Manners, Sfc. of some of the British Brachelytra. 125 



Weston-on-the-green, tells me that he has no doubt of its being 

 merely a variety of L. quadratum, both insects occurring together 

 in the same situations and in nearly equal numbers, and never 

 being found separately. May not the dot be a sexual distinction ? 

 The dotted specimens given me by Mr. Matthews appear a trifle 

 broader than the undotted ones taken by myself. 



The following species of this genus, indicated by Mr. Stephens 

 as among the less common, are found in Christ Church Meadow, 

 and elsewhere, near Oxford : L. punctulatum, longnhim (rather 

 common), an6.fomdum. 



I have never seen any notice of the singular manner in which 

 the common little species Astenus angustatus carries its antennae 

 in running : they are bent almost into a semicircle, the tips 

 almost touching each other, and incessantly vibrating as in the 

 Ichneumon tribe : 1 have not noticed this peculiarity in any of the 

 neighbouring genera. 



I have seen some specimens of Pcederus littoralis in which the 

 mandibles were piceous instead of red, probably old insects : it 

 may always however be recognized by its more slender figure, 

 smaller head, and oblong thorax, as well as by its somewhat 

 brighter colouring, from its nearly allied congener P. ripar'ms. 

 In habits also it appears to present some difference, as I found it 

 in Cornwall running on the stems and leaves of osiers, &c. in con- 

 siderable numbers, whereas P. ripar'ms is seldom found except on 

 the ground. I have a specimen, apparently belonging to P. ripa- 

 r'ms, but so nearly intermediate in form, colour, and proportions, 

 that I was for some time puzzled where to place it. 



Of the rare and elegant P.fusc'ipes I took a single specimen, in 

 August 1835, on the sands near Ryde, in company with riparius 

 (not I'ltloraUs], but the diflference in habit and general aspect was 

 obvious at a glance. I never met with either P. ruficoU'is or 

 P. sanguinicoU'is in England : but I have received several speci- 

 mens, agreeing closely with Mr. Stephens's description of the 

 latter, from Denmark and Norway, by the name of P. collar'is : 

 one specimen was marked Kiel, and I believe it is common in 

 Sweden. I may mention that I have often seen the Pcedcr'i 

 engaged in wiping the palpi, inside of the mandibles, base of the 

 antennae, &c. with the claws and dilated tarsi of the fore feet, 

 with as scrupulous care as a cat washes her face : I have also seen 

 Staphyl'mus erythropterus similarly employed. 



The determination of specific titles in the genus Stenus is nearly 

 as difficult as among the Aleocharae, from the great number of 

 species, and their general similarity of colouring. Most of them 



