'nil'. Mis'irK HinrrLKs. 



f)!)!) 



,sf the ;ih(l(iiiicii iiiicdNcrcil. In \\>r\\\ \\\r\ -.wr \;iri;ili'i'. cilln'r oli 

 Idim' ;iii(l ll;il (»r. iiioi-i" iisu;illy. roiiiid. <i\;il. i!l()li(isc iw ex liiidrifal. 

 All ;ii'r \('ry coinpncl. Iiavc a \ry\ liai-d siirfacc and llic elytra ai'e 

 usually luai'ked with ;; iiuinlicr (if stria'. Accnrdinu tn six'cios. these 

 \ar\' much in nunilx r. IciiLitli and connci'l ion and ai'r t Ir-rcfore 

 imu'h used in classilicat i>.n. The hreth's live for the most part under 

 the hark of loi-s. in (h'cayin^ run<i'i. earrion, animal excrement or 

 ants' nests. 'Pliey were formci-ly lliinmhl t(t he seavengers. hut it 

 is now believed they are predaeiMuis in all statics, and devour the 

 larvie of Diptera and other forms whidi ai-e feeding upon the de- 

 eaying matter. 



The name HIsfcr is usually sujiposed to liave heen derived from 

 the Latin histrio, meaning a elown or mimic, and to have been ap- 

 plied to these inseets by Linna'us on account of their habit of re- 

 tracting the antenna' and legs and feigning deal*!! when disturbed. 

 However. TjeConte states * that as a vast uumbei- of other insects 

 feign death in the same manner, this derivation appears inappro- 

 priate, lie therefore suggests that as the Eoman poet Juvenal, in 

 one of his satires, mentions a filthy felhtw of the luime of TTister. 

 Linufpus. who was fond of allndiiig to the classic writers of Rome, 

 on fiiuling these beetles living in the iiKtst filthy condi- 

 tions, in the midst of excrements aiul putrefaction, 

 pri)l);d)ly. and very properly, gave this name to tluMU. 



In addition to the cliaraeters mentioned, the mem- 

 bers of the family have the antenna elbow^ed or ab- 

 ruptly bent and retractile (Fig. 229), the first joint 

 long, the eighth and following joints forming a com- 

 pact, rounded or rarely ti-iangular club; thorax closely applied to 

 the elytra, usually with cavities beneath the side mar-gins to receive 

 the clubs of the antetnia': prostenium fre(|uently lobed in front and 

 prolonged between the fi-ont coxu". the latter transverse or globose, 

 the cavities open behind : middle and hind coxa^ rcmnded or subquad- 

 rate. widely expanded; abdomen with tive free ventral segments, tlie 

 first very large, the fifth very sliort : legs short, retractile; tibia^ com- 

 ])ressed. front ones toothed ami more or less fitted for digging; tai-si 

 slender, sliort. ■")-jointed (except in Arriliis and .Khhs, where the 

 hind ones ai-e 4-jointedi. the fi-ont ones usually received in grooves 

 on the front face of the tibia-. 



The principal liti-rature It-eat iiig of the Nni-lli American mem- 

 bers of the famih' is as follows: 



*Proc. Phil. .\cud. Nat. Sci., XI, 18.VJ, 310. 



