LAMELT>lCORN DUNO-IJEETLKS. 81 



ill wliidi to bury it. Mr. Riloy informs me that the coiniuon notion 

 tliat the egg is rolled up in the center of this ball is an erroneous one, 

 and that the egg is in reality deposited in a cavity at one side, made 

 for the purpose after the ball is sunk. The young feed upon the half 

 decomposed matter of whicii the ball is compos<?d. The si)ecies are 

 generally black, but some have ricli metallic lines. The Copris {Plia- 

 naun) canii/ex, with its tints of burnished copper and green, is one of 

 our richest insects. 



A. Middle and hind tiViiif slender. Size medium ; color black Canthon, 17 sp. 



A A. Middle and hind tibia' enlarged at the end. 

 H. Labial palpi .'1-Jointed. 



f. And rior coxjj' stronijly tianv<>r.se and dcpre.ssed. Size Dmall ; color brown ClM'.KinilTM, 3. 



C C. Anterior eoxii- large, conical and luoinini'Ut. Size large or medium ; color black or metallic: 



Conu.-*, 10. 

 1! B. Labial j)alpi ^jointed. Anterior coxiv laige and conical ; size small ; color black: 



Ontuopiiagls, 10. 



Family XXVIT. APHODIID.^. 



These are small beetles found in great abundance in the fresh ma- 

 nure of horses and cows, into which they burrow almost as soon as 

 dropped from the animals. They never much exceed a (piarter of an 

 inch in length, and are usually black, but sometimes with red or brown 

 elytra. Nearly a hundred N. A. species have been described, and divi- 

 ded into a number of sub-genera, but they may all be included in the 

 genus Aphodius of llliger. 



The following are among our most common species: The 

 A. /imetariun, Fab., nearly three-tenths of an inch long; head 

 and thorax shining black, and elytra red ; the A. ohlongus^ 

 Say, is equally long, rather more slender, and wholly black; 

 the A. terminalis is less than two-tenths of an inch long, black 

 with the tip of the elytra and legs reddish ; the ..1. scrval, 

 Say, is of tlie same size, black, with the elytra dirty white, 

 with three sub-quadrate black spots and a lateral double or 

 beetle; 2, an triple irregular interrupted black stripe on each. 



feiina— after i o x jr 



Westwood. 



Family XXVIIT. GEOTRUPID.E. 



These are distinguished from the two preceding families by their ro- 

 bust horny mandibles which project visibly beyond the ui)per lip. Their 

 average size is above medium, but the IJolboceri fall considerably below 

 it. The (ieotrupes (more correctly spelled (Jeotrypes) are very common 

 insects, found under cow-dung in pastures, often burrowing into the 

 ground beneath. 



—11 



