84 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



found in or under decaying animal matter, patches of 

 cowdung being favourite resorts. The pertinacity 

 with which these insects will feign death when cap- 

 tured is most remarkable, for they will endure almost 

 any amount of rough handling without giving the 

 least signs of life, the legs being folded flatly under 

 the body so that they are scarcely visible. Indeed, I 

 scarcely know whether they or the Pill Beetles, which 

 will presently be described, are the most obstinate in 

 this respect. 



The larvae of the Mimic Beetles are also to be 

 found in cowdung, and are not in the least like their 

 parents, being long-bodied, cylindrical, whitish in 

 colour, with two forked appendages at the tail. Some 

 species prefer dead animals, and may be found in the 

 moles to which reference has already been made. 

 About fourteen British species of Hister are known ; 

 and the young entomologist will find that, owing to 

 variations of colour, he will often be rather perplexed 

 to determine the exact species of some new capture. 



WITH great reluctance I am obliged to omit 

 several genera, and must proceed at once to the next 

 family, the Nitidulidae. The Beetles of this family 

 have short clubbed antennae. The head is sunk in 

 the thorax as far as the eyes, and the mandibles are 

 notched at the tip ; the thorax is rather square, and 

 the tarsi have five joints. The body is flattened. 

 The little Beetles which are found in such numbers in 

 flowers, and have such shining bodies, mostly belong 

 to this family, to which the name of Nitidulidce has 

 been given on account of their glittering bodies. 



