212 MANDIBULATA. COLEOPTERA. 



sunset, on a fine summer's evening, is often found in considerable 

 numbers climbing- up the sand-hills.'" — L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. — 

 " Weston-super-Mare." — G. Waring, Esq. 



Family XXVIIL— TROGID^, MacLeay. 



AntenncB short, nine or ten-jointed; the basal joint thick; the capitulum tri- 

 phyllous, ovate, transverse, the disc of the lamellae frequently convex. Labrum 

 exserted, coriaceous: mandibles corneous, thick, stout, with the apex very 

 acute: maxillw corneous : palpi rather short; labial with the terminal joint 

 somewhat thickened and ovate : head subquadrate : clypeus short, convex an- 

 teriorly : thorax transverse : elytra ample, gibbous, arched, deflexed on the 

 sides and at the apex; body ovate, very gibbous, flat beneath: legs short, 

 stout; tibiae compressed, anterior slightly dentate without: tarsi short: claws 

 simple. 



The Trogidse inhabit sandy places, and their food is supposed to 

 consist of the tendinous portion of nearly dried carcasses, from the 

 insects having been frequently captured on old bones, horns, &c. : 

 there is great analogy between them and the Histri; like those 

 insects the head is deeply sunk in the thorax, and they counterfeit 

 death when touched, by applying the antennae and legs close to 

 the body, and seeming without motion till their alarm ceases : — 

 from the Geotrupidse the distinctly laminated club of their antennas 

 distinguishes them ; and from the preceding and following families, 

 and the Scarabseidce, their exserted labrum. 



The following are the British genera : — 



| 9-articulatae : 198. tEgialia. 



f"omnes 5-articulati. Antennce-l 

 Tarsi \ (lO-articulatce: . 200. Trox. 



(^postici 4-articulati : 199. Trachyscelis. 



Genus CXCVIII. — ^Egialia, Latreille. 



Antenna nine-jointed ; the basal joint robust, cylindric, scarcely pilose; second 

 also stout, obconic ; third slender, rather long, somewhat pear-shaped; three 

 following very short, transverse, the remainder forming an acute triphyllous 

 club. Palpi slender, the terminal joint of the jnaxillary elongate, attenuated : 

 labrum linear-transverse, very short : mandibles with the apex bifid : head 

 rounded, inflexed : thorax rounded, with the sides inflexed : body short, 

 ovate, very gibbous behind: legs short, stout; anterior tibiae strongly tri- 



