﻿THE NECROPHAGA, OB CLAVICORNES. 97 



very long, and are strongly clubbed ; the mandibles are 

 very strong, and, with the labrum above, and mentum 

 below, nearly close up the mouth ; the paraglossse long 

 and divergent ; the elytra truncate at the apex, leaving 

 two segments of the abdomen exposed ; and the legs wide 

 and flat, the separate parts packing one upon another, 

 and the tibise being strongly dentate or spinose exter- 

 nally ; the middle and hinder pair, moreover, are widely 

 apart^ and the tarsi in all (except Acritus, which has four- 

 jointed posterior tarsi) are five-jointed. The abdomen has 

 five segments, of which the first is usually much the 

 widest, and the wings are ample. The true Histers, 

 from Plafysoma to Paromalus inclusive^ have the proster- 

 num produced into a chin-piece, for the protection and 

 reception of the head, which is wanting in Saprinus and 

 the rest of the family. 



They are found chiefly in dung or decaying vegetable 

 mattery some species, however, preferring dead animals, 

 others frequenting ants' nests, and a few living under 

 bark or in wood. They fly strongly^ and, when handled, 

 often simulate death, from which habit their name 

 Ulster [histrio, a mimic) is derived. 



One of the prettiest species, Hister bimaculatus (Plate 

 VI, Fig. 4), is not uncommon in cow-dung, under stones, 

 etc.; and with it the rounded, deeply sculptured, Ontho- 

 philus striatus may be found. 



The larvae appear to be found in similar situations to 

 the perfect insects; they are linear, depressed^ nearly 

 smooth, soft, and dirty white in colour, except the head 

 and first segment, which are harder and darker ; the 

 legs, antennse, and palpi are short, and mandibles sickle- 

 shaped and prominent ; there appear, also, to be various 

 impressions and transverse rows of hairs on the ventral 



H 



