568 PHILOSOPHY OF ZOOLOGY. 



mainder form a club nearly solid, so that they appear three 

 jointed ; as Dryops, Hydera, and Heterocerus. In the re- 

 maining families, the antennae increase more gradually from 

 the base, and the club consists of several joints. In some 

 of these, the pectoral sternum is produced under the head 

 towards the mouth. In the Histeridae, the mandibles are 

 prominent, and the antennae genticulated, as Hister, Ab- 

 raeus, Onthophilus, Dendrophilus, and Platysoma. In the 

 Byrrhidae, the antennae are straight, as Byrrhus, Throscus, 

 Anthrenus, Chelonarium, Nosodendron, Elmis, Macrony- 

 chus, Georessus, and Megatoma. In other genera, the 

 pectoral sternum is abbreviated in the usual form, as the 

 Dermestidae, which have the mandibles short, thick, and 

 straight at the extremity, as Dermestes and Attagenus. In 

 the remaining families, the mandibles are lengthened, com- 

 pressed, and hooked at their extremity. The Nitidulidae, 

 have the mandibles notched, bifid, or furnished with a tooth 

 at their extremity, as Nitidula, Biturus, Cateretes, Micro- 

 paplus, Thymalus, Colobicus, Engis, Ips, Scaphidium, 

 Scaphisoma, and Choleva. The Silphidae have the extre- 

 mities of the mandibles entire, as Silpha and Necrophorus. 

 The insects of this family are reputed to feed on carrion, 

 and to dig under dead mice and moles, and bury them, in 

 order to feast upon them more securely. These statements 

 are without foundation. These insects feed on maggots, 

 and their pupae ; and, in penetrating the ground in search 

 of the last of these, they loosen the soil so much, that the 

 dead animal sinks under the surface, by his own weight, or, 

 if light, is elevated on a hillock. 



V. PENTAMERA PALPICORNUA. The maxillary palpi 

 nearly equal to, or surpassing the clavated antennae in length. 

 These last are inserted in a pit beneath a singular pro- 

 duction of the anterior margin of the head. In the Hy- 

 drophilidae, the first joint of the tarsus is abbreviated, and 



