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CHAPTEE XII. 



THE NECEOPHAGA, OE CLATICOENES. 



This section comprises groups of very different appeai'- 

 ance and habits, answering for the most part to the 

 genera Silpha, Dermestes, and Byrrhus of old authors, 

 and including the PInlhydrida [Palpicornes of the French 

 entomologists), the aquatic representatives of the Lamel- 

 licornes. Its members (which feed principally upon de- 

 caying animal or vegetable matter) have the antennse 

 clubbed or incrassate at the apex, sometimes elbow^ed or 

 with a longer basal joint, and inserted near the mandi- 

 bles, which are usually strong ; the inner lobe of the 

 maxilla is not palpiform ; the tarsi are mostly 5-jointed, 

 and the tibise spurred; the scutellum large, and the 

 elytra nearly always covering the sides of the abdomen 

 (the apical segments of ^yhich are often exposed), and 

 occasionally truncate. It may be considered as divided 

 into eighteen families, the SilpJddce, ScydriKemda, Aniso- 

 tomidce, Scaphidiidce, Hister'uke, Nitidididce, Troyositidce, 

 Golydiidce, Cucnjidce, Crytophagida, Mycetophagidoe, 

 Dermestidce, Byrrhidce, Heterocerid(B, PurnidcB, Georys- 

 sidce, Hydrophi/idce, and Sph(eridiidcs ; but it must be 

 acknowledged that there is considerable difference of 

 opinion as to tlic affinities of these insects. 



