272 INSECTS ABROAD. 



thread-like throughout. Like the preceding family, they are 

 found on fungi of various kinds. Some of them live under the 

 bark of trees, but even in this case they have the same habits, 

 eating the living fungi which grow in such situations. jSTot 

 only do they resemble the Erotylidse in their habits, but in their 

 appearance, so that but for the distinctive character of the 

 maxillary palpi, it is not always easy to pronounce Mdiether an 

 insect belongs to one family or the other. 



The name Endomychidm is Greek, signifying " one who in- 

 habits the innermost parts of a dwelling," and is given to the 

 insects on account of their habit of lurking in the interior of 

 fungi and under bark. 



We have but four British examples of the Endomychides, the 

 best known of wliicli is Lycoperdina hovistce, an insect which, as 

 its name implies, is found in the interior of the common puff-ball. 

 The difficulty of placing these Beetles in their proper situation 

 may be inferred from the fact that several of them have been 

 placed by some entomologists among the Burying Beetles. 



The curious genus, an example of which is here given, has a 

 tolerably wide geographical range. The present species, Eumor- 

 ,1^, 2^^^'^^^ marginalis, is a native of Penang, 

 and others are found in the East Indies 

 and part of America. In all these insects 

 the club of the antennae is flat and three- 

 jointed, and there is a bold notch in 

 the front of the tibia of the fore-legs- 

 The body is rounded, and the elytra are 

 much expanded, and flattened at the 

 sides so as to form a sort of rim. The 

 F>o 136-Eiuuoi-phusnutrginaiis. gpgcies which is now bcforc us affoi-ds 



(Purple, with yellow spots.) ^ 



an excellent example of this remarkable 

 form, whicli we iiow see repeated for tlie third time, namely, in 

 Mormolyce, described on page 39 ; Hehijus, described on page 

 ]87; and in the present genus. We shall again see a similar 

 structure when we come to the Orthoptera. 



The thorax of this insect is much raised in the middle, where 

 it rises to a blunt angle. It is curiously shaped, liaving a very 

 deep scoop in front, through which the head is seen. It is 

 rounded in front, but each of the hinder angles as lengthened 

 into a slender spine, which projects backwards well over tlie 



