HR. HA&DT 0» THE BKBWICK8HIRK STAPHYLINlDiE. 249 



Esq., differs by its subquadrate head, the paler hue of the palpi, the thorax not 

 narrowed in front and with the sides straight, the elytra of a more sordid tint, 

 and with a coarwer pubescence on the elytra and abdomen. It likewise fre- 

 quents river banks, but in shady places, under mouldering leaves and roots, 

 and avoids the sandy tracts which are the favourite resort of Ph. fulvipes. Ph. 

 corruscus is a stouter insect than either, with a large suborbiculate head, five 

 punctures in the dorsal series, black legs and antennte. 

 The distribution of ihh species extends to North America. 



22. Ph. ATKRRIMU8 (Staph. Grav. Micr. 31) : Minute, slender, linear-elongate, 

 black, shining and polished ; head oblong-ovate, in the male of the breadth of 

 or slightly wider than the thorax, widest in front, and slightly narrowed 

 behind, triangularly flattened and obsoletely foveolated on the forehead, in 

 the female narrower ; thorax in the female about half the breadth of the 

 elytra, in the male rather broader, oval, the base slightly narrower, sides 

 straightish, the puncture* of the dorsal series neat, decpish, approximating, 

 the anterior smallest, and slightly out of the range, lateral punctures five, 

 small but deep ; elytra sub-oblong, considerably longer than the thorax, slightly 

 wider at the tips, distinctly and somewhat widely punctured, the punctures 

 rather minute, black, or sub-piceous, especially on the satural and hinder mar- 

 gins, thinly griseous pubescent ; abdomen finely punctulate, griseous pubescent, 

 edges of the segments beneath and the anus sometimes piceo-testaceous ; 

 antennae black, with the basal joints pitchy; palpi piceo-testaceous or black, 

 the apical joint very acute ; legs piceo-testaceous, darkening with age; anterior 

 tarsi simple in both sexes. L. 1| — 2 lines. 



Erichson, Gen. et Spec. Staph. 492.— //eer, Fn. Col. Helv. i. 271.— Staphy- 

 linus aterrimus, Oyll. Ins. Suec. ii. 349. — Gabrius aterrimus, Stephens, III. M. 

 V. 250. — Manual, No. 3186. — Staphylinus nigritulus, Orav. Micr. 41. — Gabrius 

 pallipes, Kirby, Stephens, 111. M. v. 250.— Manual, No. 3187. 



In moist situations, rare : Berwick, Dr. Johnston. Penmanshiel wood, and 

 the sea banks near the Cove shore, and Hedheugh, J, If. Girrick, near Nen- 

 thorn, Mr, Ilislop. 



This species is likewise native to North America. 



■*••• Thorax with two rows of punctures on the disk about 8 in each. 



23. Ph. parumpunctatus {Erichson, Gen. et Spec. Staph. 499) : With the 

 habit of Ph. ceneus, to which and Ph. cephalotes it is much allied, black, shin- 

 ing ; head narrower than the thorax, orbiculate, and with the mandibles mode- 

 rate in the female, very large and wider than the thorax in the male, subquad- 

 rate, with strong prominent mandibles piceous at their tips, rather depiessed 

 in front, and obsoletely foveolated in the centre, four transverse punctures be- 

 tween the eyes, with numerous punctures behind them, bounded internally and 

 obliquely with an irregular row of from 5 — 7 ; thorax narrower than the 

 elytra, widest across the apex, whence it narrows rathej sinuously to the pos- 

 terior angles ; the punctures in the dorsal series about seven or eight closely 

 placed, irregular in number, size, and disposition, with a variable number 

 scattered on the sides scarcely exceeding twelve on each, several of which are 

 sometimes placed in an irregular arc outwardly nearest the margins, the punc- 

 tures deep aud of considerable size ; elytra longer than the thorax, thickly and 

 somewhat deeply punctate, brassy, shining, griieous pubescent ; abdomen 

 rather widely and finely punctulate, thinly pubescent, beneath with the edges 

 of some of the segments, especially the fifth and sixth, and the apex, picco-t«s- 



