220 CLAVICORNIA. \NiUdulidac. 



of the family anil many details regarding different genera will be found 

 discussed at length in the papers by myself on " The,Nitidulidae of Great 

 Britain " published in the Entomologists' Monthly Magazine, vols. xxi. 

 and xxii. ; many of the characters are very variable in the different 

 genera ; the antennae, however, invariably terminate in a club which is 

 usually 3-jointed, but sometimes apparently solid, the eleventh joint 

 being wholly or partially enclosed in the tenth (as in Rhizopliagus); as 

 a rule the club is strong, round, and compact, but in some genera is 

 rather loose, or occasionally (as in Cercus) somewhat elongate and feebly 

 capitate ; the anterior coxae are transverse and cylindrical ; the abdomen 

 has five free ventral segments except in a few genera in which a sixth 

 small dorsal segment is present in the males ; the legs as a rule are 

 short and stout, and sometimes strongly retractile ; the tarsi are 5-jointed 

 in both sexes, except in two or three exotic tribes, and in the Rhizo- 

 phagina, in which they are heteromerous in the male ; the fourth joint is 

 very small, and the first three are usually broad, and clothed on the 

 under-side with fine silky hairs. 



The family may be divided into the following six tribes: 



I. Antennae 11-jointed, terminated by a 3-jointed club; tarsi 

 with an equal number of joints, similar in both sexes, in 

 the British families always pentamerous. 

 i. L'ibrum free, more or less visible. 



1. Maxillae with two lobes ; antennas with an elongate and 

 feebly capitate club, abdomen with two segments 



exposed BBACHYPTERINA. 



2. Maxillae with one lobe ; antennae with a strong, round, 



compact club 



A. Thorax fitting closely to elytra and not covering their 



base. 



a. Abdomen with two segments exposed' CABPOPHILISA. 



b. Abdomen covered, or only apex of pygidium ex- 

 posed NmDtTLlNA. 



B. Thorax covering the base of elytra CTCHRAMINA. 



ii. Labrum connate with the front, suture more or less distinct. IPINA. 



II. Antennae apparently 10-jointed, with the club solid, the 

 eleventh joint being merged in the tenth ; tarsi dissimilar in 

 the sexes, heteromerous in the males, 5-jointed in the females . RHIZOPHAGIXA. 



BRACHYPTERINA. 



The members of this tribe may be distinguished by their elongate 

 club, bilobed maxillae, and very short and feeble antennal grooves, which 

 are not visible below the eyes, as well as by the feebly capitate club 

 of the antennae ; it contains a few genera, some of which are further 

 subdivided by different authors ; our two British genera may be dis- 

 tinguished as follows : 

 I. Claws plainly toothed at base; male with a distinct extra 



nnal segment BBACHYPTEBTTS, Kug. 



II. Claws not, or hardly, visibly toothed ; male with an in- 

 distinct extra anal segment CERCUS, Latr. 



