34 Le Conte's Monography of E 
possible to ascertain that it had been previously described, or 
even named in any catalogue or private collection. 
As there can be no difficulty hereafter in determining what 
species of this family are known, I invite all those whose atten- 
tion is turned towards the study of Entomology, to communicate 
to us any which may not be noticed in this Monography, 
that they may be hereafter added, with such as we may our- 
selves detect, to a supplement; and we shall be pleased in re- 
turn, to furnish any of which we have duplicates that may be 
wanting in their collections. 
Familia insectorum Coleopterorum cui nomen Histeroidüm 
vel Histeridarum imponitur, characteribus sequentibus facile 
dignoscitur. A 
Antenne angulate sive fracte, scapo elongato, funiculo 
7-articulato, clava 3-articulata, scilicet articulis arcte junctis. 
Maxille cornee, malis plerumque membranaceis, barbatis. 
Labiwm corneum; ligula — obtecta, paraglosss 
membranaceis, porrectis. . 
Palpi omnes filiformes. 
Thorax, lateribus leviter marginatis, antice profunde emar- 
ginatus, postice elytris arcté contiguus. | 
Elytra abdomine breviora, posticé truncata, interdum pauio 
rotundata, margine laterali plus minus inflexo. g 
Abdomen segmentis quinque compositum, obtusum, breve, 
segmenta postrema compressa, superiore et inferiore manifeste 
disjunctis, tertioque superiore margini postico segmentorum 
superiorum a latere solum conjuncto, ita ut extremitates ejus 
inter tertium et quartum penultima segmenta superiora, trian- 
gulum parvum, angustum formant. Pedes posteriores basi 
distantes. 
Corporis forma, insecta heecce variant; rotunda, ovalis, o 
longa, nunc valdé convexa est, nunc tenuis et depressa : in 
excrementis, cadaveribus et fungis putridis nec vitam 
i is m * 
