COLEOPTBRA. 451 



from other considerations, founded on their anatomy, they approxi- 

 mate to the Silphse — such also is the opinion of M. Dufour, Ann. 

 des Sc. Nat., Octob. 1824. The alimentary canal of the species he 

 dissected — the sinuatus — is from four to five times the length of 

 the body. The oesophagus is very short ; the oblong enlargement 

 that immediately follows exhibits through its parietes certain 

 brownish lines, which seem to indicate the existence of internal 

 triturating appendages; if this be the case, the enlargement is 

 entitled to the appellation of gizzard ; the chylific ventricle is very 

 long, flexed, and studded with pointed and very salient papillae. 

 The hepatic vessels have six distinct insertions round the chylific 

 ventricle — Ibid. July, 1825. Randohr reduces their number to 

 three, so that each of them would have two insertions : but such a 

 disposition of their vessels is doubtful. 



These animals feed on cadaverous or stercoraceous matters and 

 decomposing vegetable substances, such as dung, old mushrooms, &c,: 

 some establish their domicil under the bark of trees. Their gait is 

 slow, and their colour a brilliant black or bronze. Such of their larvae 

 as have been observed — those of the merdarius, cadaverinus — feed 

 on the same substances as the perfect Insect. Their body is glabrous, 

 soft, and of a yellowish Avhite, the head and first segment excepted, 

 the dermis of which is brown or reddish; it is provided with six short 

 legs, and is terminated posteriorly by two articulated appendages, and 

 an anal and tubular prolongation; the squamous plate of the first 

 segment is longitudinally canaliculated. 



This tribe, as we have already stated, will consist exclusively of the 

 genus 



HiSTER, Lin. 



Baron PaykuU restricted his division of this genus to the separation 

 of certain strongly flattened species, with which he formed that of 

 Hololepta, but Doctor Leach has established four more *. 



In some, the tibiae, at least the anterior ones, are triangular, den- 

 tated exteriorly, and the antennae always free and exposed ; the body 

 is generally square, but slightly or not at all inflated. 



They may be divided into two subgenera. In the first or 



Hololepta, Payk. 

 The body is strongly flattened, the praesternum does not projeck 

 over the mouth, and the four posterior tibiae have but a single range 

 of spines; the terminal lobe of the maxillae is prolonged; the mentum 

 is deeply emarginated, and the palpi, proportionally more advanced, 

 are formed of almost cylindrical joints. 



* Zool, MisceU., Ill, p. 76. 



o G 2 



