THE LAMELLICORNTA, OR “ CHAFERS.” 155 
front tibiae ; or in the presence of a more decided 
channel in the middle of the metasternum. 
The species of Aphodius are very abundant, espe- 
cially in spring and autumn ; flying readily, and oc- 
curring in profusion in the droppings of our domestic 
animals. They are usually black and shining, but 
sometimes livid yellow or red, or spotted. A. inqui- 
natus (Plate VIII., Fig. 3), one of the prettiest, is 
found in profusion on the Lancashire sandhills. In 
this genus the anterior margin of the eyes is visible, 
when viewed from above, and the lobes of the maxillae 
are leathery or membranous, and unarmed ; in Ammoe- 
cius (more globose behind) no part of the eye is to be 
seen from above in repose ; in Psammobius (of which 
the thorax is strongly transversely furrowed) the 
outer lobe of the maxillae is horny and hooked ; and 
iu yEgialia (found in sandy places) the mandibles and 
labrum project slightly beyond the clypeus. Several 
genera have been founded by French entomologists 
at the expense of Aphodius; but most of them are 
generally abandoned, as being dependent more upon 
facies than any structural differences. 
The Gevtmpina have the antennae eleven- jointed 
(the club having three joints) ; the eyes entirely 
divided iuto two by the side margin of the head ; 
the abdomen short, with six free ventral segments ; 
the mandibles and labrum not hidden by the clypeus ; 
the body convex, the thorax being very large ; the 
intermediate coxae oblique and the anterior transverse ; 
and the pygidium not quite covered by the elytra. 
Geotrupes stercorarius, the well-known “ shard-born 
beetle,” “ Clock,” or “ Dumble-dor ” (the last possibly 
an inflection of the American “ Tumble-dung,” a name 
