36 LAMELLICORNIA. { Oxyomus. 
COXYOMUS, Laporte. 
The single British species belonging to this genus in its restricted 
sense may be easily known by its small size and unicolorous black 
colour, and also by the broad longitudinal furrow at the base of thorax, 
and the strongly sculptured furrows and interstices of elytra ; it is often 
found in hotbeds in certain localities. 
O. porcatus, F. (sylvestris, Scop.). Black or fuscous black, dull, 
rather elongate and subparallel, with the upper surface somewhat de- 
pressed ; head large, finely and sparingly punctured, antenne and palpi 
reddish-testaceous ; thorax as broad as elytra with sides almost straight, 
anterior margin reddish, upper surface strongly and unevenly punctured, 
with a broad furrow reaching from about middle to base; elytra with 
ten strong furrows set with large strong punctures, the interstices being 
carinate, and the punctures divided by transverse lines ; apex of abdomen 
and legs reddish-brown. L. 2-2} mm. 
In the male the metasternum has a shallow longitudinal impression in 
the middle. 
In vegetable refuse, cut grass, dung-heaps, &c.; often in hotbeds; local; London 
district, not uncommon ; Hastings; Shirley Warren, Southampton ; Bath ; Swansea ; 
Norfolk; Wicken Fen, Cambridge; Cheshire ; Repton, Burton-on-Trent; Lincoln ; 
Scarborough ; New Brighton; Crosby, near Liverpool; it has not apparently been 
recorded from the extreme northern counties of England or from Scotland. 
AMMGCIUS, Mulsant. 
This genus contains about sixteen species, of which twelve are found 
in Europe, and two have been described from the Cape of Good Hope ; 
they are distinguished from Aphodius by the fact that the eyes are 
entirely concealed when the head is retracted, and from Rhyssemus and 
Psammobius by not having the thorax transversely costate or sulcate ; 
only one species is found in Britain. 
A. brevis, Er. (elevatus, Panz., nec Ol.). Obovate, short and broad, 
considerably dilated behind, very convex, shining black, head large, 
broadly emarginate in front, finely punctured behind, clypeus somewhat 
rugose, antenne and palpi red; thorax rather narrower than elytra, 
somewhat narrowed in front, with large and coarse scattered punctures 
which are usually thicker at base and sides ; scutellum rather large ; 
elytra only double as long as thorax, very convex, raised behind, with 
very strong crenate striae, which become deeper behind, interstices 
smooth ; legs pitch-black with tarsi ferruginous, posterior tarsi with the 
exterior spur longer than the first joint of the tarsus. L. 33-45 mm. 
Male with the metasternum slightly impressed in middle. 
In partly dry cow-dung; very locai; first taken by Mr. Haward, in May 1859, on 
the sand-hills at Southport, Lancashire, and afterwards found abundantly in the 
same locality ; it has, I believe, also occurred in one or two neighbouring localities. 
