﻿86 BRITISH BEETLES. 



into subdivisions, having the abdomen (seven segments 

 of wiiich are distinctly exposed) either with or without 

 a lateral marginal ridge. Some of the species in both 

 sections are also spotted on the elytra, and the males 

 exhibit good distinctive characters in the notching, etc., 

 of the terminal segments beneath ; — S. Rogeri having a 

 strong row of curled yellow hairs turned inw^ards, on 

 each side of the middle of the lower surface of the abdo- 

 men, besides certain notches and elevations at the apex. 



Those with bilobed tarsi are often found crawling 

 slowly on plants, whilst many of the other section run 

 quickly in dry places ; S. Guynemeri, found in the north 

 and west of England, lives almost (if not entirely) in the 

 water, especially in mountain streams. 



English descriptions (by the present writer) of all our 

 species will be found in the first volume of ' The Ento- 

 mologist's Monthly Magazine.' 



The OxYTELiD-i; have the prothoracic spiracles hid- 

 den ; the antennae (which are more or less elbowed, on 

 accoui:it of the elongation of the basal joint) inserted 

 under the elevated lateral margin of the forehead ; the 

 thorax beneath membraneous behind the anterior coxse, 

 which are elongate, subconic, and prominent, the poste- 

 rior pair being transverse ; the ligula membraneous, 

 with the paraglossse either soldered to it or entirely 

 absent {Oxyporus and Bledius) ; the apical joint of the 

 maxillary and labial palpi generally subulate; the an- 

 terior and intermediate tibige spinose in all except Tro- 

 gophloeus ; and the tarsi with only three joints (of which 

 the apical one is much the longest), except in Oxyporus, 

 which has five. 



This genus seems to be not satisfactorily placed in 

 its present position ; its five-jointed tarsi, the bicuspid 



