﻿THE NECROPHAGA, OR CLAVICORNES. 109 



and often placing the head backwards on to the body : 

 when handled, they become flaccid, and emit a fetid 

 black fluid from the end of the abdomen. The papa is 

 formed in a cell in the wet earth of the banks of ponds. 



A smaller species, Hydrobius fuscipes (Plate VIT, 

 Fig. 5), is very common in stagnant waters. 



The SpHiERiDiiD^ are mostly terrestrial in their 

 habits, though many frequent damp situations ; the ma- 

 jority, however, are found in the dung of cattle. 



Their tarsi are not natatorial, and have the first joint 

 of the posterior pair much longer than the others ; their 

 antennae have either eight or nine joints, and the second 

 joint of their maxillary palpi is more or less inflated. 

 The species are nearly all very small, black, and convex, 

 being at most variegated with dull red spots. Cyclono- 

 tum, the largest, is aquatic and very globose ; and the 

 species of Cercyon abound in cow-droppings, etc. The 

 allied Megasternum and Cryptopleurum are distinguished 

 by their very large prosternum and metasternum ; and 

 the former may be known from Cercyon by the notch at 

 the apex of the outer edge of its front tibise. 



