Manners, &)C. of some of the British Brachehjtra. 115 



I think this species, though nowhere uncommon, abounds more 

 especially in the west of England : on the Cornish coast it occurs 

 in hundreds under every heap of seaweed,* and in Devonshire I 

 have found numerous specimens dividing the possession of a dead 

 mole or other small carcase with Necrophori and other Silphidce. 

 It differs, as is well known, from most of its allies, in coiling itself 

 up and remaining motionless, instead of assuming a hostile atti- 

 tude, when disturbed : in this position the polished thorax and 

 head are nearly concealed, and the general aspect is more that of 

 a hairy caterpillar than a Coleopterous insect. 



The three pubescent species from which Mr. Stephens has 

 formed his genus Tr'ichoderma, appear to frequent a somewhat 

 different pabulum to their near allies the true SlaphyUm, occurring 

 more frequently in dung, particularly cowdung, than in carcases, 

 while the StaphyUni frequent carcases, the dung of horses, &c. 

 and prey frequently on living worms, &c., but are rarely found in 

 cowdung, the favourite haunt of the Trichodermce. The *S'/rt- 

 phylini, also, are often seen on walls and pavements basking in 

 the sun, and one species at least, St. erythroplerus, climbs trees 

 with readiness, running along the branches in search of Lepidop- 

 terous larvae, &c. on which I have frequently found it feeding : — 

 while the Trichodermce affect situations and habits more in unison 

 with their sombre colouring, and rarely expose themselves to view 

 unless when on the wing from one feeding place to another. 

 The colour of the wings also varies in the two groups ; those of 

 the Trichodermce being dirty ash-grey, of the StaphyUni trans- 

 parent iridescent fulvous : and though a distinction drawn from 

 such a circumstance may appear trivial, I have noticed that similar 

 tints in the membrane of the wing pervade natural groups so 

 generally, throughout the Coleoptera, as to afford no bad diagnosis. 



The T'richodermie appear essentially monogamous ; one pair, 

 male and female, is generally found in possession of a mass of 

 cowdung : the Goerius olens I have remarked to be equally so ; 

 and it is probable that a similar propensity pervades the Stap)hy- 

 linidce, but from the gregarious habits of most of the species, it is 

 less easily ascertained than in the Trichodermce and Goerii, which 

 mostly live in solitary pairs. 



The pile or pubescence in the Trichodermce appears to be re- 

 markably fixed and close : I never remember to have met with a 

 denuded specimen. 



The species composing the genus Stajjhylinus, as now restricted, 



* In Scilly, however, I took only a single specimen. 



