COLEOPTERA. 585 



species. They are small, black, oval, heteromerous beetles, 

 in which the anterior coxal cavities are open behind ; and 

 in which the antennae are received in grooves on the under 

 side of the prothorax. 



The family MELANDRYID^: (Mel-an-dry'i-dae) includes 

 about sixty North American species. These are found under 

 bark and in fungi. They are usually of elongate form, al- 

 though some, like the one figured here, are not so. The 

 maxillary palpi are frequently very long and much dilated ; 

 and the first segment of the hind tarsi is always 

 much elongated. Among our more common 

 species are two belonging to the genus Penthe 

 (Pen'the). These are rather large, oval, de- 

 pressed beetles, upwards of half an inch in 

 length, and of a deep black color. Penthe obli- Fig. 7 i 4 . 

 quata (P. ob-li-qua'ta) is distinguished by having the scutel- 

 lum clothed with rust-red hairs (Fig. 714). PentJie pimelia 

 (P. pi meri-a) closely resembles this species, except that the 

 scutellum is black. 



The family Pythid^E (Pyth'i-dae) includes less than a 

 score of North American species. Some of these live under 

 bark; others are found under stones. They are heteromer- 

 ous beetles, in which the anterior coxal cavities are open 

 behind, the head is not strongly and suddenly constricted at 

 base, and the prothorax is not margined at the sides. 



The family CEdemerid^e (CEd-e-mer'i-dae) is composed 

 of heteromerous beetles of moderate size, with elongate, 

 narrow bodies. The head and prothorax are somewhat nar- 

 rower than the wing-covers ; the antennae are long, nearly 

 filiform, sometimes serrate ; the anterior coxal cavities are 

 open behind, and the middle coxae are very prominent. 

 Less than fifty North American species have been de- 

 scribed. They are generally found on plants, but some live 

 on the ground near water. 



The family Cephaloid^: (Ceph-a-lo'i-dae) includes only 

 a single genus, which is represented in this country by but 



