19141 83 



Fabricms (Ent. Syst. I, p. 184, 1792) is so poor that I think we should 

 for the present continue to use the appropriate name " maritimus." 



P. maritimus is not uncommon in brackish waters. I have found 

 it in profusion at Lymington, and Mr. Pool takes it freely at Southsea. 

 At both these places a variety occurs that is so remarkable that I 

 think it should have a name. 



P. maritimus var. brevipalpis, n. Much smaller than the usual 

 form, and with the maxillary palpi so greatly reduced as to be some- 

 times only half the natural length. This reduction affects the terminal 

 joint most strongly, so that it is in the extreme cases merely a short 

 oval appendage. Southsea and Lymington, with the type form and 

 varying like it in colour. The Lymington examples were found by me 

 in September, 1868 ; the Southsea example was sent me by Mr. Pool 

 in April, 1912. 



Brockenhurst : 



February 10th, 1914. 





A NOTE ON THE BEITISH SPECIES OF SPH&RIDIUM, F. 

 BY NORMAN H. JOY, M.R.C.S., F.E.S. 



When examining my specimens of the genus Sphseridium, F., I 

 failed to identify all of them with the help of the keys given by 

 Fowler, G-anglbauer and Reitter, and a dissection of a few males 

 demonstrated three very different forms of sedeagus. Some difficulty 

 arose as to the name to be given to the third species, which has not been 

 recognised as specifically distinct for many years. Marsham's descrip- 

 tion of his " Dermestes quadrimaculatus" although short, certainly 

 seems to refer to it, and not to an aberration of S. bifustulatum, F., 

 as suggested by Reitter in " Fauna G-ermanica," Kafer, Vol. II, p. 367. 



The following is a short key to the genus : — 



I. — Form narrower and more convex ; thorax with base strongly biarcuate 

 (fig. 4), hind angles sharply rectangular ; tibiae yellow ; ajdeagus as 



in fig. 1. Length, 4-5 — 55 mm bipustulatum, F. 



II. — Form broader and less convex; thorax with base slightly biarcuate, 

 hind angles obtuse and slightly blunt. 



i.~ Thorax with at least front part of side-margins narrowly 

 yellow, base distinctly biarcuate, hind angles less obtuse ; 

 tibiae yellow ; sedeagus as in fig. 2. Length, 5 - 5 — 7 m.m. 



. . . quadrimaculatum, Marsh. 



