years since by Mr. S. Wilkin ; and it was afterwards defined 
and established by Dr. Leach in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia. 
The natural situation of Necrodes is between Dr. Leach’s 
genus Oiceoptoma and Necrophorus (pi. 71), being distin- 
guished from the former by its orbicular thorax and oblong 
and truncated elytra, and from the latter by its antennae, which 
are not capitate : but the character that at once distinguishes 
the males from the whole family is, the structure of the in- 
termediate tarsi, which are dilated as well as the anterior pair. 
It is now probably twenty years since I pointed out the 
specific differences in the following insects ; and Dr. Leach, 
who took every opportunity of encouraging tyros in the sci- 
ence, did me the honour of naming the second after me ; and 
I think it will be admitted on a comparison of the following 
descriptions, that there is something more than size to distin- 
guish the species, although a recent writer could find no 
other differences between them. 
1. N. littoralis, Linn . — Curtis Brit . Ent. pl. 334. <$. 
Male black, slightly glossy, thickly and minutely punc- 
tured : antennae robust, with the three terminal joints orange: 
eyes ochreous: thorax with a shallow channel down the centre, 
and one on each side formed like an S, and meeting another 
near the base V-shaped : elytra inclining a little to castaneous, 
strongly and exceedingly thickly punctured, with three ele- 
vated longitudinal lines on each, not reaching the apex, the 
second angulated beyond the middle where there is a fovea 
between it and the third ; which is curved towards the extre- 
mity : legs robust ; posterior thighs greatly incrassated and 
strongly denticulated beneath, the hinder tibiae very much 
curved : intermediate tarsi more dilated than the anterior. 
Female , with the thighs tibiae and tarsi simple. 
Inhabits putrid carcases, in meadows and on the shores of 
rivers. 
2. N. Curtisii, Leach Edinh. Ency . v. 9. p. 89.-— simplicipes 
Dej. Cat. ? 
Male, half the size of the former, the female of which it much 
resembles. Antennae slender : thorax very glossy in the centre : 
elytra sometimes more castaneous, the three elevated lines con- 
tinued to the apical margin, the second less angulated, and the 
third less curved towards the apex: legs rather slender; pos- 
terior thighs the thickest, serrated beneath; tibiae nearly straight 
(5f, the hind leg) : intermediate tarsi not so much dilated as 
the anterior (5, the fore leg). Female undiscovered. 
I have taken N. Curtisii near Norwich, Mr. Davis and Mr. 
Newman in Battersea Fields, and Dr. Howitt near Nottingham. 
Coprinus P accompanies the insect. 
