440 COLEOPTERA. 



Bute, oval, brown, shiny insects found under stones near water, 

 under bark and in ants' nests. Scydmamus is tiie typical genus. 



PsELAPiiiD.E MacLeay. In this group the laliial palpi are 

 very small, while the four-jointed maxillary palpi are of re- 

 markable length ; the eyes are composed of large lenses, and 

 are sometimes wanting ; the elytra are short, truncated, beneath 

 which the wings, when present, are folded and the legs are 

 long and the femora are stout, while l)eyond tlie leg is usually 

 slender. "The species are very small, not exceeding one- 

 eighth of an inch in length, and are of a chestnut-ljrown color, 

 usually slightly pubescent ; the head and thorax are most fre- 

 quently narrower than the elytra and abdomen, which is con- 

 vex and usually obtuse at tip. Many are found flying in 

 twilight; their habits at other times are various, some being 

 found in ants' nests, while otliers occur under stones and bark. 

 North America seems to be rich in this family ; more than lifty 

 species are knoAvn to me, and several of the genera ha\'e not 

 occurred in other countries. This family closely approaches 

 the Staphyliyiidce , but the ventral segments are fewer in 

 number, and not freely moving, and the eyes are composed of 

 large lenses." (Leconte.) The genus Claviger and its allies 

 Adranes emeus Leconte, which is found in ants' nests in Nortli- 

 ern Georgia, have antennae with less than six joints ; it is 

 blind, and the antennse have only two joints. Psdaplnis and 

 its allies have eleven-jointed, rarely ten-jointed antennae. 



Staph YLixiDyE Leach. The Eove-beetles are easily recog- 

 nized by their long linear black bodies, with remarkably short 

 el3-tra, and seven to eight visible horny abdominal segments. 

 The maxillae are bilobate, usually ciliated, with four-jointed 

 palpi, except in Aleochara, when there is an additional joint : 

 the antennae, variable in form and insertion, are usually eleven- 

 jointed, and while the legs are variable in length and form, 

 the anterior coxae are usually large, conical, prominent and 

 contiguous. Though sometimes an inch in length, they are 

 more commonly minute, inhabiting wet places under stones, 

 manure heaps, fungi, moss, under the bark or leaA'cs of trees. 

 Many species inhabit ants' nests, and should be carefully 



