85 
NECROPHORUS. 
SippHA, Linnei, &e. 
Necropuorus, Fabr., Latr., &c. 
CHARACTER GENERICUS. 
Corpus oblongum subparallelipipedum ; subdepressum; (pe- 
des antict Manis tarsis dilatatis) ; elytra truncata, mar- 
gine exteriori haud canaliculato. 
Caput nutans; antenne capite longiores, clava valdé per- 
foliata, abrupta terminate ; palpi porrecti. 
GRAV EDIGGER. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Body oblong, somewhat parallelipiped, and depressed ; ante- 
rior pair of legs (of the Mate) with dilated tarsi; elytra 
truncated, the exterior margin not chanelled. 
Head nutant; antenne longer than the head, termi- 
nated by an abrupt and very perpoliated club; palpi 
porrected. 
Of this genus about eighteen species only have hitherto 
been discovered. They are found in dead animals and in 
putrid fungi. Many of them often combine their efforts 
for the purpose of burying the dead bodies of small animals, 
which they effect by removing the earth from beneath : in 
these carcasses the female afterwards deposits her eggs. 
TAB. XC. FIG.*T. 
NECROPHORUS AMERICANUS. 
N. niger; thorace depresso inaquali disco ferrugineo ; 
fronte macula cordiformi elytrisque maculis duabus fer- 
rugineis ; trochanteribus acutis. 
M 
