206 [February, 



small and obscure, the largest being only a line in length ; and they occur in fungi^ 

 under vegetable refuse, and at the damp foundations of hay-stacks, often in pro- 

 fusion. I have never under any circumstances found Megarthrus or PhlcBoMum 

 near bark, in spite of the habitat given for those genera by the usually precise 

 Erichson (and as to the latter of them echoed by Kraatz). The structure of 

 Phloeohium is, however, very suggestive of sub-cortical habits ; and, indeed, like 

 Trogophlceus, and apparently equally erroneously, it must have been named under 

 the idea that it was in some way connected with trees. 



All our Protinides seem to point somewhat strongly towards the Nitidulidce in 

 the Necrophaga, both in the structure of their anterior coxee and in the commence- 

 ment of a club to their antennae, — a character very evident in the allied Micropeplus , 

 which has been, and still is, balloted about from one section to another. 



The 1st genus, PEOTINUS, Latr., comprises certain very small, ovate, mode- 

 rately convex, shining black insects, gregarious, and frequenting fungi. In it the 

 three apical joints of the antennae are enlarged, the apical joint being the largest ; 

 and the ridge on the 2nd segment of the abdomen is very slight In the males the 

 pentdtimate segment of the abdomen is emarginate. 



1. P. BREVicoLLis, Er., Ktz. This, the largest and most abundant species, is, 

 when not dried up in setting, fully 1 line (English) in length. It is black, shining, 

 rather flattened, with reddish testaceous legs, and entirely pitchy-black antennse. 

 The elytra are sometimes pitchy-brown, the humeral callus being often lighter 

 than the rest of the elytron. There is every probability that this is the P. ovalis 

 of (Kirby) Stephens; but the "thorax with hinder angles faintly notched" of that 

 author's description is almost enough to remove his insect out of the genus. 



2. P. BEACHYPTERUS, Fab., Er., Kr. Compared with P. Irevicollis, this species 

 is smaller (averaging scarcely | of a line), shorter, more convex, with less evidently 

 punctured elytra, and with the basal joint of the antennae testaceous, the second 

 joint also being sometimes not quite so dark as the remainder. It is almost as 

 common as P. hrevicollis. 



3. P. MACROPTEEUS, GyU., Er., Kr. This insect, much rarer than C. hrachyp- 

 terus, is also smaller, being scarcely f rds of a line in length. It may readily be 

 distinguished by the two iasal joints of its antennae being testaceous, and by its 

 thorax being less rounded at the sides, and gradually narrowed fi-om the base (not 

 from the middle) towards the front. Its elytra, also, are rather lighter in colour. 



P. ATOMARius, Er., Kr. Easily known by its very small size (scarcely i a line) 

 and pitchy -brown colour, and by its antennae being, with the exception of the pitchy 

 club, entirely testaceous. It seems to be as rare as P. macropterus. 



The next genus, MEGARTHRUS, Kirby, has the apical joint only of its antennae 

 enlarged, the 2nd and 3rd joints of its maxillary palpi swollen, and equal in width, 

 and the hinder angles of its thorax notched out. The ridge on the 2nd segment of 

 the abdomen extends, according to Kraatz, over the whole depth of the segment, 

 but it seems to me not to reach the hinder margin ; and the males afford con- 

 spicuous sexual characters in the middle and hinder legs, as well as in the under- 

 side of the penultimate and ante-penultimate segments of the abdomen. 



The species of this genus are rather larger, flatter, and less oval than the 



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