COLEOPTERA. — TKOGlDiE. 209 



Tlie liabits of the insects of this family have not been very satis- 

 factorily recorded. If, indeed, as Mr. MacLeay notices, the observ- 

 ations of the more modern entomologists are altogether to be relied 

 upon, their economy differs very materially from that of the other 

 Petalocera. Thus Olivier observes of the European species of Trox, 

 that they are met with on the ground in fields and sandy dry places, 

 and that they are sometimes observed on dried animal substances, 

 occupied in gnawing the cartilaginous parts which serve as the last 

 connection for the bones of carcases, from off which the flesh 

 has been long devoured or consumed ; and this last observation is 

 partially confirmed by Latreille and Kirby. Mr. MacLeay, however, 

 says that nothing can strictly be said to have been determined with 

 respect to the manners of the Troges, except that these insects are 

 attracted to dried bones. Pallas discovered a species, which he 

 names Scarab, silphoides, in the arid deserts of Tartar}^, in company 

 with Hister and Dermestes, under dried carcases ; whilst Acrel, 

 according to De Geer, found Trox luridus (Scarab, a tubercules DeG.) 

 in rotten wood. Mr. Dillwyn records the capture of Tr. arenosus in 

 carrion. Mr. Curtis states, that Tr. sabulosus has been found in 

 abundance in a dead rook, and also beneath a dead animal, whilst the 

 Rev. L. Jenyns captured a pair of Tr. scaber in decayed wood at 

 Bottishara. In the Regne Animal, it is stated by Latreille, that they 

 inhabit sandy districts, or reside under ground, appearing to eat the 

 roots of vegetables. Trox sabulosus flies in the sunshine ; and 

 Perty states that the Brazilian species frequent carcases, devouring 

 the tendinous parts, or are found in the excrement of man or her- 

 bivorous mammalia. 



Messrs. Waterhouse and Pickering found Trox arenarius in great 

 profusion in a quantity of rubbish in Battersca Fields apparently re- 

 sembling the cuttings of felt. 



The genus iEgialia is found upon the sea coast, where Mr. MacLeay 

 conjectures, that it feeds in company with the Psammodii, upon putrid 

 sea-weed or other marine detritus. From the apterous structure of 

 Trox (Phoberus) horridus, Mr. MacLeay is induced to suppose, that 

 it does not feed upon dried cadaverous substances, " because all 

 insects, intended to live on animal matter, partially dispersed and 

 collected in masses, are furnished with wings, in order to convey them 

 the more rapidly to the objects pointed out by their instinct ; " and 

 therefore, that the apterous Phoberus, like Pimelia, Brachycerus, &c. 



p 



