OISTELID 
339 
(Indian Mus. Notes V, 139). The former is common and has been 
reared from wheat grains, wheat flour, and oat meal, as well as dried 
insects. 
One of the more striking insects of the plains is the curious flat¬ 
tened Cossyphus depressus , Fabr. (Plate XXI, fig. 4), in which the 
elytra and pronotum are produced into a curved thin lamella surround¬ 
ing the body after the manner of a Cassid beetle. What object this 
serves is uncertain, but it may give it a resemblance to a seed which is 
of use as a protection. Derosphcerus nigricollis , Bot., is a larger beetle, 
the elytra deeply punctate and shining, with long legs, which is found 
on the soil in the plains. Platydema includes small oval brown beetles 
found eating the inner portions of the flakes of tree bark. Mesomorpha 
villiger , Bl. (Plate XXI, fig. 3), is a cosmopolitan beetle found among 
decaying leaves, in thatched roofs, in old trees, wherever there is decay¬ 
ing vegetable matter. It is a small dull brown or black beetle, rarely 
seen or noticed, but probably to be found everywhere if searched for. 
Ceropria (Plate XXI, fig. 2) includes a few brightly coloured species 
with tints of shiny purple or blue. 
Collecting , etc. —It is probable that only a small part of the Tene- 
brionid fauna of our area is actually recorded, and the collector will 
find much that is new. These beetles can be easily kept in captivity 
and breeding experiments are required to determine life-histories, etc., 
with much field observation. The beetles themselves are not difficult 
to find under bark, amongst fallen leaves, in thatched roofs, among cut 
timber and in similar situations. The Desert fauna of North India 
especially requires investigation and much interesting work waits to 
be done on the life-histories and habits of these species. 
ClSTELIM . 
Characters as in the previous family hut the tarsal , 
claws pectinate , not simple. 
A small family of unimportant beetles, rarely found. They have 
long antennae ; the elytra do not fit the abdomen very closely ; the males 
have longer antennae and larger eyes than the females. In a few the 
head is prolonged into a distinct short blunt rostrum. The known 
species live in decaying trees or under bark, as do their larvae- 
