NECROPHAGA AND THEIR ALLIES. 
121 
have been monographed by Leach, Reichenbach, and 
Aube; also by Denny, Norwich, 1825 (with coloured 
plates). 
They are mostly found in moss, damp marshy places, 
refuse heaps, or ants’ nests, and are supposed to feed 
on Acari. 
Many curious forms are found in this country ; the 
type genus Pselaplms affording two, one of which, P. 
Eeisii (Plate XVI., Fig. 4), is of frequent occurrence 
in moss, and may be known from its allies by its de- 
pressed body (which is broadest behind), entire sutural 
striae, very long and thin palpi and legs, and long and 
stout antennae. Its ally, P. dresdensis, is darker, and 
has a semicircular impressed line at the base cf the 
thorax. 
Our species of Bryaxis are found in wet marshy 
places, among moss and reeds, at the sides of rivers, 
or on the sea-shore under heaps of vegetable matter 
or stones. They have long antennae, and are mostly 
black or dark-brown, having often red elytra, and 
being sometimes entirely pale; their shape is moi - e 
convex than that of Pselaphus, their dorsal stria 
abbreviated, and their thorax (which is convex and 
contracted behind) usually has three large punctua- 
tions behind and at the sides. The largest, B. san- 
guined, has the antennae very loug in the male. 
The Bythini are much smaller, convex, and with 
short antennae, of which the basal joint is much di- 
lated. In the males (which are by far the rarest) the 
second joint also is subject to a still more considerable 
increase in volume, assuming in some species an irre- 
gular and toothed appearance. The palpi are nearly 
equal in bulk to the antennae, the apical joint being 
