SHORT WINGED SCAVENaER-BEETLES. 71 



three-jointed tarsi, the hist joint being as long as the others united. 

 The species are all small, rarely exceeeding a quarter of an inch in 

 length, and sometimes being less than a tenth. The spines or teeth on 

 their anterior tibiiie indicate their fossorial habits, and accordingly they 

 are usually found burrowing into manure or under the bark of decayed 

 trees. Mr. Westwood refers to a species of Bledius which is sometimes 

 found in great profusion, burrowing into the sand on the sea shore be- 

 low high w^ater mark, and where consequently they must often be sub- 

 merged by the tide. 



Most of our species, upwards of forty in number, are included in the 

 three following genera ; the tirst of which, however, contains but a sin- 

 gle species : 



A. Abdomen without a margin ; tarsi five jointed. Size rather large Osonious. 



A A. Abdomen margined ; tarsi three jointed; size small. 



B. Anterior tibia) with two rows of spines ; body cylindrical Bledius. 



B B. Anterior tibia) with one row of spines ; body depressed Ox ytblus. 



Sub-family PEDERIDES. 



The species of this group are distinguished by their long clarate 

 paljH, the last joint but one being larger than the others, but the last 

 joint of all being small and contracted. As a general rule the species 

 are more elongated and slender than in the other sub-families, and their 

 colors are more various. Their length varies from a half to less than 

 a quarter of an inch. They are found mostly in wet places, and are 

 very rapid in their motions. Upwards of sixty N. A. species have been 

 described. The following are the principal genera : 



A. A utennic strongly geniculate, and bristly; size rather large; color black, often strongly tinted 



with red Ckyi'touium. 



A A. Antenna not geniculate. 

 B. Head attached to thorax by a neck of ordinary width ; size moderate. 



C. Tarsi simple; color black, sometimes slightly tinted with red Lathrobiuji. 



C. Penultimate joint of tarsi slightly bilobed ; orange red, with head and tip of abdomen 



black; elytra blue PiEDEKUS. 



B B. Head attached by a very narrow neck, (except Palaminus) ; size small, length less than a 

 quarter of an inch. 

 D. Body of ordinary form, color blackish. 



E. Head square behind Lithocharis. 



E E. Head narrowed behind Stilicus. 



D D. Body very elongate and slender; color wholly or partly yellow. 



F. Head oblong, obtuse, horizontal, pedunculate Sunius. 



F E. Head short, transverse, sessile Palaminus. 



The names CrypoUum and LathroUnm are expressive of the concealed 

 modes of life of these insects under stones or dead leaves, or similar 

 situations. The species of the former genus are usually more, and those 

 of the latter less, than a third of an inch in length; but this rule has a 

 few exceptions. The G. ])miUum^ Lee, is but two-tenths of an inch 

 long, and on the other hand the L. grande is four-tenths. 



