FAMILY ENGlDiE, 59 



Engidse. 



The insects of this family are allied to the Nitidulid^ and Dermestid^ : from the former, 

 they differ by their elongate form and simple tarsi ; and from the latter, by their highly 

 polished bodies, and more developed form of their mandibles (West wood). 



The Emgidje subsist upon wood in a state of decay, or upon fungi, in some species of 

 which many individuals may be found. I procured a large number of individuals belonging 

 to this family, in the gelatinous sap which was slowly oozing from a wound in the trunk 

 of a yellow birch : they are also found under the bark of trees, and never feed upon living 

 or dead animal matters. 



The anatomical characters, as given for the Engid^e proper, are : Antennae short, cla- 

 vate, ten- or eleven-jointed ; maxillary palpi equalling the lobes of the maxillse ; labium 

 advanced in front of the mentum ; labnun transverse j mandibles bifid at the tip ; tarsi 

 in some four-jointed, in others five. 



Genus ENGIS (Late.). 



* Body long ovate, subconvex ; tarsi five-jointed, the fourth joint short ; maxillse bilobed ; 

 * club of the antennae short, broad, flattened, three-jointed ' (West wood). 



Engis fasciata. ( Plate xxiii, fig. 2.) 



Thorax black : elytra brick-red, traversed by a broad black belt ; posterior extremity 

 black ; inner angles of the elytra black, terminating in a partial crossbar. The pro- 

 portion of l)lack and red upon the elytra is nearly equal. 

 These insects iiitiabit fungi, or decaying wood under the bark of trees : they are not, 

 however, specially injurious to trees. 



Genus IPS ( Heubst). 



The body is oblong and subdepressed ; tibia broad and serrated ; tarsi five-jointed ; lobe 

 of the maxilla broad. 



Ips fasciatus. ( Plate xxiii, fig. 4.) 



Body oblong, subdepressed ; thorax and head black ; elytra black, with two yellow an- 

 gular spots upon each ; legs short ; tibia broad, subserrated ; tarsi pilose. Length 

 two-tenths of an inch. 



Ips sangdinolenta. ( Plate xxiii, fig. 3.) 



Head and thorax black : elytra yellow, with a single round black spot near the middle ; 

 terminal extremity black ; outer and anterior angles black. Insect shining. 



