124 Mr. F. Holme on the Habits, 



species, as the anterior puncture in the thoracic series, which is 

 one- of the distinctive characters insisted on by Mr. Stephens, 

 varies so much in size and position as to be but a doubtful 

 criterion : and of the frontal punctures on the head, the apparent 

 presence or absence of the external one seems to me to depend 

 on the greater or less elevation of the scape of the antenna, which, 

 when it stands out much in relief, as it does in some specimens, 

 gives the appearance of a large puncture or foveola on the inner 

 side ; while in others it scarcely rises above the level of the head. 

 The general dimensions, and the relative proportions of the heads 

 and mandibles, vary in different individuals as much as they do in 

 Creophilus maxillosus : and it is possible that all my specimens 

 may truly belong to one species, and that I may not yet have seen 

 an authentic specimen of the other. 



The two other supposed species, C. littoralis and tessellatus, are 

 certainly mere immature varieties, as Mr. Stephens has placed 

 them in the " Illustrations :" I have observed them in all the inter- 

 mediate stages of colour : and should my preceding views as to 

 the identity of C xantholoma and lateralis prove correct, I suspect 

 that the former, from the general darker colour and obsolete 

 pubescence, will be found to be the old specimens. 



Of the Gahrii I have only to add a locality for G. pallipes, 

 which is common in Christ Church meadow, and elsewhere, near 

 Oxford. A. Matthews, Esq., lately informed me that he has 

 detected an entirely new form, which will take its station near 

 Gahrius, but differs in having the tarsi greatly dilated, and in 

 other characters : but I have not seen the insect. 



The larger Gyrohyjmi appear to affect by preference maritime 

 situations : even the commonest species, G. cnientatus, does not 

 occur in any great numbers inland, while on the shores of Mount's 

 Bay I found it swarming under horsedung on the beach, and 

 decidedly more common than any other of the large or middling 

 sized Brachelytra : it occurred in equal profusion at Ryde, Wey- 

 mouth, and Portland Island: in the Scilly Islands I did not meet 

 with it, but I should feel little doubt of its occurring there. The 

 Cornish specimens of G. tricolor almost equalled the above-men- 

 tioned species in size. 



Mr. Curtis, in the late volume of the British Entomology, has 

 figured the supposed variety of Lathrobium quadratum, with a red 

 dot at the apex of the elytra, as a species, by the name of L. ter- 

 mhiatum, of Gravenhorst, indicating it, however, as probably only 

 a variety of L. quadratum. I never took this insect myself, but 

 Andrew Matthews, Esq., who takes it in considerable numbers at 



