1912.1 181 



96 (99). Legs h'ackiah brown. First contal division at the most half as long 



again as the other tioo together. Anal organ minute and hypopggium 

 large. 



97 (98). Upper supra-ajitennal bristles approximated. Last segment or two of 



male abdomen fringed on the ventral side with numerous stiff hairs, or 

 rather bristles, increasing in size from before backwards, and continued 

 on to the hypopygium iinder 1 mm. hirticaudata. 



98 (97). Upper supra-antennal bristles in alignment with inner bristles of middle 



frontal row. Male abdomen not so fringed, but numerous small hairs 

 along the lower edge of the hypopygium f mm., erecta. 



99 (96) Legs yellow. First costal division more than double the other two. Hypo- 



pygium and anal organ of ordinary form and size, the former with a 

 pair of closely approximated bristles on each side. 



...1:^12 mm. halterata. 



100 (9.3) H alter es yellow. 



101 (106) First costal division greatly longer than the other tivo — at least % as long 



again (minutissima). 



102 (105). By-popyjium bristly. Legs yellow. 



10.3 (104), Thorax black, Hypopygium with a pair of bristles on each side. Not a 

 minute species 1-li mm. halterata. 



lO-l (103). Thorax pale. Hypopygium with only one bristle on each side. A minute 

 species barely ^ mm. mimitissima. 



105 (102). Hypopygium without bristles. Legs brown 1-1^ mm. exigua. 



106 (101). First costal division not greatly longer than the other two — at the most 



i longer. 



107 (108). Four large and equal or nearly equal supra-avtennal bristles. Male 



hypopygium conspicuously white. Tibial cilia very fine and delicate. 



l-l:f mm. albicaudata. 



108 (107). Under pair of supra-ante7inal bristles minute. Hypopygium black. 



Tibial cilia distinct but not large. 



109 (110). The marginal hairs on 6th abdominal segment very large and conspicuous. 



...li mm. spinicincta. 



110 (109). Without such hairs 1:^ mm. sylvatica. 



Tarrington, Ledbuiy : 



July, 1912. 



NOTES ON THE BEITISH SPECIES OF OPHONUS. 



BY D. SHARP, M.A., F.R.S. 



No. 1. — 0. BREVICOLIiIS, 0. RUFIBARBIS, aud 0. CORDATUS. 



When I commenced the study o^ British Coleoptera (now I am 

 sorry to say more than 60 years ago), one of the earliest puzzles that 

 attracted my attention was the species of Oplionus. Not being able to 

 name them I distinguished them by means of numerals, and my collec- 



