THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



extended into a long narrow neck, which is drawn up under the thorax 

 when at rest. 



The life-history of many of the species is well-known, the 

 majority being carrion-feeders, but more investigation is needed with 

 respect to others. The methods adopted by the Necvophori in burying 

 their food have been so frequently dealt with that it is needless to 

 attempt recapitulation. There is no doubt that in the first place the 

 female beetle deposits eggs in the pabulum, but that the young larva 

 is entirely reared on that food is very questionable, as anyone who has 

 had experience of working this group must know. On a certain 

 occasion one of us discovered a dead duck, and besides finding on it a 

 hundred or more Histers, any quantity of Choleva chrysomeloides and 

 other Cholevina, several Staphylinidse, &c, there were eight Silpha 

 thoracica, three or four N ecrophorus mortuorum, some twenty N. huinator, 

 and no end of dipterous larvae. With such ravenous devourers as 

 these, what chance would a beetle larva have to attain the full-fed 

 stage, unless, like RMpiphoms, it matured in 48 hours ; it is quite 

 certain that it must make use of its legs, and move off in search of 

 other food. This food must also vary : sometimes it may be decaying 

 fungus, a caterpillar, snail, or decomposing vegetable matter. In the 

 case of S. opaca the larva is said to attack beet, mangold-wurzel, and 

 other root crops. Of this we have had no experience, although we 

 have searched diligently for it in agricultural districts. The change 

 to pupa takes place, as one might naturally expect, beneath the soil, 

 and the beetle emerges in three or four weeks. 



The number of British species contained in Sharp's 1871 Catalogue 

 amounted to thirteen, and one var., Subrotundata. Fowler (1883) 

 reduces this number to twelve, placing littoralis in a separate genus — 

 Necrodes. Sharp's 1883 Catalogue still retains the "original number. 

 In the " Coleoptera of the British Isles " Canon Fowler clearly sets 

 forth a reason for separating littoralis from the other members of the 

 genus, the thorax of the latter being sub-orbicular in shape, and in 

 the remainder of the species more or less semicircular. Moreover, the 

 posterior legs of the male littoralis are much longer, the femora strongly 

 thickened, and the tibiae decidedly rounded or curved, while it is not 

 so with other members of the group. The twelve species in the genus 

 proper might, with advantage, be placed in sub-genera in a manner 

 similar to Dr. Chapman's tabulation of the genus Acronycta, although 

 it can hardly be done on the same lines. Without a thorough know- 

 ledge of the whole group it is impossible to attempt this, therefore we 

 must confine our observations to the divisions as suggested by Canon 

 Fowler. In his work the species are tabulated in two groups. The 

 first has the thorax truncate or emarginate in front, and includes ten 

 species, viz. : tristis, nigrita, obscuva, quadri-punctata, reticulata, opaca, 



