84 GUIDE TO THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



beetles, Dytiscicke, and the HydropMHdce, are not very largely 

 represented, and the species, with a few exceptions, are 

 of the ordinary types. The family Staphylinidce (Rove- 

 beetles) contains a large number of mostly minute species. 

 Only a few of them present any marked deviations from the 

 ordinary form. Of these, Apphiana veris, Oil., is perhaps the 

 most singular. The Psephalidce, and other families of Clavicorns 

 contain a large number of species, and doubtless many more 

 remain to be discovered. The Paussidce — a remarkable family, 

 of which most of the species are very rare — has nearly fifty 

 Australian representatives. Some of these are known to live in 

 the nests of ants, by whom they are tended with jealousy and 

 care, but very little is known of the exact relationship between 

 them, although it has been maintained, in the case of some 

 species, that they are the unwilling guests of the ants and are 

 forcibly detained by them. Like Pheropsophus, and some other 

 genera of Carabid^e, the Paussi possess the faculty of crepitation, 

 which is effected by means of anal glands through which they 

 discharge an acrid volatilised liquid ; many of our species crepi- 

 tate loudly when disturbed, and the vapour causes a burning 

 sensation if it comes in contact with the skin. A curious fact in 

 connection with the Histeridce is the apparent absence of the 

 genus Ulster, a group which, outside Australia, is of world-wide 

 distribution. The Lucanidce contain some remarkable and 

 interesting genera, which afford a striking illustration of the 

 afiinity which exists between the fauna of Australia and the west 

 coast of South America. For instance, Cacostomus finds its ally 

 in the South American genus Sphenognathus ; Lissotes and the 

 Tasmanian Hoplogonus a])proach jEgognathus ; and NeolaviifTiina, 

 Lamprima, d'c, are clearly allied to the Chilian genus Chiasog- 

 7iathus. 



The Scarahcnid ceare well represented, the following being the 

 most noticeable genera : — Cephalodesmus, Tesserodon, Bolhoceras, 

 Phyllotocus, Diphucephala, Mcechidius, Li2)aretrus, Anojdogna- 

 thus, Cryptodus, and Schizorrhina. The fauna is deficient in the 

 large Coprin<^, but we have many small species of Onthojyhagus. 

 The genus Schizorrhina, which has recently been divided into 

 numerous sub-divisions, has its head-quarters in Australia. The 



