Sphodni!^.'] ADKPHAGA. 85 



Evu'opc and the circum-MeJiterrancan countries : it is usually found in 

 cellars and outhouses, especially those attaclied to bakers' premises. 



The larva of Pri.ifotii/ckus is described and fit^iired by Chapuis and Candcze, Cat. 

 p. 36, PI. i., Fig. 3; that of Spkodnis by Von Geruet, Uoraj Ross, v., p. 12, PI. i., 

 Fig. 3. As Cbiipuis did not breed the perfpct insect from bis larva and found botli 

 Sphodrtis and Pristoni/chvJi with it, and as Von Gernet found bis larva with Sphodriis 

 and Blaps only, and his description iign'es with that of the larva described by Chapuis, 

 it is probable that the latter really described the larva of >S/>hodrus as that of Prislontf- 

 chus. The larva is elongate, ratbeu depressed, covered with thick yellowish hairs which 

 are more numerous on the lateral and po-;terior portions of the body ; the colour is 

 dull whitish yellow, except of the bead and protliurax, which are smooth and of a dark 

 I eddish brown colour; the other eorncoim portions are of the same colour as the head 

 and protborax, but lighter ; the head is as long as broad and almost as long as the pro- 

 thorax, which is about as long as the meso- and nieta-tbora-x together; the anal 

 appendage is cylindrical, rather thick and short, and the cerci are moderately long and 

 jointed. 



S. leucopthalmus, L. One of our larj^^est species of Carabidic ; 

 head rather large, projecting, antennae pitchy, first four joints black, 

 third joint very long ; thorax narrow, cordiforni, strongly rounded in 

 front and contracted behind, posterior angles sharp, prominent, dorsal 

 furrow fine, sometimes distinct to base but abbreviated in front, base 

 with a large depression on each side whicli extends upwards along the 

 sides, side margins bi'oad, reflexed ; elytra oblong, opatj_ue and dull, much 

 broader than thorax, faintly striated, the striie very finely puncturei.1 ; legs 

 pitch-black. In the male the trochiuiters of th(! hind legs reach as far 

 as the margins of the elytra, and are very sharp. L. 20-2-1: mm. 



Widely distributed, but not common. London cellars ; Sbeerness, Greenwich, Wal- 

 worth, Keigate, Deal; Keptou and Burton-ou-Trent ; Norwich; CoKliesier; Swan- 

 sea; Birkenhead; Lincoln ; Scarborough and Halifax ; Northumberland ami Durham; 

 Scotland, very rare, Solway ; Ireland,, very rare, Dublin, &c. 



AMCKOMEKUS, Erichson. {Plahjnufi, Brtdle.) 



Tliis genus comprises a large aumber of species (upwards of 300),. 

 whicli have a widely extended range throughout the globe ; the great 

 majority, however, are found in the northei'u hemisphere ; as a rule tliey 

 are brown or black, but some of the species are brilliantly metallic : they 

 Avcre divided by Bonelli into three sub-genera, Platijnus, Anr/tamentix, 

 and Afjonum, according to the form of the thorax and elytra : the two 

 former have the posterior angles of the thorax very sharp, whereas in 

 A(jrmum they are very blunt and rounded ; and again, Anrfiomet/us has 

 tlie elytra somewhat convex, and the shoulder angles projecting, wlw^reas 

 in Plaiijnii>> the elytra are flat and the shoidders more rounded ; in the 

 latter genus, too, the apex of the elytra is more sinuate than in the 

 former : these dilfereiices, however, are hardly enough to form separat<j 

 genera upon, especially when we come to consider the intermediate 

 forms, e.g. A. lirem^, &:c., and so Brulle pro])osed the name of Plaft/ivia 

 for the whole genus, which has been adopted by many atithors ; it is, 

 however, better to retain the name- Anchomenus, as Wiedemann pre- 



