NEC 
NEC'TRTS, f. [a genus of Sell rebels, derived from the 
Or. nyxlgtf, “ any thing that floats a name however 
which might, with equal propriety, be applied to various 
other aquatics.] In botany, a genus of the clafs hexandria, 
order digynia, natural order of tripetaloideae, (junci, Jujj ) 
Generic characters—Calyx: perianthium one leafed, fix- 
parted ; the three outer fegments ovate, acute, coloured 
within ; the three inner, alternate with thefe, ovate, blunt, 
fmaller, coloured on both fides. Corolla: none. Stamina: 
filaments fix, capillary, inferred into the bafe of the caly- 
cine fegments ; antherte ovate. Piftillum: germens two, 
fuperior, oblong; ftyles fliort; ftigmas blunt. Pericar- 
pium : capfules two, ovate, fomewhat flefhy, crowned with 
the permanent ftyles, one celled. Seeds : numerous, very 
fmall.— EJjential Character. Calyx one-leafed, fix-parted, 
coloured'; corolla none; ftyles permanent; capfules two, 
fuperior, ovate, one-celled, many-feeded. 
Neftris aquatica, a folitary fpecies. This plant grows 
in ponds, lakes, and rivers that have not a rapid current, 
pufhing out long branched knotted filtulous Hems, with a 
pair of leaves at each joint. Thefe leaves are divided into 
five branches, and each of thefe into three others, and fo 
on three times, finifhing by two; thefe divifions are very- 
fine : the top leaves float on the water; thefe are alternate, 
entire, oval, peltate, on a long petiole, like thofe of Hydro- 
cotyle. The flowers come out from the axils of thefe on 
a long peduncle: fometimes there is a flower from the axil 
of one of the upper cut leaves. The three outer leaves of 
the calyx are green on the outfide, and yellow within ; the 
three inner are entirely yellow. Native of Guiana and 
the ifland of Cayenne. 
NECYDA'LIS,/ the Carrion-eater ; in entomology, 
a genus of coleopterous infeCts. Generic characters—An¬ 
tennas fetaceous or filiform ; feelers four, filiform ; wing- 
fheaths lefs than the wings, and either fhorter or narrower 
than the abdomen : tail fimple. The thorax is narrow and 
rounded; the body of a lengthened fliape. There are 
thirty-nine fpecies, which have obtained their Engliflt 
name front their fuppofed predileftion for carrion. In 
their winged ftate, they generally frequent woods. 
I. Antennae fetaceous; wing-fheaths, fltells, or elytra, 
fhorter than the wings and abdomen. 
t. Necydalis major, the larger carrion-eater : elytra fer¬ 
ruginous and immaculate; eyes large and prominent. The 
head is black; the jaws are of a dark brown. The anten¬ 
nae, placed o.i the top of the head between the eyes, have 
their firft articulation long and raifed upright, the reft 
bent and turned afide. The antennae vary as to length 
and colour: in individuals whole thorax is yellow, they 
are brown, and equal only to two-thirds of the body in 
length : on the contrary, in thofe whole thorax is black, 
they are likewife black, and fomewhat longer than the 
body. The thorax is margined ; in lonte it is yellow and 
longer; in others it. is black, fhorter, and edged only 
with a little yellow. The elytra are iron-grey, fomewhat 
clearer in the middle, and terminating in a lemon-coloured 
fpot. The wings are rather black, fomething longer than 
the body, exceed the elytra by one third, and are crofted 
one over the other. In thofe that have their thorax yel¬ 
low, the legs and under part of the belly are fo likewife. 
In individuals with a black thorax, the legs are black as 
well as the belly, which has only a little yellow on the 
fides. It inhabits various parts of Europe; but the larva 
is as yet unknown. Barbut found the perfect animal in 
Norwood, upon an oak-tree, the beginning of Auguft; 
and front his work it is copied on the preceding Plate, 
at fig. 4. 
a. Necydalis variegata, the variegated carrion-eater 1 
abdomen black, with fulvous bands. Inhabits New Hol¬ 
land. 
3. Necydalis minor, the fmaller carrion-eater: elytra 
teftac-eous, with a fmall white line at the tip; antennae 
long. This fpecies is found in feveral parts of Europe: 
it is a common infeft in fields and about hedges in the 
fummer-months, and has fomewhat of the habit of a fmall 
NEC 671 
Cerambyx; but the wing-fheaths are only half the length 
of the body, and are grey-brown, each marked at the tip 
with a linear white fpot; the reft of the infect being black. 
