182 SERRIOORNIA, [Ptinide. 
taceous or brownish-red or dark brown colour, with the thorax roughly 
sculptured, and furnished with tufts of yellowish hair on dise; the 
thorax is as long as broad in the male, and broader than long in the 
female, and has the central furrow distinet; elytra with moderately 
strongly punctured striz, and rows of rather long sete, and more or less 
thickly clothed at base with yellowish-grey pubeseence ; there are, how- 
ever, no whitish patches on the elytra as in P. fur, and the antenne in 
the male are shorter than in that species; the sete on the elytra are 
also considerably longer ; the elytra in the male are elongate, and in the 
female subglobose, as in the allied species; superficially the insect 
much resembles P. fur. L. 3 mm. 
In old wood, &c., especially in warehouses; probably imported ; Bermondsey, 
Surrey; Birdbrook and Mickleham (Power) ; Smallheath and Knowle, near Bir- 
mingham (Blatch). 
(P. latro, F. Closely allied to the preceding, but distinguished by its 
longer and narrower form and longer thorax, the absence of the yel- 
lowish-grey pubescence at the base of the elytra, and the shorter rows of 
sete on the interstices; it is apparently, as a rule, of a lighter colour, 
and rather larger. L. 3-4 mm, 
In old houses, especially in store-rooms; two examples in Mr. Waterhouse’s collec- 
tion, one from old collection with no history, and the other labelled “Scotland, 
Turner ;’’ on the authority of these specimens Mr. Waterhouse apparently introduced 
the species into his catalogue; there is, however, nothing further known of the 
insect as British. 
NIPTUS, Boieldieu. 
This genus contains about a dozen species, of which nearly all occur 
in Europe ; one, however, has been described from North America, and 
one from Algeria; they are distinguished by having the scutellum 
indistinct, and the fifth joint of the tarsi much longer than the second ; 
the eyes are very small; the elytra are more or less globular, and more 
or less distinctly striated ; the femora are clavate at apex; some 
authors divide the genus into several distinct genera, but they hardly 
seem worthy of generic rank. 
I. Elytra obsoletely striate. . . . . « « « » « « N. HOLOLEUCUS, Fald. 
II. Elytra strongly crenate-striate. . . . . . =. . . N. ORENATUS, F. 
N. hololeucus, Fald. Of a pitehy colour, but entirely clothed 
with thick recumbent silky golden or brownish-golden pubescence, and 
furnished besides with fine outstanding sete, which are arranged in 
rows on the elytra ; eyes very small; antennze long and rather slender ; 
thorax much narrower than elytra, very convex, with the sides rounded, 
constricted at base; scutellum indistinct; elytra globose, narrowed 
at base; legs long, femora rather strongly clavate at apex; tarsi 
moderately long. L. 8-4 mm. 
In old houses, especially in cupboards; it is also found in seeds, &e.; generally 
distributed and common throughout the greater part of the kingdom; many years 
