COSSYPHODIDiE. 
297 
different member of the firm told off to take charge of it. One species 
confines itself to rotten oranges, another to bones, a third to putrid 
fungi, a fourth to decaying figs. Decaying wood, decaying bark, decaying 
flowers, decaying leaves, all furnish distinct employment to different 
species. They are not all scavengers, however. Many pass their lives 
in flowers; others feed upon fresh victuals ; and Mr. Frederick Smith of 
the British Museum has, whilst I write, brought to my notice a species 
of Brachypeplus ( B . auritus) which he has received from Australia, in 
a wild bee’s nest, where it feeds, both in the larva and perfect state 
on the wax and honey.” (Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., XXIV, pp. 211-414 
1864.) 
Though of no economic importance, they are common insects and 
will be readily observed on crop plants under circumstances that would, 
in the absence of careful observation, give rise to the suggestion that 
they were themselves the originators of damage, whereas they are es¬ 
sentially the followers of decay. 
Murray monographed part of the family in 1864. (Trans. Linn. 
Soc., XXIV), while Reitter completed the work in 1873 (Verh. Ver. Brunn., 
XII, pp. 5-194). Many species have been added since by M. Grouvelle, 
including Father Cardon’s species (Ann. Soc. Ent. Beige, 1891, 1892), 
and Harmand’s Darjeeling species (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1903, p. 108). 
A total of over 100 are known from India inclusive of Ceylon. Carpo- 
philus foveicollis, Mur. and C. hemipterus, L., are found under the sheath¬ 
ing leaves of bamboos where their larvae live and the latter, with other 
species, breeds freely in dried fruits in stores and godowns. C. dimi- 
diatus, F. var mutilatus , Er., is the common small brown species found 
in borer holes in canes, in cotton flowers, etc., in the plains. It has 
been reared from larvae found in bores of Chilo simplex in juar, the larvae 
feeding in the decomposing tissues. They pupated in the soil and re¬ 
mained two months as pupae during the cold weather. Amphicrossus 
discolor , Er., is a rounder deep brown insect, which has been bred from 
larvae found under the bark of Semul (Bombax malabaricum). 
Cossyphodim;. 
A small family of beetles, separated by Wassman from the foregoing 
and following families to receive certain Myrmecophilous insects. 
