862 FAMILY XLTII. — PTlNIDT^l. 



transversely rugose with rows of rather coarse punctures at base. Length 

 3.5-6 mm. 



Indiana, Stein collection ; frequent. 



1648 (5232). Necrobia violacea Linn., Syst. Nat. (ed. 10), 1758, 356. 



Elongate-oblong, robust. Uniform dark blue or green. Head and tho- 

 rax rather coarsely and densely punctate. Elytra with rows of rather 

 coarse punctures, becoming fainter behind the middle ; intervals irregular, 

 finely punctulate. Length 3.2-4.5 mm. 



lake. Via:n. Dnl)<)is, Crawford ;ind Posey counties; frequent. 

 April 11-May 17. This and tlie other two species occur together 

 with Dermestids and certain Nitidulids ou the bones and skins of 

 old carrion. The Dermestids are knoAvn as "skin beetles" and the 

 species of Necrobia and the Nitidulids which occur with them as 

 "bone beetles." 



Family XLIII. PTINID.l^:. 



The Death-watch Beetles. The Drtg Store Beetles. 



A family of medium size containing species rarely exceeding 

 one-foiu'th of an inch in length, which live for the most part on dry 

 vegetable or animal matter, usually the former, which is just be- 

 ginning to decay. Many of them are therefore found about cellars, 

 old houses and outbuildings, into the woodwork of which they bore, 

 making meanwhile a ticking sound that gives them the name of 

 "death-watch." Others occur in drug and grocery stores, where 

 they feed upon cayenne pepper, cigars, dried roots, etc., and still 

 others in the forest and open woodland beneath the bark and dead 

 leaves. They vary greatly in form, so that no general popular' 

 description is possible, and only the fact that the thorax extends 

 fonvard in a hood-like fashion over the head is of general applica- 

 tion. The head is usually well bent under, and not visi])le from 

 above, and the general color is either cinnam(ni-l)ro\vn or black. 

 The name Ptinns, that of the typical genus upon which the family 

 name is based, is from a Greek word meaning "to decay" or 

 "destroy," and applies to the habits of the best known species, 

 which have been carried by connnei-ce ovci- the entire globe. 



The princii)al characters of the Ptiuidie, briefly stated, are as 

 follows : Maxilla:' exposed at base, with two eiliate lobes, the palpi 

 short, four-jointed; antennae inserted upon the front (Ptininae) or 

 at the sides of the front in the other su1>l"amily, variable in form, 



