CRYPTOPHAGIDAE. 99 



being more prolonged, with the tip received into the deeply 

 emarginate mesosternum, but by the very different form of the 

 body, which is oval, and resembles considerably a Nitidulide of 

 the genus Epuraea. The head is flat, the front not prolonged, 

 and iu the male is deeply incised at tip, exposing a membranous 

 triangular epistoma. The antennae of the female are clubbed, as 

 usual ; those of the male are stout, and scarcely thickened at the 

 end. The mandibles are prominent, and suddenly incurved at 

 the tip. The hind tarsi of the male are 4-jointed. The genus 

 lives on flowers. Our species is finely punctured, and densely 

 clothed with fulvous hair. 



Group II. — Cryptophagi. 



Small insects, of an elongated form, living in decomposing 

 vegetable matter ; usually of a brown color, and clothed with 

 rather coarse hair. The sides of the thorax are usually toothed. 

 The prosternum is slightly prolonged, but the mesosternum is not 

 emarginate for its reception. The antennae and front are alike 

 in both sexes, and the latter is somewhat prolonged. 



The posterior tarsi of the male of Cryptophagus have but four 

 joints; in Paramecosoma and Tomarus the tarsi lare 5-jointed in 

 both sexes. 



Body pubescent ; sides of the thorax toothed or serrate ; 



Menturn with an obtuse emarginate medial tooth.' Cryptophagus. 



Mentum with an acute medial tooth. Paramecosoma. 



Body glabrous ; sides of the thorax smooth. Tomarus. 



The two first-mentioned genera are represented in every por- 

 tion of our territory ; the third only in the Atlantic district, and 

 resembles in appearance Atomaria, but differs from it by the 

 insertion of the antennae, and the absence of pubescence. 



Tribe III.— ATOMARIBIVI. 



The antennae are inserted between the eyes, at the anterior part 

 of the front, and are usually very closely approximated. The 

 mentum is tridentate in front. The anterior coxae are rounded. 

 The tarsi are 5-jointed in both sexes, and not lobed beneath ; the 

 fourth joint is smaller than the third. The species are of very 

 ■mall size, and are found flying in the evening, and about wood- 

 piles. The two groups of Atomaria recognized by previous 



