232 STAPHYLINIDA. 
second ; tenth about as long as broad. Head picescent or nearly black, sparingly but 
distinctly punctate. Thorax much rounded and narrowed in front, so that the head is 
very disengaged, narrowed behind, but the narrowing not quite continued to the base, 
rather coarsely (but not closely) punctate. Elytra broad and short, a little longer than 
the thorax, shining black, sparingly punctate, the base yellow, and a very definite spot 
of pale yellow on the hind margin at the outer angle. Hind body black, shining, and 
almost impunctate, the first and second segments pale yellow, but marked with black 
on the dorsal plates. Legs black, the trochanters, the tarsi, and likewise the extreme 
base of the tibiz pale yellow. 
This species varies in the colour of the head and thorax, these being sometimes red, 
but in other cases nearly black; the punctuation of these parts is also a little variable. 
Falagria alboguttata appears, from Erichson’s description, to be an allied species, but 
with a more conspicuous pubescence and larger punctuation. 
FALAGRIA. 
Falagria, Mannerheim, Brachel. p. 86; Er. Gen. et Spec. Staph. p. 48. 
Cardiola, Rey, Hist. Nat. Col. Fr., Brév. Myr. 2° part, p. 452. 
This genus, as it exists at present, comprises about sixty species, and has an 
almost cosmopolitan distribution. It must, however, undergo dememberment ; for 
examination proves that those European forms for which the name was first proposed 
possess the remarkable peculiarity of having the prosternum behind the front cox 
entirely corneous, whereas in many other forms that have been included in the genus 
it is entirely membranous; these latter forms must therefore be removed from Falagria, 
and only such species as exhibit the remarkable peculiarity I have just mentioned should 
be retained in the genus. The prosternum in Falagria consists of three parts :—a part 
in front of the coxe, and consequently exposed when the legs are in their natural 
position; this may be called the antecoxal portion, and it is prolonged backwards, the 
prolongation being, however, concealed by the cox, so that a removal of the limb is 
necessary for its display ; this prolonged and concealed portion is usually marked off by 
a distinct raised transverse line, which may be called from its position the supracoxal 
portion; the third or posterior part of the corneous prosternum is formed by the 
development of two horny plates which meet in the middle line, and also approach so 
closely in front to the supracoxal portion that they are separated from it by only a very 
short transverse chink, or appear, indeed, to be contiguous with it; this portion will 
naturally be called the postcoxal portion, and is of a very unusual character ; the two 
plates by which it is formed may either be actually connected with the sides of the 
pronotum, or may be slightly separated therefrom. ‘The former is the case in the 
majority of the species ; but the latter is apparently the condition existing in /. énornata. 
Where the separation from the side of the prothorax exists it is interesting as indicating 
