68 



INSECTS AT HOME. 



the antennas are set ciose between and in front of the eyes, and 

 the last joint of the maxillary palpi is very small and thread- 

 like. The form of the maxillary palpus can be seen by refer- 

 ence to Woodcut No. VII. Fig. d. In this family the front 

 tarsi of the males are not wider than those of the females, but 

 they can be detected by looking at the last segment but one 



1. Falagria sulcata. 2. Aleochara fuscipes. 3. Atemeles emarginatns. 4. Oxypoda 

 luteipennis. 5. Homalota brunnea. a. Staphylinus. anterior tarsus of female, niidilated. 

 b. Staphylinus, anterior tarsus of male, dilated, c. Staphylinus, closing its wings with ex- 

 tremity of its tail. d. Falagria, maxillary palpus. e. Falagria, rigut mandible. /. 

 Falagria, labial palpi. g. Falagria, antenna. 



of the abdomen, and seeing whether it is tubercled, ridged, or 

 has a thicker posterior margin. In such cases the insect is of 

 the male sex. 



This is in many respects a very remarkable group of insects, 

 because in no less than eight of the genera included in it there 

 are Beetles which are parasitic upon other insects, and which 

 pass the whole of their lives in the nests of ants. There is 



