THE BEETLES 



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and characteristic appearance. The head is generally large and flat with a narrow 

 neck behind where it fits into the prothorax. The antennae composed of eleven, 

 or occasionally twelve joints are usually filiform, but are often slightly thickened 

 toward the extremity, and in some cases end in a distinct club. Though prominent 

 and conspicuous in a few genera, the eyes are, as a rule, raised but very little above 

 the general surface of the head. It is interesting to note that ocelli, which are of 

 such rare occurrence in adult beetles, are to be found in certain groups of this fam- 

 ily; two ocelli being present in Homalium and its allies, and a single ocellus in the 

 genus Pktceobium. The mandibles vary in form according to the habits of the species; 

 they are usually strong, often sharply curved and pointed at the end, and of a dis- 

 tinctly carnivorous type. Attached to the base and running a little way alongside 

 the inner margin of each mandible, there is to be seen in many species a narrow 

 flexible plate fringed, or not, with hairs at the end. This piece, first made known 

 by Kirby, who called it \hz prostheca, is rarely met with except in the Staphylinidce . 



BRITISH ROVE BEETLES. 



1. The devil's coach-horse (Ocyp^s olens); 2. Staphylinus pubescens; 3. Philonthus eeneus; 4. Oxyperus rufus; 

 5. Pezderus riparius; 6. Staphylinus ccesareus. (Nos. 3, 4, and 5, slightly enlarged.) 



The ligula is narrow, and bears distinct paraglossae; and the outer lobe of the max- 

 illae is never palpiform. The rove beetles are for the most part carnivorous, and 

 prey upon all kinds of larvae and other insects, as well as upon slugs, snails, and 

 worms, but they feed largely on carrion, and to some degree on vegetable matter. 

 Several species live in fungi, some in flowers, others under bark and in rotten wood, 

 while in the case of certain genera, such as Lomechusa and Atemeles, the species are 

 to be sought for in or about ants' nests. Some of these latter species are welcome 

 guests, since, like the Aphides, they secrete a liquid which is eagerly swallowed by 

 the ants; others may possibly act as scavengers. Among the species of the genera 

 Spirachtha and Corotaca, which live with the Termites in South America, some are 

 very remarkable from the fact that the females give birth to living young. 



Many of the British species of beetles belong to this family. Every one has 

 seen the devil's coach-horse, that long, black, ugly-looking but useful insect which 

 is to be found under stones and earth, or roving about in gardens, and which when 

 you attempt to stay its progress, by pointing with a stick or finger, stands with 



