1 10 Mr. F. Holme on the Habits, 



stones, &c., but generally imbedded in the loose earth at the roots 

 of grass, or lurking under wormcasts and in the midst of thick 

 damp clusters of moss. They seem to affect the neighbourhood 

 of ants' nests, and I found once a species (I think Areopagus 

 iw/ij/er) torpid among a conglomerated lump of ants: a curious 

 circumstance, since, if I remember right, Messrs. Kirby and 

 Spence mention the fact of the rare Atemeles strumosus having 

 been found in a similar situation. The species, according to 

 Stephens, all prey on acari : but it is not impossible that they 

 may also commit occasional depredations on the larvae of the ants. 

 The history of the Pselaph'idce shows remarkably the progress 

 made of late years in the knowledge of the minute forms : only 

 a single species, Euplechis mmutus, was known to Marsham : 

 Stephens, in 1833, enumerated thirty-two : and several have been 

 since discovered. 



The history of the two first genera of the Tachypor'idcc , 

 Autal'm, and Falagria, which form the link between that family 

 and the Pselnphida;, appears to be somewhat imperfectly known. 

 Most of the species are considered, probably from their small 

 size, to be scarce or local : several new species have been detected 

 since Stephens described them, and it is probable that on a fresh 

 revision Falagria will require sub-division, as some of the species 

 differ greatly from others in the form of the thorax. 



Hygronoma dimid'iata, which was almost unique when Stephens 

 described it in his Illustrations, now seems to occur not uncom- 

 monly in various parts of the country : several specimens have 

 been taken by Mr. Matthews at Weston-on-the-Green : it runs 

 excessively ftist. 



Notwitlistanding the common occurrence of AstUbus canalicu- 

 lalus, I do not remember to have seen the fact of its being 

 apterous anywhere noticed : I detected this at first accidentally, 

 and verified it by the examination of numerous specimens. I 

 think it has been stated by Mr. Stephens, though I am unable to 

 find the passage, that Achemum depressum is in some specimens 

 winged, in others apterous : but I believe the present is the only 

 Brachyletrous species in which the wings are constantly absent. 

 Its gait is also singular, as it runs constantly on tip toe, at the full 

 stretch of its limbs, like the Go'erius olens when throwing itself 

 into an attitude of defiance. 



I have a specimen of Atemeles acuminatus which was taken 

 some years since near Penzance in Cornwall, running on the stem 

 of a nettle : I mention this because I have heard it spoken of as 

 occurring only under stones and in similar situations. 



