T/rrhus.] ADEPHAGA. 129 



elytra, and the very strong an<l coarse punctuation of the strise on disc : 

 it is found on damp sandy hanks of ponds and rivers, and is often 

 common in fiood refuse ; it is, however, ratlier local, althougli -widely 

 distrihuted tluoughout the country as far north as Xorthumherland ; 

 here, however, it appears to ce^se, as it is only found rarely in Scot- 

 land in the Tweed district, and there are no records from any other 

 luraliiy. 



PATROBUS, Dejean. 



The species belonging to this genus are entirely confined to the 

 northern districts of Europe, Asia, and North America ; in the Munich 

 Catalogue twenty-seven species an; enumerated, but the species that 

 inhabit the more southern districts of Europe have been divided off 

 under the genera Penetretiis and Deltomerns, and several of the others 

 have been sunk as varieties, so that about ten species now remain ; 

 these are of moderate size, usually dark coloured, or with the elytra 

 dull testaceous, and are found in damp places, in woods, on the banks 

 of rivers and streams, or near the coast, under stones and moss, in flood 

 refuse, &c. 



The larva of P. excavatus is figured by Scliiiklte, iii., PI. xxi., Fig. 1, pupa, Fi"'. 6 : 

 it very much resembles that of Amara convexiuscula ; the head, however, is longer 

 and more produced in front; it has two short and voi'y deep sulci on the vertex be- 

 hind eyes ; its colour is rufo-piccons with the mandibles red, and it is plainly reti- 

 culate ; the prothorax is subquadrate with angles rounded; the dorsal scuta of the 

 thoracic and abdominal segments are all smootii, chiefly castaneous, tliose of raeso- 

 and meta-thorax being fuscous on disc; the body is reddish ; the muscular impressions 

 are round and deej) on all the scuta excejjt that of j)rothorax ; the anal appendage is 

 rather slender, and the cerci moderately long and incurved; the legs are rather long 

 pale with the apex of the joints inf\)sc:itc, claws equal. Thomson, Skaud. Col. i. 213 

 also gives a long description of this larva. 



I. Thorax as long as broad ; elytra about tliroe times as long 



as thorax ; insect apterous. 

 i. Head smooth ; third interstice of elytra about as broad 



as second P. excavatus, Payk. 



ii. Head transversely wrinkled ; third interstice of elytra 



plainly broader than second P. assimilis, Chaud. 



II. Thorax broader than long; elytra about four times as 



long as thorax ; insect winged P.skptexti{io.vis,Z)c;'. 



P. excavatus, Tayk. Apterous, pitchy black, sometimes lighter, 

 underside reildish ; hea<l with a deep furruw on each side near eyes 

 but nearly smooth, as a rule, between these, antennae ferruginous ; thorax 

 rather elongate, cordiform, posterior angles sharp, prominent, doi-sal 

 furrow distinct, entire, anterior margin more or less punctured iu the 

 centre, base with two strongly punctured, deep, large foveas ; elytra lou" 

 oval, with shoulders much rounded, bi'oader behind than in front, rather 

 iinely striated, the striaj thickly and finely punctured, continued jilainly 

 to a})ex, but feebler towards apex and at sides ; legs led. L. 7-.S mm. 



Common and widely distributed throughout the greater part of Kngland, except 

 iu the extreme south ; iu iScotlaud it is widely distributed iis far uorlli as the Moray 



K 



