Having been long persuaded that the Silphidae and Staphy- 
linidae are nearly related, I made Necrophorus and Emus the 
connecting points, and whether we consider their habits of life, 
their general appearance, or their structure, the affinity is 
maintained : N. Vespillo and E. hirtus both live in dead animals, 
they are considerably clothed with hair, their elytra are ab- 
breviated, and both have the posterior trochanters armed with 
a spine. By referring to the dissections in pi. 71, it will be 
seen that there is not only a general resemblance in the trophi 
&c., but in some respects they are remarkably similar, for ex- 
ample the maxillae and their palpi with a large internal lobe, 
and a dilated terminal one; the antennae also are geniculated 
and bear so great a likeness to those of Necrodes (pi. 334), that 
I think it may be safely said, Emus is as nearly allied to Ne- 
crophorus on the one hand as Necrodes is on the other. 
Dejean unites under Emus our genera Creophilus, Staphy- 
linus, Ocypus and Goerius, but I believe sufficient characters 
may be found to separate at least some of them. 
E. hirtus Linn. — Curt. Brit. Ent. pi. 534. 
Black, thickly and minutely punctured and densely clothed 
with hairs of a shining orange colour on the head, thorax (ex- 
cepting the hinder margin), and 3 last segments of the abdo- 
men : elytra clothed with short griseous hairs, excepting the 
base, sometimes with 2 or 3 black spots forming an interrupted 
line : underside violaceous. 
This is considered a rare insect in Britain, although few 
good Cabinets are without it : for the specimen figured I am 
indebted to Capt. Blomer, who found it on Cow-dung in the 
New Forest the 8th of April; Mr. L. Rudd observed it in the 
same neighbourhood in July, and Mr. Ingpen states that it has 
been found in dead animals in the same locality : Mr. Dale 
met with it on Parley Heath the 16th of May ; the late Mr. 
Scales took it at Beachamwell in Norfolk, and it has occurred 
in the neighbourhood of Guildford. Donovan says 66 it in- 
habits sandy places and is also found among moss concealed or 
lying under stones. Mr. Comyns has met with it in Devon- 
shire. We once saw it on the wing in a thicket in Coombe- 
wood, Surrey.” 
It flies well, is very active in the sun, and looks like a Hum- 
ble-bee on the wing. It varies very much in size, some con- 
tinental specimens being much larger and broader than the 
one figured, and others narrower and rather shorter, with the 
head very much less developed. 
The Plant is Alopecurus hulbosus (Bulbous Fox-tail-grass), 
communicated by James Paget, Esq. of Yarmouth. 
