preparations, and even the insects preserved in cabinets, but 

 in this country they are seldom found in liouses. Moses 

 Harris relates a remarkable fact of some of these insects having 

 been found by him alive in the body of a living specimen of 

 Sme7-inthus ocellaUis. 



Dermestes is separated from Megatoma (pi. 24'4.) by the 

 form of the antennae and trophi, as well as by the antepectus, 

 which is not produced over the mouth, and the differences are 

 still greater in Attagenus (pi. S^?.). The Dermestes when 

 disturbed contract their antennae and legs and lie as if dead, 

 frequently on their backs. The following species inhabit 

 Britain. 



1. tessellatus Fab. — murinus Oliv. 2. no. 9. tab. \.f. 3''. 

 Black mottled with cinereous, head and thorax variegated 

 with ferruginous hairs; beneath white with black dots; 

 antennae subferruginous. 



Middle of July, Dover, and on dried sea-weeds on the sea 

 shore, also in August at Shoreham. 



2. murinus lAnn. — Don. v. 15. -pi. 515. — Sain. pi. \. f. 4. — 

 Catta Panz. 40. 11. — nebulosus DeG. 



Black, mottled above with cinereous, scutel fulvescent, un- 

 derside white. 



June, in dead moles hung upon bushes by the mole-catchers; 

 also in dead rats on rabbit warrens, near Thetford, in abun- 

 dance : I have also beaten them out of bushes in woods and 

 plantations. 



3. lard arias Linn. — Curt. Brit. Ent. pi. 682. 



Lives upon dead animal substances in kitchens, larders, 

 museums, &c., and is found in April, May, and June. 



4. vulpinus Fab. — murinus Pa7iz. 40. 10. 



Black, cinereous with pubescence ; white beneath ; sides of 



thorax densely cinereous with short hairs. 



Supposed to be imported with skins and provisions, on which 

 the larvae feed. I once found a considerable number dead in 

 a dry bone. 



5. laniarius III.— Gi/ll. —ater Oliv. 2. 7io. 9. pi. 2.f. 12.? 



" Shorter and convex, smooth and black ; beneath silky 

 white; antennae small, rufo-piceous." Gyll. 2. 149. 5. 



Gyllenhall states decayed wood to be the habitat of this 

 species. 



6. plantaris Curt. — nigripes Patiz. 97. 5. 



Piceous, thickly and minutely punctured, middle of antennae 

 and tarsi ochreous: length If line. 



I found a specimen in Mr. C. Griesbach's cabinet, with 

 others of Megatoma scrra, which it very much resembles. As 

 I have great doubts of its being Fabricius's Z). nigripes 1 have 

 dropped his name, which was employed in the Guide. 



The Plant is Inula (Pulicaria Cass.) dysenterica. Common 

 Fleabane. 



