BEETLES. 55 



Family IX. HISTERID-E. 



AViiig- cases strongly truncated. Legs with flat tibuv, 

 retractile into pits. Hind coxfe widely separated. They 

 live in carrion and dung, and beneath the bark of trees, 

 where they prey upon other insects. 



Genus Hister, Linn. 

 Body somewhat stout ; head retractile, and covered beneath 

 by a rounded projection of the prosternum. The flagellum 

 of the antennae is gradually thickened, with a flattened oval 

 club. The hind tibia have two rows of spines on the outer 

 edge. They live in dung, or on carrion, as well as on living 

 insects. 



* H. quadrimaculatus, Linn. (Plate \l., Fig. 6). "Wing-cases 

 with a large, frequently-interrupted, red spot. The front tibia? 

 have a simple tooth at the end. It sometimes kills dung-beetles, 



H. quadri7iotat7is, Scrib. (Plate YL, Fig. 7). Smaller than 

 the last species. The spots on the elytra often run together. 

 The tibitie have three small teeth on the outer margin. 



H. Jimetarius, Herbst. (Plate YL, Fig. 8). Elytra with a 

 large orange spot, concave behind. The front tibiae have four 

 teeth. Length, 6-7 mm. It lives in dry, sandy pastures. 



* H. hiniaculatus, Linn. Only 4 mm. in length. Antenniij 

 and lecjs brownish-red. 



* H. cadavcrinus, Illig. (Plate YL, Fig. 9). This species is as 

 large as the foregoing, with similar elytra, but the front tibiiu 

 have five or six dentations. It is not rare. 



* H. unicolor, Fabr. (Plate YL, Fig. 10). Perfectly black, 

 with the outermost and the two inner strire of the wing-cases 

 strongly truncated. Front tibii^ with three teeth. Length, 

 4-5 mm. Common in cow-dung. 



