 

 species, mostly only 3-4 mm. in length, which abound beneath 

 stones and in damp places. 



* H. fungi, Grav. Black and rather shining. The legs and 

 antenna3 are reddish-brown, the first joint of the latter being 

 somewhat swollen. The pronotum is slightly longer than the 

 wing-cases. It abounds in fungi and in damp localities. 



* H. graminicola, Grav. Shining black, with silky down. Tlie 

 pronotum is somewhat quadrate, with two deep depressions. 

 The legs are pitchy, with red tarsi. It is very conmion in fungi. 



