450 
INSECTA. 
These Insects remain on the ground, under stones and other 
bodies. Some — the Scydmseni — frequent wet places. We will unite 
them in a single genus, that of 
Mastigus. 
Mastigus, Hoff. — Ptinus, Fah. 
Joints of the antennae nearly in the form of a reversed cone, the 
first very long and the last ones hardly thicker than the others; the 
two last joints of the maxillary palpi forming an oval club ; thorax 
almost ovoid ; abdomen oval *. 
ScYDM.ENUS, Lat. Gyll. — Pselaphus, lllig. Payk. — Anthicus, Fah. 
Antennae granose, sensibly inflated towards the extremity, and but 
slightly geniculate ; maxillaiy palpi terminated by a very small and 
pointed joint; thorax nearly globular; the almost ovoid abdomen 
shorter in proportion than in Mastigus f. 
In all the following Clavicornes the head is generally sunk in 
the thorax, and the maxillary palpi are never at the same time so 
much projected and clavate; the ensemble of their physiognomy 
also exhibits other differences. 
The genus Hister forms our second tribe, which, with Baron 
Paykull, Avho has so profoundly studied it, Ave Avill name the Histe- 
RoiDEs. Here the four posterior legs are more remote from each 
other at base than the tAVO anterior, a character alone that distin- 
guishes this tribe from all others of the same family. The legs 
are contractile, and the outer side of the tibioe is dentated or 
spinous. The antennae are alAvays geniculate, and terminated by 
a solid club composed of croAvded joints. The body is extremely 
firm, and usually forms a square or parallelopiped ; the praesternum 
is frequently dilated anteriorly, and the elytra are as often truncated. 
The mandibles project, are strong, and frequently unequal as to size. 
The palpi are almost filiform, or slightly enlarged near the end, 
and terminated by an oaM or ovoid joint. 
In habits, the dentations of their tibiae, and some other characters, 
these Insects seem to approach the Coprophagi Lamellicornes, but 
* Mastigus palpaUs, Lat., Gener. Crust, et Insect., i, 281 ; Auii, 5. See ScliOEnh. 
Synon. Insect. I, ii, p. 59, and King, Entom. Monog., p. 163. 
f Scydmanus Hehcigii, Fab. ; Notoxtcs minutus, Panz., Faun. Insect. Germ. 
XXIII, 5; — S. Godarii, Lat., I, viii, 6; — S. hirticoUis ? Gyll. ; — S. minutus, Id.; 
Anthicus minutus, Fab. See Schoenherr, Synon. Insect. I, ii, p. 57. M. Duros, of 
the King’s body-guard, who is peculiarly^ fortunate in discovering small species, 
has detected the S. clavatus, Gyll., in an Ant-hill near Paris. This fact, with some 
others, confirms me in my opinion that these Insects, with the Pselaphii, imme- 
diately follow the Brachelytra. 
