Brarhiii'i''.] ADEPIIAOA. 11 'J 



S. crepitans, L. Ileail and thurax red, antoniiic ferruginous, tliird 

 and fourth joints more or less fuscous ; head broad, eyes prominent ; 

 thijrax in front about as broad as head with eyes, elongate, cordiform, 

 strongly sinuate before posterior angles, which are prominent, disc 

 rugose, dorsal furrow distinct, margins well defined ; elytra black, bluish- 

 black, steel blue, or greenish, slightly pubescent, dull, stria3 shallow, but 

 defined, interstices punctured ; legs ferruginous. L. 7-9 mm. 



Uuder stones, at roots of g'^ss, &c., on chalky hill-sides, on river banks, and on 

 the coast. Local, but common in the south from Slieerness and Giaveseiid down- 

 wards; abundant in the Isle of W'lfrlit and many other fiouthern localities; Swan- 

 sea, Hertford, and Oxford (Curtis) ; Ireland, Wexford and Louth. 



B. explodens, Duft. (var. gJabratus, Dej.). !^^ucll smaller than the 

 preceding ; elytra shorter, more convex, blue or green, shining, the striaj 

 only feebly indicated or quite obsolete ; the whole breast and abdomen 

 is dark brown, whereas in B. crepitans the middle of the breast is nioie 

 or less red ; the third and fourth joints of the autennai are spotted wiili 

 black. L. 4-6 mm. 



This is a common species on the Continent, but is very doubtful as 

 British : three distinct specimens of different forms of this insect (which 

 is very varialjle) are said to liavc been taken by a Lepidopterist wlio was 

 collecting at random in Silverdale and Wastdale in June and July 18G3 

 for Mr. Sidebotham (Ent. Ann. 18G6, 59). I feel sure that there is 

 some mistake about these beetles, especially' as no Brachini have ever 

 been recorded from the northern districts : as Mr. Rye remarks, " it is 

 very curious that these three specimens should be all different." 



B. sclopeta, F. Very like B. explodens, but distinguished liy its 

 red breast and abdomen, and the fact that the suture is broadly reil 

 from about middle to base ; the elytra are more brightly coloured, usually 

 blue, but sometimes greenish ; the stride are faint but more distinct than 

 in the preceding species ; the interstices are feebly punctured ; the antenii:e 

 are entirely and constantly red : examples sometimes occur in which the 

 red sutural patch is very narrow. L. 4-6 mm. 



Doubtful as British; at all events, it has not occurred for many years ; I)evon>liire 

 (Leach) ; Southend (Hope) ; Hastings, locality doubtful (Stephens) ; iMr. ^Littlicws 

 tells me that his specimens came from Sowerhy, who took a small sci'ies '' near 

 Margate, Kent," in 1830, and tr^ive some to his (atlier at the time : he fully believis 

 that they are quite authentic IJritish s]Hciinens ; the species, however, seems to liave 

 entirely (iisap])eiired from the county ; it is, however, very common near Paris, and 

 is sjiread widely over southern Europe, so there is no reason why it should not be found 

 i:i our southern counties. 



HALIPLIDiE. 



The Haliplida3 were formerly included among the Pytisciihr>, but 

 their separation was suggested by Leconte, and has since l)een effecteil by 

 Thomson and Sharp. Tlie latter at the end of his work on the l)ytiscid;u 

 (p. 972) discusses the jiosition taken up by Scluium with regard to 

 them (Insect. JJeutsch. i,, pt. _, i>p. 9 and lO) : this author iuiludes 



