170 [January, 



punctures on each side of the disc of the thorax, by its elytra not being longer 

 than the thorax, and by the 6th ventral segment of its abdomen having four 

 setigerous punctures on each side before the apex. Mr. Eye considers this a 

 good species. 



Quedius temporalis, Thorns. — This is the most common form : it is very variable in 

 colour, but never exhibits the deep black body and bright red elytra of the pre- 

 ceding species (in fact, these two species in this point bear a strong analogy 

 to Mycetoporus longulus and lepidus) ; its thorax is shorter, with its disc 

 unpunctured on each side ; its elytra are longer than the thorax, and the 6th 

 ventral segment has only three sette on each side. 



Quedius fageii, Thorns. — This form is deep black with pitchy-red tarsi, and is dis- 

 tinguished from Q. temporalis by its shorter antennte and elytra, and by other 

 minor differences. It appears to be the smallest of the forms. I have taken 

 several specimens under bark of a decayed oak near lilting, Essex, in company 

 with Q. scitus, and they all seem to exactly resemble each other, although I 

 cannot but think that they are merely a variety of the ordinary form. 



Quedius hrevicornis, Thorns. — This form appears to be the most distinct, and to 

 have the best claim to rank as a species ; the very transverse sub-apical joints of 

 its antennce, the non-punctured sides of the thorax, and the very prominent 

 temples of its sub-globose head, which are not punctulated, seem to give it more 

 value than a mere variety. 



Quedius puneticollis, Thorns. — This insect resembles Q. hrevicornis in colour, being 

 shining black, with bright red elytra ; it appears to be closely allied to this 

 species, from which it chiefly differs in the punctures of the head. I have 

 taken the species in Sherwood Forest by sweeping. 



It is very difEcult to know what to do with these five forms, whether to class 

 them as separate species, or to reckon them all as varieties of Q.fulgidus. To 

 add to the confusion, some continental authorities have revived the Q. mesomelinus, 

 of Marsham, of which they make Q. temporalis a synonym. The punctuation of 

 the thorax, too, does not always appear to be constant, and specimens seem occasion- 

 ally to be found with one elytron red and the other black. Wliat is to be done with 

 these insects is, of course, more or less a matter of opinion. At all events, Q. 

 hrevicornis seems to have specific value. 



Quedius rtijipes, Er., = Quedius semiohscurus, Marsh. 



Quedius semi^neus, Steph. 



This species, however, which was accidentally omitted by Dr. Sharp from his 

 catalogue, is the same as Q. semiohscurus, Er. It is a very well marked species, 

 distinguished from Q. attermatus, Gyll., which it much resembles, by the four longi- 

 tudinal interrupted bands of ashy pubescence on the abdomen (Ent. Ann., 1863, 80). 



Xantholinus aLABEE, Nordin. 



This species, which was also accidentally omitted by Dr. Sharp, ought to be in- 

 serted after X. glabralus, Grav. 



