34 [February 



since stood in my collection as B. sp. n. Kecently I received a series 

 of terebrans, Schiodte, from the Copenhagen Museum, and I find that 

 my Scottish example agrees therewith. 



B. terehrans is placed in the Catalogus Col. Europse as a synonym 

 of B. pallipes, but this is erroneous. It is smaller than jialUpes ; the 

 elytra are much shorter, their length compared with that of the 

 thorax being only 7 : 5, and they ai-e less densely but more closely 

 punctured ; and the antennse and front coxae are clear yellow in colour. 



B. terehrans would appear to be a very rare species in this country, 

 as besides the example referred to above, I have seen only two others, 

 found in the sand on the borders of the Truim about two miles above 

 Newtonmore. Though recognised at the time as different from B. 

 subterraneus, which aboimded at the spot, careful search produced no 

 other individual. One of these two examples was captured by Mr. 

 Bishop, the other by my daughter. 



Close to the specimen last mentioned my daughter found another 

 small black Bledius, which I thought might possibly prove to be the 

 female. It has the elytra rather longer and more closely and finely 

 punctured. The series from Denmark includes both sexes of terebrans, 

 and the female closely resembles the male. I can therefore only con- 

 clude that we have still another black Bledius of this group, in 

 addition to the species I have been able to point out in this paper. 



Brockenhiirst : 



December '31st, 1910. 



BLEDIUS HINNULUS, Er. (OR DIOTA, Schiodte), IN BEITAIN. 

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



Bledius diota, Schiodte, Naturhist. Tidskr., 1866, p. 146. 



A species very closely allied to B. bicornis, but quite distinct, 

 being of a paler colour about the elytra, which are more obsoletely and 

 sparingly punctured. The two are also distinguished in the male sex 

 by the form of the cephalic elevations. These, when seen laterally, have 

 in bicornis almost the form of short, compressed horns ; whereas in 

 diota they have a greater extension in the longitudinal axis, so that 

 they are only elevated laminae. In the female sex the cephalic laminae 

 are less elevated, and the distinctions greatly reduced, but in bicornis 

 the elevation in front is a little greater and more abrupt. The de- 

 velopment of the horns varies, however, so much in individuals of 



