NlTIDULID^.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-Dekmestid^. 



211 



on the shore in the Bay of Beikos, opposite to Con- 

 stantinople. 



Its strange immense transverse head, formidable 

 mouth, the apparent want of e}-es, and the curious 

 situation of the antennae, all distinguish it. In place 

 of eyes, it has only two small dots. Of course the 

 figure of the antenna is greatly magnified. Fig. 75 is 

 an allied species. 



Family— ANISTOMIDvE. 



There are thirty species of ANiSTOMiDiE, beetles, 

 generally of small size, found in fungi. One of them 

 is found in the Truffle. A figure of the Truffle and of 

 this beetle, Leiodes cinnamomca, with its bent tibise, 

 is subjoined. The species of Agalhidiun and Clamhua, 



TrufQe beetle (Leiodes cinnamomea). 



on being alarmed, roll themselves into a ball, and look 

 like little beads or "mites" of earth. But I must 

 dwell but cursorily on these and other curious little 

 insects. 



The family Scaphidiad^ contains pretty insects, 

 with the abdomen extending beyond the elytra. They 

 are found generally in fungi. On Plate 4, fig. 8, is 

 shown the Scaphidium quadriiiiaculatum. 



Family— NITIDULID^. 



This family is of considerable extent, and contains 

 insects generally of small size, and for the most part of 

 an oval or oblong form. The greater part of them are 

 more or loss depressed, though others are very convex, 

 and some even subglobular. Although some of them 

 arc metallic on the surface, yet, for the most part, they 

 are covered with a fine short pubescence. The man- 

 dibles are short, but strong, and frequently notched at 

 the tips. The palpi are short. The antenna? consist 

 of eleven, and, in a few cases, of ten joints ; the two or 

 three last joints formed into a short club. The elytra 

 are truncated at the end, and in one or two of the 

 genera (C(7te«s Coiwteliis) the abdomen extends beyond 

 them much as in the StaphylinidiB. The normal number 

 of abdominal segments is five ; the sixth, when it exists, 

 is small, and nearly always only present in the males. 

 In the perfect state some of the Nit'uhdidce are found 

 under bark, and others on flowers, while some are found 

 among bones and dead or decaying animal substances. 

 The larv!E are depressed, and are furnished on the end 

 of the body with four small, horny, conical appendages, 



curved upwards, and with small fleshy protuberances 

 on the margin. The pupas are found amongst the 

 moist earth beneath the surface of the ground, from 

 which they proceed in due time, the perfect insect 

 being generally found in the crevices of bark. The 

 larva of some species live also, according to Erichson, in 

 the galls of the oak. The distinguishing characteristics 

 of the NitiduliE are stated below. 



Lacordaire divides the group into six tribes, which 

 he briefly characterizes in the following table : — 



I. Antennse of eleven joints. 



A. Two or three last dorsal segments of the abdomen 



exposed. 

 MaxilliB with two lobes, . . Braclinplcrilm. 



MaxilliB with one lobe, . . . Carpjphilida. 



B. Pygidium only exposed. 



h. Epistome not projecting between the mandibles. 

 Prothorax not covering the base of the elytra, 



Nitidulid(s. 



Prothorax slightly covering the base of the 



elytra, . . . , C>jchromiilm, 



bh. Epistome projecting between the mandibles, 



llJsidcE. 



II. Antennffi of ten joints, . . . Bldzoplmgida 



Species of these tribes occur in this country. 



Family— DERMESTID^. 



The insects of this family are peculiarly destructive. 

 The name Dcrmestes was given to a genus in it from 

 the Greek word dep/j-a, " a skin," the insects making 



Fig. 77. 



Dermestes murinus and lar%'a. 



great ravages in skins and furs. Most of them have a 

 certain faculty of drawing their legs under the body. 

 The Dermestes murinus may be found in the bodies of 

 moles stuck up in fields to dry. 



The larva of Anthrenus muscorum, whose ravages 

 in insect cabinets are at times most considerable, is 

 covered with bunches of diverging hairs, which singu- 

 larly protect it. Fig. 77 shows an Anthrenus, and the 

 larva of one. 



There are fifteen British species contained in the 

 genera Dermestes, Altar/cnus, Meyatoma, Tiresias, 

 Anthrenus and Trinodes. 



On the family Bykrhid/K, which are more or less 

 globose insects covered with silky pile, I cannot enter, 

 nor into the aquatic families, HetekoceridJ3, with 



