34 Le Conte's Monography of 



possible to ascertain that it had been previously described, or 

 even named in any catalogue or private collection. 



As there can be no difficulty hereafter in determining what 

 species of this family are known, I invite all those whose atten- 

 tion is turned towards the study of Entomology, to communicate 

 to us any which may not be noticed in this Monography, 

 that they may be hereafter added, with such as we may our- 

 selves detect, to a supplement ; and we shall be pleased in re- 

 turn, to furnish any of which we have duplicates that may be 

 wanting in their collections. 



Familia insectorum Coleopterorum cui nomen Histeroidum 

 vel Histeridarum imponitur, characteribus sequentibus facile 

 dignoscitur. 



AntenncB angulatae sive fractae, scapo elongato, funiculo 

 7-articulato, clava 3-articulata, scilicet articulis arete junctis. 



Maxillce corneas, mails plerumque membranaceis, barbatis. 



Labium corneum ; ligula plerumque obtecta, paraglossis 

 membranaceis, porrectis. 



Palpi omnes filiformes. 



Thorax, lateribus leviter marginatis, antice profunde emar- 

 ginatus, postice elytris arete contiguus. 



Elytra abdomine breviora, postice truncata, interdum paulo 

 rotundata, margine laterali plus minus inflexo. 



Abdomen segmentis quinque compositum, obtusum, breve, 

 segmenta postrema compressa, superiore et inferiore manifeste 

 disjunctis, tertioque superiore margini postico segmentorum 

 superiorum a latere solum conjuncto, ita ut extremitates ejus 

 inter tcrtium et quartum penultima segmenta superiora, trian- 

 gulum parvum, angustum formant. Pedes posteriores basi 

 distantes. 



Corporis forma, insecta haicce variant ; rotunda, ovalis, ob- 

 longa, nunc valde convexa est, nunc tenuis et depressa : in 

 excrementis, cadaveribus et fungis putridis plurima vitam 

 degunt, multa tamen sub cortice arborum emortuarum oc- 

 cultant. Capta mortem simulant. Colore obscuro gaudent ; 



