98 BRITISH BEETLES. 



segments, with a fleshy tubercle on the under side of the 

 apex. 



M. de Marseul has published an admirable monograph 

 of this family in the Annales of the French Ent. Soc. 

 (ser. 3, i. p. 131 et seq.}. 



The NITIDULID^E have the head (except in Rhizo- 

 phagus) much sunk in the thorax ; the antennae not 

 elbowed ; composed of eleven (except in Rhizophagus, 

 which has ten) joints, of which the two or three last 

 form a knob ; the tarsi, with five joints (rarely with only 

 four to the posterior in the male), of which the last but 

 one is very small ; the elytra usually truncate behind, 

 and the abdomen with five or six segments, free. The 

 species are mostly small, flat, and rather wide, a few 

 being convex, and one genus (Rhizophagus) linear. They 

 chiefly frequent flowers, but, dead animals, sap of trees, 

 fungi, decaying vegetable matter, and ants' nests are 

 also haunted by many species. They may be divided 

 into six sub-families, the Brachypterides, Carpophilides, 

 Nitidulides, Cychr amides, Phalacrides, and Ipides. 



The BRACHYPTERIDES have the two or three apical 

 segments of the abdomen exposed, and two lobes to the 

 maxillae. Our species occur in the flowers of Antirrhi- 

 num, Spirted, etc., and are in no way remarkable, except 

 that the male of Cercus pedicularius has the two basal 

 joints of the antennae much enlarged. 



The CARPOPHILIDES have the abdomen exposed, as in 

 the last subfamily, but possess only one lobe to the 

 maxillae. One genus, Carpophilus, is found in Europe ; 

 and we possess but two species ; one of which, hemipte- 

 rus, an oblong, depressed insect, with very short elytra, 

 which are spotted with yellow at the apex, is pro- 

 bably imported, being cosmopolitan, and mostly occur- 



