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BRITISH BEETLES. 
which are not conspicuous, except for their small 
size. 
Their head is small and retractile ; their antennas 
clavate at the apex ; their thorax margined at the 
sides; their elytra wide, generally obtuse at the 
apex, and not covering the sides of the abdomen ; 
their intermediate coxas rather — and the posterior 
very — widely separated ; and the first segment of 
their abdomen large. They approach the Trichopte- 
rygidce in having their wings fringed with long 
hairs, but differ in having the maxillae unilobed and 
the tarsi four-jointed. 
The species occur in refuse heaps, cut grass, &c., 
and are difficult to preserve in good condition on 
account of their small size and feeble structure. 
Gorylophus cassidioides (Plate XVI., Fig. 1), often 
abundant on the coast, has its thorax red, and more or 
less dark in the middle. 
The family Sphasriid.®, consisting of one genus and 
species, Sphrerius acaroides (taken in the Cambridge 
fens), appears also to have certain characters in 
common with the Trichop terygidce, viz., a large pro- 
jecting labrum, the antennae with a suddenly enlarged 
and ciliated club, and very large triangular posterior 
coxae. It differs, however, from the latter in having 
the abdomen composed of only three segments, and 
the parts of the mouth (except the labrum) not simi- 
larly formed. 
S. acaroides is of extremely small size, globose 
above, black and shining, with its anterior femora 
strongly toothed ; and, as its name imports, resem- 
bles certain of the Acari, or mites. 
The Phalacridbs have their coxae approximated; 
