(Page 635) 

 tennae short, their first two joints thickened, the middle „oints rather 

 fine, the last three are connate forming a compact, undivided, thick, o- 

 vate distal knob, due to this the antennae are only 9- jointed ; maxillary 

 palpi short, their second and third joints thickened, the fourth much 

 thinner, and at least twice as long as the very short, transverse third 

 joint. 



Pronotum fits tightly to the elytra, and is posteriorly about as broad 

 as these, slightly narrowing posteriorly with broed, strongly unturned 

 side-margins, broadly outcurved fore-margin and foveate, convex middle; 

 elytra longer than pronotum, ribbed, posteriorly almost evenly truncated; 

 abdomen short, and as broad as elytra, posteriorly roundly tapering with 

 broadly upturned side-margins and many-f oveated dorsum; legs short, fine; 

 tibiae linear, not splniferous; tarsi very short, 3-jointed, distal joint 

 longer than the other two joints together. 



(Page 635) 



The species live in all kinds of rotting plant-waste and is also found 

 in the mould under carrion. About 10 species are distributed in Middle Eu- 

 rope, and of these, 3-4 are found in North Europe and in this country. 

 It is most likely that the larvae can be found under similar conditions as 

 the beetles. The larva of an middle European species, M. starhyllnoides. 

 is known and distinguishes itself by a unique appearance, namely produced 

 by, that the joints of pronotum and abdomen are strongly dilated into lon-j, 

 entirely chitinized side-appendages (cf. ^anglb. Ka'f. M. II, 765, Fig. 34) 



•97- 



