100 



MANDIBULATA. COLEOPTtUA. 



The species which compose tliis extensive family of insects are 

 cliicfly found at the roots of grass, moss, &c. under the bark of 

 decaying trees, in fungi, bolcti, and other vegetable substances in a 

 state of decomposition ; but some few of them are found in dung and 

 the putrid remains of animals. From the other families of Brache- 

 lytra they may be known by having the head for the most part very 

 deeply inserted into the thorax, and the latter being of a trapezoid 

 form ; the elytra are very much abbreviated. The indigenous 

 species, to the investigation of which my friends the Rev. W. Kirby 

 and Dr. Leach have devoted considerable attention, and from whose 

 united labours I have received material assistance, are readily 

 divisible into the following genera, thus characterised by external 

 characters : 



Caput exsertum ; remotum. 



Thorax subglobosus, postice plicatus : 



obcordatus sulcatus : ' . . 

 exsertum, baud remotum : thorax canaliculatus : 

 sessile. 

 Tibice simplices, baud spinosi. 



Thorax transversus, lateribus elevato marginatis. 

 Abdomen art", penultimo Integra : . . , 

 emarginato. 

 Thoracis angulis posticis obtusis : 



acuminato-spinosis ; 

 Thorax lateribus baud elevato-marginatis. 

 AntcnncB rectas. 



art", ult". ovato acuto : 



cylindrico, magno: 

 fracta3 : corpus latissimum : 

 TlhicE spinosae. 

 Palpi articulo ultimo subulato. 



Corpus latum, punctuJatum : . ... 

 elongatum, utrinque attenuatum. 

 Caput rotundatum ; antennm art", ult". magno : 

 elongatum ; antenncB subgraciles : 

 Palpi filiformes, articulo ultimo subacuminato. 

 Corpus breve, antice obtusum. 

 Abdomen conico obtusum : . . . 

 subulato-attenuatum. 

 Corpus convexum, baud globesum : 



globosum : . . . 

 Corpus elongatum, antice attenuatum : 



485. AUTALIA. 



486. Falagria. 

 487- astilbus. 



488. DiKARDA. 



489. Atejieles. 



490. lomechusa. 



491. Aleochara. 

 493. Gallic Euus. 



492. Encephalus. 



500. Tachinus. 



494. Megacronus. 

 496. bolitobius. 



497. Tachyporus. 



499. CoNURUS. 



498. Cypha. 



495. ischnosoma. 



