THE NECROPHAGA, OB CLAVICORNES. 107 



have the antennae of nine joints, of which the three last 

 form a club ; the prosternum membraneous ; the front 

 and middle legs close to each other ; the anterior coxae 

 projecting and approximated, the intermediate oval, and 

 the posterior transverse, the two latter pairs being 

 widely separated between themselves; and the tarsi 

 slender and four-jointed. 



Georyssus pygmaus is found in wet places, especially 

 on the seacoast; it often burrows in the ground, and nearly 

 always bears a little heap of dry mud or caked sand upon 

 its back. When cleaned, the elytra exhibit very coarse 

 punctuation for so small an insect. 



In the HYDROPHILID^E (often called PMlhydrida) , 

 which, with the next family, constitute the Palpi- 

 comes of the French entomologists, the palpi are as 

 long as, or longer than, the antennae, which have from 

 six to nine joints, the basal one being elongate and the 

 apical (usually three) forming a club; the mentum is 

 large and unnotched, the maxillae terminate in two un- 

 toothed lobes, and the mandibles are very short. The tarsi 

 are always five-jointed, and the hinder legs formed for 

 swimming in some species : in short, the members of 

 this family, which are all found either in or about water, 

 and are not carnivorous in the perfect state, are the 

 aquatic representatives of the Lamellicornes, and pro- 

 bably of other families. They are fully described by 

 Mulsant, Hist. Nat. des Col. de France; Palpicornes : 

 Paris, 1844. 



In Spercheus emarginatus, the inner lobe of the 

 maxillae is coriaceous, and the outer horny, slender, and 

 ending in a pencil of hairs ; the antennae are six-jointed ; 

 the thorax is narrower than the elytra, and the hind 

 legs are not natatorial. The female makes a small bag 



