346 CLAVICORNIA. [ScapJiiditdw. 



Trichopterygidse and Histeridse ; in all probability none of these situa- 

 tions are correct, and Mr. Matthews is most likely right in the position 

 that he assigns to it in our catalogue of British Coleoptera, p. 27 ; after 

 carefully working out the anatomy of this and allied families of the 

 Clavicornia, he came to the conclusion embodied in the paragraph at the 

 bottom of page 4 of the Catalogue : " Of all the Clavicorn scries, how- 

 ever, the Scaphidiidre are the most difficult to deal with ; their skeleton 

 is very peculiar, and very diverse from the normal type ; the formation 

 of the anterior coxal cavities is almost unique, one half being formed by 

 the prosternum, and the other half by the mesosternum ; in Ephistemus 

 alone, as far as we have yet discovered, a somewhat analogous formation 

 exists, and for that reason we propose to place the Scaphidiidse between 

 the CryptophagidaB (ending with Ephistemus) and the Mycetophagidse ;" * 

 the other chief characteristics of the family are as follows : Form more 

 or less boat-shaped, strongly contracted in front and behind, elytra trun- 

 cate not covering abdomen; antennae 10 or 11-joiiited, with the last 

 five or six joints often forming a distinct club, sometimes very slender 

 and capillary ; thorax margined at sides, sinuate at base, with posterior 

 angles acute embracing shoulders ; elytra with a sutural and marginal 

 stria ; metasternum very large ; legs slender, tarsi 5-jointed ; abdomen 

 composed of six free segments, of which the first is very large, and the 

 last not always visible ; posterior coxae widely distant. 



The family contains about fifty or sixty species, which are contained 

 in nine or ten genera ; these are widely distributed in the Old and New 

 Worlds in both tropical and temperate regions ; five genera, represented 

 by ten species, occur in Europe, of which two genera and four species 

 are found in England; these two genera may be distinguished as 

 follows : 



I. Scutellum conspicuous ; eyes emarg'mate ; antennae not 



capillary SCAPHIDIUM, 01. 



II. Scutellum hidden by base of thorax ; eyes complete ; 



antennae very slender, capillary SCAPHISOMA, Leach. 



SCAPHXDXVnX, Olivier. 



This genus contains about thirty species, of which one only occurs 

 in Europe ; the others are found in North and South America, India, 

 Ceylon, Madagascar, &c. ; they occur in fungi and rotten wood, and are 

 in many cases very conspicuous and brightly coloured insects. 



8. quadrimaculatum, 01. Oval, narrowed in front and behind, 

 black, shining, glabrous, with each elytron marked with two large red or 

 orange-red spots, one at shoulder and the other before apex ; hea'd pro- 

 duced in front, antenna? rather long, reddish, with a distinct 5-jointed 

 club ; thorax at base scarcely, if at all, transverse, gradually narrowed 

 from base to apex, distinctly and not closely punctured, with an inter- 



* See, however, foot-note on page 7 of this volume, where it is shown that this 

 opinion may have to be modified. 



