70 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



of cow or horsedung. Some of the smaller species,, 

 however, live under heaps of decaying sea-weed, such 

 as Philonthus fucicola, the latter term signifying some 

 creature that inhabits sea-weed. The present species 

 is generally to be found under dead leaves. 



The colour of this little Beetle is black, but the 

 legs and the margin of the thorax are reddish-yellow, 

 a peculiarity from which it derives its specific 

 name marginatus. The middle segments of the 

 abdomen have their edges yellow. This is a very 

 curious Beetle. 



NEXT comes the family of the Stenidae. These 

 insects may be known by the position of the antennas, 

 which are generally set between the eyes or on the 

 front margin of the forehead. The basal joint of the 

 maxillary palpi is long, and the last joint almost 

 imperceptible. 



Sometimes the young entomologist is much 

 puzzled by a phenomenon which takes place with 

 sundry small Beetles belonging to 

 the Brachelytra. As soon as they 

 are killed a long and slender tongue- 

 like organ darts from the mouth,, 

 and protrudes itself until it looks 

 like a proboscis. These Beetles 

 belong to the genus Stenus, of 

 ^ \vhich we have an example in 



Stenus bimaculatus, which is here- 



Stenusbimaculatus. w j th s h own . This tongUC-Hke 



organ is in fact composed of the ligula, the two para- 

 glossae, and the labial palpi. The mandibles of this. 



