MR. HARDT ON THE BBEWICK8HIRE STAPIiYLINIDA 255 



9. Q. PELTATU8 {Enchaon, Oen. et Spec. Staph. 540) : Of the Rize arid ap- 

 pearance of Q. semiobscuruB, but more dilated in the middle of the body, dark 

 brunneous, shining, head, thorax, and sculellum glossy ; head suborbiculate, 

 considerably narrower than the thorax, rather flattened, with a puncture on 

 the margin of the eye on each side and two placed obliquely above the eyes, 

 black ; eyes middle sized, prominent; thorax at the base about the breadth of 

 the elytra, nearly orbicular, the base and sides equally rounded, slightly nar- 

 rowed anteriorly, slightly convex, punctures onthe disk rather approximating, 

 deep and rather large, two last rather closest, and two or three on the sides, 

 very smooth and glossy black, the margins sometimes piccous ; scutellum quite 

 smooth ; elytra broad, wider than ineitherof the two next species, slightly longer 

 than the thorax, flattish, finely punctulate as in Q. maurorufus the punctures 

 disposed rather widely, somewhat as in Q. semiobscurus, but of the depth of 

 those in Q. maurorufus, rather shining, brnnneou.«, the back blackish, the 

 sides occasionally and the apical margins pitchy testaceous, thinly but conspi- 

 cuously griseous pubescent ; abdomen at the base narrower than the elytra, 

 very much tapered and attenuated towards the apex, sparingly but distinctly 

 punctulate, splendidly metallic versicolorous irridescent, the edges of the ven- 

 tral segments, half of the sixth and the anus testaceous ; antenme thinnish, 

 piccous, with the middleof several of thejoints darker; mouth and palpi piceous ; 

 legs rnfo-piceouR, joints and tarsi rufous, posterior femora with metallic gloss ; 

 anterior tarsi of the male strongly, of the female moderately dilated. L. 2^ 

 —3 lines. 



Raphirus attenuatus, Stephens. 111. M. v. 242.— Manual, No. 3117.— '*hilon- 

 thus pcltatus, Heer, Fn. Col. Helv. i. 583. — Quedius prsecox, Erichson. Prefer 

 der Mark Brand, i. 492.— Philonthus prsecox, Heer, Fn. Col. Helv. i. 278. 



In marshy situations, in shady woods, under withered leaves and herbage, 

 or under the bark of trees, accompanied by the two next species, very rare ; 

 from the bottoms of the deans in Pcnmanshiel Wood, in August. 



10. Q. SEMIOBSCURUS (Staph. Marsh. Ent. Brit. i. 512): With rather th« 

 habit of Q. fulgidus, but much les?, and with the elytra more deeply punctate, 

 brunnoo-piceous ; head, thorax, and scutellum shining; head rather large, 

 a degree less than the thorax, subrotundate, punctured as in the preceding, 

 black; eyes large, oblong, prominent; thorax suborbiculate, widest behind, 

 surpassing the elytra in breadth, the base rounded, the sides scarcely, convex, 

 the dorsal punctures i-ather strong, the two posterior nearest, with tw» rather 

 large lateral punctures, one near the dorsal series, the other near the margins, 

 black, rarely brunneous on the margins, red when immature; scutellum very 

 smooth; elytra squarish, sides parallel, slightly shorter than the thorax, 

 strongly and somewhat widely punctate, brunneous black, with the apex and 

 sometimes the suture slightly piceous, sparingly griseous pubescent ; abdomen 

 about the breadth of the elytra at base, gradually narrowing to the apex, 

 not very strongly but rather widely punctured, rather shining, the base blue 

 and violet, the apex green and coppery irridescent, the tips of the last two or 

 three segments above, and the edges of all the segments beneath and the anus 

 rufo-testaceous ; antennw thinnish, the apex scarcely thickened, piceous, some 

 of the basal joints darkened in the middle, the first often ferruginous; mouth 

 piceous ; palpi rufo-testaceous ; coxae brunneous, rest of the legs reddish with 

 brunneous dashes on the middle of the femora and tibin ; anterior t4ur(ii maeh 

 dilated in the male, moderately in the female. L. S lines. 



