110 
BRITISH BEETLES. 
anterior and intermediate tibiae spinose in all except 
Trogophloeus ; and the tarsi with only three joints (of 
which the apical one is much the longest), except in 
Coprophilus, Acrognathus, Syntomium , and Beleaster, 
in which they have five. 
The species of Bledius are mostly gregarious, fre- 
quenting the sea-sands, banks of rivers, sand-pits, &c. 
They are elongate and cylindrical in shape, as might 
be expected from their burrowing habits, and have 
the front tibiae thickened and strongly spined. In 
the males of some, the head bears two erect horns, and 
the thorax also has one in the middle, pointing for- 
wards : these horns are much developed in the large 
males; but, in the smaller specimens, are of more 
feeble build. The Bledii pass all the stages of their 
existence in the sand, and are often preyed upon by 
some of the Dyschirii ( Geodephaga ) ; they fly readily 
towards the evening, and have been observed to 
remain in their burrows beneath the tide for some 
time ; their presence may easily be detected by the 
casts which they throw up in making their excava- 
tions. 
Platystethus has the apical joint of the labial palpi 
not subulate, and its members (all of which are small, 
black, and shining) live in dung or the cracks of mud- 
banks. 
The true Oxyteli abound in dung, at the fermenting 
sap of felled trees, under rotten seaweed, &c. ; they 
are all more or less flat, dull-black, with the parts of 
the body somewhat loosely articulated ; the thorax 
with three longitudinal furrows, and the abdomen 
shining ; the males have the apical segments of the 
abdomen beneath sinuated, notched, and tuberculated ; 
