58 



THE ORDER OF OOLEOPTERA. 



[Fig. 19.J 



The Necrophor US Americanus is nearly an inch and a lialf in length. 

 The other species do not exceed an inch, and a few of the smaller spe- 

 cies scarcely exceed half an inch in length. Silplia 

 Americana has the thorax broadly margined with 

 yellow ; S. marginata has the thorax margined with 

 red; S. mequalis [Fig. 18] is wholly black; S. candata 

 has adull bronze thorax, and black elytra, with many 

 small tubercles. The Necrodes surinamensis is black, 

 with a reddish spot near the end of each elytron, and 

 the elytra strongly carinated or ridged. Necrodes 

 from Silpha in having a more elongated 



NECROPHOitus: — 1, auten- differs 

 nre : 2, tarsus ; 3, head 



frou beneath— after form, and the antennae with a greater number of 



"Westwood. n\- . ■ ■ . 



perfoliate joints. 



Family VIII. SCAPHIDIID^. 



From the genus Scarphidium of Olivier, a name meaning a little shiff 

 or l)oat^ and given to these insects on account of their fancied resem- 

 blance to a boat, being thickest and arched in the middle, and narrowed 

 towards each end, the head being very small, and the tip of the abdo- 

 men being conical and pointed, and projecting beyond the end of the 

 wing-cases. The first abdominal segment is unusually long. These are 

 small, shining-black insects found in fungi and rotten wood. They 

 move rapidly, but with an uneven or skipping gait. They constitute a 

 very small family, only seventeen N. A. species having been described 

 at the present time. 



Family IX. HISTERID.E. 



Founded upon the genus Hister of Linnseus, a term borrowed from 



the Latin hister, or Jiistrio, meaning a stage actor or mimic, and applied 



[Fig.ao.j to these insects on account of their habit of persistently 



feigning death when captured ; a habit, however, which 



2 they have in common with many other Coleoptera. They 



are mostly small, short, rounded or somewhat square - 



shaped beetles, of a very hard consistency, and a glossy 



black color, very rarely marked with a few red spots. They 



HiSThR:— 1, bee- „,'... *^ 



tie natural are lurther distinguished by their small heads, which can 



size ; 2, aiiteu- i • i i 



noe of same DC rctractcd luto the thorax, so as to be nearly or quite in- 

 ter Westwood. visible ; and also, by their truncated or shortened wing- 

 cases, leaving the two last abdominal segments exposed. They live in 

 the excrement of animals, and other decomposing substances, mostly 

 animal, but sometimes vegetable. 

 Number of described N. A. species, one hundred and eighty-four. 



