1911.] 31 



BLEDIUS PALLIPES AND ITS ALLIES IN BRITAIN. 

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



(1) B. PALLIPES (Grav.), Er. 



From the first confusion has existed as to the synonymy of this 

 species and its allies. In our Catalogue paUipes was introduced with- 

 out a name, then withdrawn, and again introduced as pallijies. Eye, 

 in December, 1865, described a close ally under the name of fuscipes, 

 and a few months later Schiodte described the same species as rastellus. 

 Neither of these names is admitted as valid in the latest European 

 Catalogue ; fuscijjes appears there as a synonym of p)allipes, and ras- 

 tellns, Schiodte, as a synonym of suhterranens ; I find, however, from 

 comparison of co-types that the two are perfectly similar. 



The confusion as to B. pallipes has existed from the very first. 

 G-ravenhorst included several species — belonging to different sections 

 of Bledius — under the name of Oxytelus pallipes. Erichson, however, 

 in Gen. Staph., p. 772, gave a careful description of our B. pallipes, 

 and as he had taken much pains in examining Gravenhorst's collection 

 we may accept his decision as final. 



In this coimtry B. pallipes appears to be a widely distributed 

 species, occurring throughout England and the south of Scotland, in 

 suitable places on the banks of our rivers. 



(2) B. ANN^, sp. n. 

 Niger, antennis, palpis pedibus (his cuinque coxis) Jlavis ; prothorace 

 parum transversa, parce obsolete punctata, fortiter coriaceo, peropaco ; ely- 

 tris thorace evidenter longioribus, subtiliter crebreque punctatis. 



Long., 4 mm. 



Closely allied to B. pallipes, but readily distinguished by the 

 sculpture of the thorax, and the shorter elytra. The coxae are always 

 clear yellow, and so are the antennae. The length of the elytra as 

 compared with that of the thorax is 4 to 3 ; in B. pallipes it is 3 to 2. 

 The large punctures of the thorax are only slightly impressed so as to 

 be more than usually indistinct, while on the contrary the fine sculp- 

 ture renders the surface rougher and more dull than it is \nB. pallipes ; 

 the punctuation of the elytra is very similar in the two. The thorax 

 is abruptly narrowed behind, the basal margin projects so that the 

 hind angle is rectangular, but immediately in front of the angle the 

 outline of the thorax by its direction would form a strongly obtuse 

 ano-le with the base if the short basal projection alluded to were 



