BRACHELYTRA. 89 



phaga ; and one of the former genus, A. alpinus, has the 

 head of the male (which sex is very rare) enlarged, with 

 a spine on each side in front, and strong, curved, promi- 

 nent mandibles. 



Acidota, found under pine-bark and in moss, has very 

 stoutly built legs, and spiny tibiae; the species, also, are 

 somewhat larger, linear and shining. Olophrum and 

 Lathrimceum, on the contrary, are convex and short; 

 and the little black Micralymma brevipenne, with very 

 short elytra, is noteworthy from living far below high- 

 water mark on the coast in all its stages. Eusphalerum 

 and Anthobium sometimes abound in flowers, the latter 

 occurring on Umbelliferce in woods, and the former in 

 primroses. 



The species of Omalium, in which the four basal joints 

 of the tarsi are equal, and scarcely so long as the apical 

 joint alone, are varied in habits ; many are found under 

 bark, others in flowers, some at sap, or in marshy places, 

 and one or two in profusion under decaying seaweed. 

 O. planum (Plate V, Fig. 3) is, perhaps, as good a type 

 of a subcortical insect as could be seen. 



The PROTEINID.E have the prothoracic spiracles hidden; 

 the antennae inserted under the lateral margin of the cly- 

 peus ; the anterior coxse cylindrical, not prominent (some- 

 what like those of the Nitidulides), and the posterior 

 transverse; the tarsi five-jointed; the thorax horny 

 beneath, behind the anterior coxse ; the paraglossse dis- 

 tinct, and in Megarthrus longer than the ligula. 



The species of Proteinus, which are very small, flat- 

 tish-oval, and black, are found in rotten fungi, etc., 

 often in great numbers ; they may be distinguished inter 

 se by their antennae, of which the basal portion varies in 

 the number of its light-coloured joints. 



