42 CLAVicoiiNlA. \_KUphina. 



I. Antenna; apparently 10-joiiited, the second joint being 



very small, with an abrupt capitate 4-jointed club . NKCKOl'HOltrs, F. 



II. Auteume distinctly 11-jointcd, with a gradual club, 

 or Miuply thickened towards apex. 



i. Thorax suborbicular ; eyes very large; general shape 



like Necrophoriw NfiCKODES, Wilkin. 



ii. Thorax more or less semicircular ; eyes small or 



moderate; form ovate SILPHA, L. 



NECROPHORUS, Fabricius. 



This genus is distinguished from the other members of the Silphina 

 by having the antennae apparently 10- jointed, and terminated by a very 

 abrupt round club made tip of four joints : the antennse are, however, 

 really 11 jointed, the second joint being very small ; the Necrophori are 

 large insects, sometimes black, but more often black with the elytra 

 traversed by broad orange bands ; the genus contains a considerable 

 number of species, which are chiefly found in Europe, Northern Asia and 

 Xorth America ; very few have hitherto been discovered in tropical 

 countries : as the well-known " burying beetles " they are familiar to all 

 observers of nature ; in the larger carcases, which they frequent in 

 considerable numbers, and in the birds, small quadrupeds, frogs, &c., 

 which they bury bodily they lay their eggs, which hatch and grow into 

 thick fleshy larvae, sustained by the food thus provided for them ; these 

 larvai in shape somewhat resemble those of Cei'cyon, but are provided 

 with short legs ; when full-grown they attain a considerable size : those 

 of N. vespillo and N, mortuorum are figured by Schiodte I., viii. figs. 1, 

 11, and 15 ; the head is small, and is furnished with short antennae ; the 

 prothorax is narrower, but considerably longer, than the meso- and meta- 

 thorax ; the abdominal segments are furnished with rather small corneous 

 plates, each of which is furnished with four teeth pointing backwards ; 

 the ninth segment bears two short cerci, which are more elongate in N. 

 mortuorum than in N. vespillo. The colour of these larvae is dirty-white 

 or yellowish, with the corneous parts of a deeper dirty-yellow colour ; the 

 pupa does not present any striking peculiarity ; it is considerably narrowed 

 behind, and is terminated by two small cerci ; when the larva has 

 readied maturity, it forms for itself a cell underground, in which it 

 undergoes its transformation to the perfect insect. 



The Necrophori resemble each other very closely in structure, so that 

 a separate description is not necessary in each case: the head varies 

 somewhat in size, but is strongly narrowed at some little distance behind 

 eyes ; the antenna} vary chiefly as regards the colour of the club ; the 

 thorax is trapezoidal, with the angles rounded, slightly narrowed behind, 

 with large explanate borders, which are much more strongly punctured 

 than disc; in the middle there is a central furrow, and the anterior part 

 of the disc is uneven, the central part being rather raised ; the elytra air 

 dilated behind, or subparalk-l, truncate, and leaving part of the abdomen 



