OF THE ORDER COLEOPTERA. 305 



the insects we have last treated of, though the form of the 

 body is very nearly similar. Instead of frequenting dung- 

 hills, ordure, and decomposed animal matter, the oxypori 

 inhabit agarics, &c. There the larva lives and acquires its 

 growth ; there the perfect insects are found in more or less 

 numerous parties, and there the sexes unite. 



The Lathrobia have great relations with the staphylini 

 proper, to which our introductory observations, though gene- 

 rally applicable to all the sub-genera, must yet be more par- 

 ticularly understood to refer, and seem to constitute a proper 

 link between them and poederus. They are found under 

 stones, in the debris of animal and vegetable matters, and 

 often in fresh and humid places. 



The p.EDERi, Evcestheti and Steni, are distinguished from 

 the other brachelytra, by the length of their maxillary palpi. 

 In this respect they approach Lathrobium, but are never- 

 theless separated from it by characters of sufficient import- 

 ance. The paederi are distinguished from stenus and evaes- 

 thetus, by the filiform character of the antennag. 



The majority of them frequent the sandy borders of 

 rivers, rivulets, and marshes. The others live under stones, 

 mosses, in ordure, &c. Their habits are otherwise similar 

 to those of the Staphylini, and the same, in all probability, 

 is the case with their metamorphoses. 



The Steni are insects of a very small size, which, in the 

 same way as the last, live habitually in aquatic places. 

 Respecting their habits there is nothing more to be said. 



The oxYTEn are also very small coleoptera, which appear 

 to have the habits of the other brachelytra, but which form, 

 nevertheless, a very distinct genus. The species of which it 

 is composed present some differences in the mandibles, the 

 antennfe, &c., so that, according to the remark of Olivier, 

 this group is susceptible of simplification. This has been 

 performed by Dr. Leach, in a new monograph of the coleop- 



VOL. XIV. X 



