THE 

 SECOND FAMILY 



OF THE 



PENTAMEROUS COLEOPTERA. 



Brachelytra, Cuv., Microptera, Gravenhorst, 



Have but one palpus in the jaws, or four in all. The anten- 

 nae sometimes of equal thickness, sometimes a little thicker 

 towards the end, and universally composed of grain-formed 

 or lenticular articulations. The wing-cases are much shorter 

 than the body, which is narrow and elongated, with the 

 branches of the two anterior feet very large, and two vesicles 

 near the anus, which the animal can put forth at pleasure. 



These coleoptera compose the genus Staphylinus of 

 Linnaeus. 



They have been considered as constituting the passage of 

 the coleoptera to the forpiculae, the first genus of the fol- 

 lowing order. Under some relations they also border on the 

 insects of the preceding family, and under many others, on the 

 necrophori, a genus of the fourth. They have most frequently 

 the head large and flatted, strong mandibles, short antennae, the 

 corslet as broad as the abdomen, the cases truncated at their 

 extremity, and nevertheless covering the wings, which preserve 

 their usual extent. The semi-rings of the upper part of the 

 abdomen are as scaly as the lower. The vesicles of the anus 

 consist in two conical points, furnished with hair, which the 

 animal causes to issue forth and re-enter at will. A subtile 