Its length is rather more than a quarter of an inch. 
4. Necydalis umbellatarum: elytra teftaceous and im¬ 
maculate; antenna; iong. This alio is an European in- 
feri; and is reprefented at fig. 5. 
II. Antennae filiform; elytra fubulate, or awl-fhaped, 
narrower than the wings, and as long as the body. 
5. Necydalis thalaflina: thorax channelled ; body green, 
legs black. It inhabits Germany, and is faid to be twice 
as large as the next, viz. the' 
6. Necydalis viridiifima: thorax roundifli; body green, 
fore-legs teftaceous. In inhabits this and other European 
countries. 
7. Necydalis cserulefcens : thorax roundifh ; body blue 3 - 
and nearly opaque. It is an European infedt. 
8: Necydalis virefeens: thorax unequal; bodyduli green, 
antennae and legs black. It inhabits Germany, and is lefs 
than the N. thalaflina. The thorax is imprefled on each 
fide; the (hells have two raifed lines; the hind-thighs in 
one lex are clavate, and in the other fimple. 
9. Necydalis cyanea: thorax ovate, blue; antennae and 
legs black ; thighs blue. It inhabits Germany, and is the 
fame (ize as the laft. 
10. Necydalis fanguinicollis : thorax roundifli, and ru¬ 
fous; body brown. It inhabits Saxony. 
11. Necydalis Barbara :. thorax uneven, greenifti; tip of 
the (hells and legs yellow; hind-thighs black. Inhabits 
Barbary. 
12. Necydalis feladonia: thorax uneven; body green, 
and polifhed ; (hells blue, and thickened at the top. It 
inhabits Germany, and is fomething lefs than N. virefeens, 
13. Necydalis ruficollis : thorax roundifli, and with the 
abdomen rufous ; head and (hells braffy-green ; antennae 
and legs black. It inhabits Italy. 
14. Necydalis melanocephala: black ; thorax and abdo¬ 
men fulvous; lhells teftaceous. It inhabits Italy, and is 
the (ize of the laft. 
15. Necydalis triftis: black ; thorax roundifli, and with 
the bafe of the thighs rufous. It is found in Van Die¬ 
men’s Land. The (hells of this fpecies are very fmooth. 
16. Necydalis atra: (hells fubulate, black; thighs cla¬ 
vate. It inhabits the foutliern parts of Europe. 
17. Necydalis humeralis: (hells fubulate, black, yellow 
at the bafe. This is an Englifli infeft. The (hells are 
without lines; body and legs black. A large fpecies; 
reprefented at fig. 6. 
18. Necydalis uftulata: black; bafe of tlie (hells and 
broad future teftaceous. It inhabits Germany. 
19. Necydalis melahura : black; thorax and (hells tefta¬ 
ceous, the latter tipt with black. This is found on vari¬ 
ous plants in Spain. 
20. Necydalis notata: head and thorax ferruginous; 
(hells teftaceous, tipt with black. 1 c inhabits Germany; 
fame fize as the laft. 
21. Necydalis fulvicollis: black; thorax and tail ful¬ 
vous; (hells with a bluilh (hade. It inhabits Germany, 
and is lefs than N. melanura. 
22. Necydalis rufa: (hells fubulate ; body black; thighs 
clavate; (hells and antennas rufous. This is found here 
and in other parts of Europe. 
23. Necydalis prseufta: black; fhells teftaceous, tipt 
with black ; thighs clavate. It is found in Barbary. 
24. Necydalis cserulea: (hells fubulate; body blue; 
hind-thighs clavate and arched. It is found here and in 
other parts of Europe, in woods, during the fummer- 
months. This is a beautiful fpecies. It is about half an 
inch in length, and entirely of a bright blue colour, fome¬ 
times greenifti blue : the wing-fhells are of the length of 
the body, but narrow, fo as not to cover the fides of the 
wings; and the hind-thighs are very thick. See fig. 7. 
25. Necydalis podograria: (hells fubulate, teftaceous; 
body black; hind-thighs clavate, and teftaceous at the 
bafe. It is found in gardens in Europe, 
26. Ne=> 
