AS ORDER COLEOPTKRA. 



SiLPHA NovEBORACENsis. ( Plate xxii, iig>9.) 



Bodj depressed : elytra rufous ; outer margin of the thorax light and rather bright red, 

 black beneath. 



SiLPHA AMERICANA. ( Plate XX, fig. 3.) 



Depressed, black : thorax yellow, with a subquadxangular black spot in the centre ; elytra 

 knobby, black or brownish black tipped with yellowish ; outer angles truncate, or 

 rounded from the middle, and slightly notched at their inner and posterior angles,- 

 forming a notch when at rest ; they are marked by four rather irregular ridges. 



Genus NECRODES ( Wilkin). Silpha ( Linn.). 



' Body oblong ; elytra truncate ; club of the antennse gradually thickened ; maxilte 

 ' without a claw' ( Westwood). 



NeCRODES SURINAMENSIS. ( Plate XX, fig. 4.) 



Depressed, black : thorax smooth and sliiuing ; elytra marked posteriorly with a short 

 rufous band, and traversed by three strongly marked sharp ridges, black beneath. 



N'itidulidaer 



This family has the habits in part of the silphidse, as some of them are found in putrid 

 animal matter, or feeding upon mushrooms ; others, however, frequent flowers. They are 

 oval, broad, and much depressed ; and they have filiform antennae, terminating in a short 

 club of two or three joints. The thorax is transvei-se and emarginate : in some, the elytra 

 are short, leaving the abdomen exposed. They are small insects. 



Genu* NITIDULA. 



' Body oval, subdepressed ; thorax margined ; tibia compressed ; fourth tarsal joint bi- 

 * lobed ; third joint of antenna longer than the fourth ' ( Westwood). 



NiTiDULA bipustulata. . ( Plate xviii, fig. 1.) 



Color of the body and thorax dull brown : central part of the elytra marked by a patch 

 of lighter brown ; margin light brown.. Length about two-tenths of an inch. 



