38 



sand areas of Illinois ('07:264), from a single female taken at 

 Moline, September 8, 1905. Its systematic place is still uncertain. 

 Hart has found the species very abundant in late fall at the Devil's 

 neck, since his partial description of it was published, and during 

 the present studies it was found under boards and on blowsand in 

 different parts of the sand region. Most of the specimens were 

 dead. Others were found alive in October. The beetle probably 

 emerges late in summer, hibernating in sheltered places and resuming 

 activity in the spring. Those found in April were, however, dead. 



Necrophonis inarginatus Fab. July 5. 



A member of the family Silphidae. Taken with Saprinus and 

 Trox on the carcass of a field-mouse caught in a trap two or three 

 days previous, in the bunch-grass at the Devil's Hole. A common 

 and generally distributed species. 



Silpha inaequalis Fab. April 6. 



Taken on a bone in bunch-grass at the Devil's Hole, with some 

 decaying material still attached. A common and generally distrib- 

 uted species ; gregarious ; hibernates in different stages. Members 

 of this genus are commonly found on decaying fungi. 



Tachyponts sp. (undetermined). Havana, April i. 



A very small, broad, convex species with abruptly tapering ab- 

 domen, hibernating in the adult stage under mullein leaves or in 

 other sheltered places. Other Staphylinidae of small size were taken 

 under boards in the sand, being more often found in forest margins 

 or near cultivated fields. Hart records only three staphylinid species, 

 none of them from typical sand prairie. It is quite probable that 

 some of the large carrion-feeding beetles of this family are to be 

 found in bunch-grass, but as a group the staphylinids are a very 

 inconspicuous element in the sand-prairie fauna. 



Biistilbus apicalis Melsh. ; Hood, det. July 23. 



A very small brown oval, convex beetle, belonging to the family 

 Phalacridae, or shining flower-beetles. They live principally on 

 flowers, the larvae living in the heads of flowers, especially those of 

 Compositae. The winter is probably passed in the adult stage. Taken 

 in the herbage near border of woods at Matanzas Lake. 



Bustilbiis iiitidus Melsh.; Hood, det. April i. 



Very similar to the preceding species, but smaller. A common 

 and generally distributed species. Taken under a log at the border 

 between two fields. 



