108 NECROPHAGA. 



pale testaceous. (L. $1.) Under rotten wood, near London, and in 

 Suffolk; 3-6. 



863 picea Kirby. ? — Ste. M. ii. 186. — Above glossy pitchy-testaceous, im- 

 punctate ; antenna? and legs entirely pale-testaceous. (L. £ 1. ) Near 

 Ipswich : 3-6. 



864 picatus Marsh, i. 80. — Ste. M. ii. 186. — Rather gibbous; pitchy, 

 very smooth and shining, with the base of the antennae and the palpi red. 

 (L. ^1.) Suffolk: 3-6. 



865 truncatus Kirby. — Ste. M. ii. 187. — Somewhat depressed, smooth; 

 pitchy-black : thorax glossy, with its lateral margins, the antennae, and 

 legs testaceous-red; elytra distinctly truncate at the tip. (L. ^-^ 1.) 

 Near Bristol, and in Suffolk : 3-6. 



866 nigrescens Ste. M. ii. 187. — Deep pitchy-black; very smooth and 

 glossy; the margins of the thorax concolorous ; antennae and legs pitchy- 

 testaceous. (L. i 1.) Under rotten wood, near London : 3-6. 



867 Atomos Kirby. — Ste. M. ii. 187. — Very minute; smooth, black, 

 shining; antennae and legs pitchy. (L. f 1.) In Suffolk : ? 3-6? 



138 Sericoderus Stephens. 



868 thoracicus Ste. M. ii. 188. — Sea. dubium Marsh, i. 234. — Red-brown; 

 slightly glossy, smooth, with the thorax and tips of the elytra pale, the 

 former with a silken pile and a dusky spot on the anterior margin ; an- 

 tennae and legs pale testaceous. (L. -^-^ 1.) Near London: 3-6. 



§ 2. Stirps 2. NECROPHAGA MacLeay. 



Fam. 17 Scaphididje. Ant. 1 1 -jointed, more or less clavate ; club 5-jointed, 

 8th joint, or 2d of the club, frequently small, and sometimes minute : max. 

 palpi generally exserted : mand. mostly bidentate at the tip : head inserted 

 up to the eyes in the thor., which is convex : legs long; tarsi 5-jointed. 



Fam. 18 Silphid^e. Ant. 1 1 -jointed, clavate ; club generally 4-, or 5-jointed, 

 rarely 3-jointed : max. palpi filiform, the terminal joint rather slender and 

 cylindric : mand. entire at the tip : head inflected, contracted into a neck 

 behind: tho. large, shield -like : elytra simple; outer margin generally 

 with a groove : legs shortish : tarsi 5-jointed. 



Fam. 19 Nitidulid^e Ant. 1 1 -jointed, abruptly clavate ; club 3-, very rarely 

 4-, jointed : palpi filiform, short : mand. elongate, generally notched at 

 the tip : head inserted up to the eyes in the thor., the latter broad : body 

 flat, wide : tarsi 5-jointed, 2d and 3d joints bifid and dilated, 4th generally 

 minute. 



Fam. 20 Mycetophagid^e. Ant. 11-jointed, gradually thickening to the 

 apex into a club of from 2 to 4 joints : palpi rather long : maxillce bilobed : 

 mand. short, bifid at the tip : labrum transverse : head moderately inserted 

 into the thorax : body generally pilose, or pubescent, rather wide : tarsi 

 mostly 5-, rarely 4-jointed, or heteromerous : anter. in <J sometimes 3- 

 jointed. 



Fam. 21 Erotylidje. Ant. 11-jointed, terminated by a large 3-articulate 

 club : palpi with apical joint large, of max. compressed, sublunate : mand. 

 short, dentate at tip : head small : body oval or hemispheric, glabrous, 

 polished : tarsi obscurely 4-, 5-jointed, the penultimate joint very 

 minute. 



Fam. 22 Engid^;. Ant. 10-, 11-jointed, short, more or less distinctly clavate, 

 club 2-, 5-jointed : palpi rather short : ?naxillce mostly unilobate : mand. 

 bifid at the tip : labrum transverse : head deeply inserted in the thorax .- 



