84 
BRITISH BEETLES. 
CHAPTER XI. 
THE PALPICORNIA OR HYDROPHILID7E. 
The members of this group really form a division of 
the large section CLAVICORNIA ; they may be 
divided into two sub-families, the Hydrophilinre and 
the Sjjhwridiinse. 
In the Hydrophjlinac (often called Philhydrida ), — 
which, with the next family, constitute the Palpicomes 
of the French entomologists, — the palpi are as long 
as, or longer than, the antennae, which have from 
six to nine joints, the basal one being elongate and 
the apical (usually three) forming a club ; the mentum 
is large and unnotched, the maxillae terminate in two 
untoothed lobes, and the mandibles are very short. 
The tarsi are always five-jointed, and the hinder legs 
formed for swimming in some species : in short, the 
members of this family, which are all found either in 
or about water, and are not carnivorous in the 
perfect state, are the aquatic representatives of the 
Lamellicornia, and probably of other families. They 
are fully described by Mulsant, Hist. Nat. des Col. de 
France ; Palpicomes : Paris, 1844. 
In Spercheus emarginatus, the antennas are six- 
jointed ; the thorax is narrower than the elytra, and 
the hind legs are not natatorial. The female makes a 
small bag containing eggs, which she carries attached 
