CHAriEE XIII. 



HETEROMERA, OR PARTY-LEGGED BEETLES. 



Now comes a group of Beetles which are but poorly represented 

 in England, though in the warmer parts of the world they are 

 very numerous. These are the Heteromera, a word for which it 

 is not easy to find an English synonym, except that which I 

 have ventured to propose. It signifies " unequal jointed," and is 

 given to them because the tarsus of the hind legs contains only 

 four joints, while that of the first and middle pair contains five 

 joints. In point of fact, however, the missing joint really does 

 exist, though it is so small as to be hardly perceptible, being 

 merged in the first or basal joint, which is longer than the 

 others. 



There is one foreign species which has even a less number of 

 joints, the tarsus of the first and middle pair of legs having four 

 joints, and that of the hinder pair only two. In fact, however, 

 there are the same number as in the ordinary Heteromera, the 

 apparent difference being caused by the fact that in all the legs 

 two joints are fused together so as to appear like one. In this 

 country the chief representatives of this group are the common 

 Cellar or Churchyard Beetle, the Oil Beetle, the Meal Beetle, 

 and the Cardinal Beetle. The eyes are almost invariably of a 

 "kidney-like shape. 



The habits of these Beetles are exceedingly diverse, and it is 

 generally easy to tell from the shape and colour of the insect 

 what its habits are. Some frequent dark and damp places, just 

 as do our common Cellar Beetles, and these insects are generally 

 dull and sombre in colour, usually, if not always, being deep 

 dull black. Some, which are dusky brown, inhabit sandy and 

 dry places in hot countries ; and others, again, of which our 



