118 



On the Entomology of the 



[July 



The religions prejudices of the Indians not allowing them to touch a dead 

 body, may account for the few species which have hiiherto reached 

 Europe from the East. Necrophorus, Necrodes, Silpha, and Oiceoptonia, 

 are met with in India and Nepal. It is probable that Necrophorus is 

 more peculiarly adapted to Northern climates, while the remaining genera 

 affect those of tropical regions. 



EROTYLIDiE. 



Passing Nitidulidae, which have been captured in India, we arrive at 

 Engidffi and Erotylidse. In the former family, we find Triplax, Ips, and 

 Dacue ; in the latter, Erotylus ; and next to this group, Languiria and 

 Eumorphus should be placed ; genera abounding in species in Nepal and 

 India. 



DERMESTID^. 

 In General Hardwicke 's Collection, there is a Nepalese specimen of 

 Dermestes, similar in every respect to D. lardarius of Europe : a second 

 species is closely allied to D. vulpinus of Africa. It is scarcely possible 

 that either of them can have been imported into the Himalayas by 

 commerce. This genus, and its congeners, is apparently a predominant 

 group throughout the world, 



BYRRHIDiE. 



The foreign Helocerata require attentive examination. Among the 

 drawings of the Nepal Collection, made purposely for General Hard- 

 wicke, two species of Anthrenus are figured : they appear novel in form. 



HISTERIDiE. 



This family abounds in India. I am acquainted with move than fifty 

 species from the East : some of the Nepalese specimens are in too muti- 

 lated a state to describe. 



LUCANIDiE. 



I formerly described six species from Nepal : two more from the Hima- 

 layas are un(i escribed in Dr. Royle's Collection. In no country is there 

 a greater admixture of temperate nnd tropical forms than in India ; some 

 of the Lucani' se resemble our British species very closely, while others 

 are the same as those in Java and Singapore. Forty species have been 

 submitted to my inspection. Passalidae are not equally abundant in the 

 Old as in the New World. 



LAMELLICORNES. 

 The celebrated Ateuchus JEgyptiorum, «or Sacred Beetle, has al- 



