SHORT WINGED SCAVENGER-BEETLES. 71 



three-jointed tarsi, the last joint being as long as the others united. 

 The species are all small, rarely exceeeding a quarter of an inch in 

 length, and sometimes being less than a tentli. The spines or teeth on 

 tht;ir anterior tibiie indicate their tbssorial habits, and accordingly they 

 are usually found burrowing into manure or under the bark of decayed 

 trees. Mr. Westwood refers to a s])ecies of Biedins which is sonuitimes 

 found in great profusion, burrowing into the sand on the sea shore be- 

 low high water mark, and where consequently they must often be sub- 

 merged by the tide. 



Most of our species, upwards of forty in number, are included in the 

 three following genera; the first of which, however, contains but a sin- 

 gle species : 



A. Abdomen without a margin ; tarsi fivo joiuteil. Size rather large OsoiilOUS. 



A A. Abtloiiirn margined ; tarsi three Jointed ; size small. 



B. Antoi'ior tibiaj with two rows of spines ; body cylindrical Bl-KPll'S. 



li 15. Anterior tibia) Avith one row of spines ; body depressed Oxvtelus. 



Subfamily TEDERIDES. 



The species of this group are distinguished by their long clavato 

 palpi, the last joint but one being larger than the others, but the last 

 joint of all being small and contracted. As a general rule the species 

 are more elongated and slender than in the other sub-families, and their 

 colors are more various. Their length varies from a half to less than 

 a quarter of an inch. They are found mostly in wet places, and are 

 very rai)id in their motions. Upwards of sixty N. A. species have been 

 described. The following are the principal genera : 



A. Antenna) strongly geniculate, and bristly; size rather large; color black, often strongly tinted 



with red Cuyi'tohiu.m. 



A A. Anteunii! not geniculate. 

 B. Head attached to thorax by a neck of ordinary width ; size moderate. 



C. Tarsi simple ; color black, sometimes slightly tinted with red Latiiuoiium. 



C C. Penultimate Joint of tarsi slightly bilobed ; orange red, with head and tip of abdomen 



black ; elytra blue rA;i>lUtls. 



B B. llead attached by a very narrow neck, (except Talaminus) ; size small, length less than a 

 quarter of an inch. 

 D. Body of ordinary form, color Idackish. 



E. Head s(iuare behind LiTIIOCllAUIs. 



E E. Head naiTowed behind Snucis. 



D D. Body very elongate and slender; color wholly or partly yellow. 



r. Head oblong, obtuse, horizontal, pedunculate Si'NlL'8. 



F F. Head short, titinsverse, sessile Palamixus. 



The names Cryptohium and Lath rob ium are expressive of the concealed 

 modefc of life of these insects under stones or dead leaves, or similar 

 situations. The species of the former genus are usually more, and those 

 of the latter less, than a third of an inch in length; but this rule has a 

 few exceptions. The C. j)j/.sj7/jo//, Lee, is but two-tenths of an inch 

 long, and on the other hand the L. yrande is four-tenths. 



