Q ■ [June, 



It is linear, flattened, testaceous, with dark abdomen, very short 

 elytra, and long antennre, of rather dull appearance, and about li lin. 

 in length. 



ScTDMiENUS PE^TERITUS, sp. 11. 



? Spar'shallii, Schaum, Eedt., ? ? Fairm. ; nee Denny, Thorns. 

 JFusco-piceus, nitidus, antennis pedibusque testaceis, illis ad apicem 

 fere gradatim incrassatis, nrticulis 8 — 10 fransversis ; prothornce elon- 

 gato-quadrato, laterihus antice rofundatis, pid>e fidvd tenuiori sub-erectd 

 sparsim vesfito, disco Jcevissimo, iasl impressione transversa, in foveolam 

 elongatam ohliqwe anticeque ad marginem ductam utrinque desinentem, 

 minus fortiter impresso, jdicci mediand nidld ; elytris ovato-elongatis, 

 minus convexis, laterihus a tertid parte hasali ad apicem gradatim 

 rotundato-Gontractis, hasi singulatim profunde foveolatis, plicdque liume- 

 rali instrucfis, ohsoletissime piinctidatis, puhescentid fnlvd, certo situ 

 fere striatim dispositd, minus dense vestitis. 



Long. corp. i — f Jin. (Anglic). 



Allied to 8. SparsJmUii, Denny, from which it differs in its darker 

 colour ; longer and somewhat less convex shape ; longer, narrower, 

 and apically more gradually contracted elytra, the pubescence of which 

 is in certain lights almost disposed in striae, and the punctuation of 

 which is much less evident ; rather longer thorax, which exhibits very 

 thin and scant pubescence, and has the transverse basal impression 

 fainter and with only one fovea on each side at the margin ; propor- 

 tionally smaller eyes, and antennae stouter at the apex ; the three 

 apical joints being considerably and the 8th (and in a less degree the 

 7th) evidently, thickened ; and the two basal joints more elongate. 



S. prceteritus has somewhat the fades of a very small sj^ecimen of 

 elongatidzis ; from which its unpunctured thorax, the basal furrow 

 whereof has no middle keel, and its less convex elytra at once 

 distinguish it. 



I have long had an example of this species set aside in my collec- 

 tion, taken by myself in the Croydon district ; and I find two speci- 

 mens of it also set apai't in Mr. Gr. R. Waterhouse's cabinet, and 

 taken by him in the Isle of Wight and at Erith (associated with ants), 

 and another in Mr. E. A. Waterhouse's collection, taken on the chalk 

 near Seaford on the south coast ; recently, I have seen another indi- 

 vidual, taken by Mr. Gr. C. Champion on the chalk, near Caterham, 

 also associated with ants ; and Dr. Sharp informs me that he also has 

 it, distinguished from the species known to us as SparslialUi. 



Denny's locality for the latter is moss in a damp wood, Norfolk ; 

 and most if not all of our specimens of it come from the midland 

 and eastern counties. 



