THE BACON BEETLE. 103 



The next family is called Mycetophagi, a word having much 

 tlie same signification as that of the last family, the Greek 

 word Myces signifying a fungus, especially the kind of fungus 

 that grows on tree-trunks. The insects of this family are rather 

 convex-bodied and oval, and covered with a delicate down. 

 The tarsi have four joints, except in the males, which have the 

 tarsi of the first pair of legs only three-jointed. 



Our example of this family is taken from the typical genus, 

 and is known by the name of Mycetapkagiis quadripustulatus, 

 a figure of which is given on Woodcut XI. Fig. 5. The genus 

 is distinguished by the shape of the thorax, which is as wide at 

 its base as the base of the elytra, the margins of the thorax and 

 elytra forming one continuous line without any division. The 

 club of the antennae is rather long and composed of five joints, 

 the last joint being egg-shaped, and the four others short and 

 disc-like. The antenna is shown at Fig. h on the same wood- 

 cut. Six species are known in England. 



This really seems quite a large insect when we compare it 

 with some of those which have lately been described, as it 

 sometimes reaches a length of a quarter of an inch. The head 

 of this Beetle is reddish, and the antennse are black in the 

 middle and red at the tip. The thorax is black, narrow in 

 front and broad behind, with rather sharp posterior angles, and 

 a roimded pit on each side towards the base. The elytra are 

 black, and on each of them are two reddish-yellow spots, one at 

 the base, and a smaller one over the apex. Some specimens have 

 the smaller spot so pale as to be scarcely visible, while in others 

 the two spots are united by a streak of pale yellow. This is a 

 very pretty little Beetle, and easily to be found when the 

 searcher knc^s where to look for it. The interior of fungi, 

 rotten wood, aad similar localities are the dwellings of this 

 Beetle, which may be found in perfection about the middle of 

 summer. As a rule, all these fungi-loving Beetles are in good 

 preservation when captured, as the nature of their habitations 

 shields them from injury. 



The next family, the Dermestidae, is a very interesting one to 

 the entomologist, although he can but hold its members in 

 bitterest hatred. The word Dermestes is of Greek origin, and 

 signifies ' skin-eater.' The name is but too appropriate, as all 



