20 STAPHYLiNiDiE. \_Aleochara. 



(A. inconspiciTa, Atihe. Elongate, rather narrow, glossy black, 

 ratiicr thickly clothed with very pale ash-coloured pubescence, especially 

 on the thorax and elytra ; head rather finely and sparingly punctured, 

 antenna black with lighter base, rather slender and comparatively long, 

 third joint longer than second, joints 5-10 slightly transverse ; last joint 

 long in the male (as long as the three preceding), less elongate in 

 female ; thorax less transverse than in A. morion, finely punctured ; 

 elytra strongly transverse, about as long as thorax, rather strongly and 

 thickly punctured, the punctuation being much stronger than that of 

 thorax ; hind body almost parallel-sided, with the front segments strongly 

 grooved transversely, the grooves being strongly and thickly punctured, 

 hinder segments finely punctured; legs pitchy, knees and tarsi red. 

 L. 2| mm. 



Male with the dorsal plate of seventh segment of hind body 

 truncate and obsoletely crenulate on its apical border, ventral plate 

 strongly prolonged and ciliate ; last joint of antennae as long as the three 

 preceding. 



Very doulitf iil ; a single specimen was brought forward by Mr. Waterhouse from the 

 dispi'rse<l collection of Mr. Jeakes (probably captured by Mr. Squire), with no note of 

 its locality ; it was, however, noted as British : under the circumstances it seems 

 betier to regard it as merely left in the British list provisionally ; the species is 

 moderately common in France, in moss in forests.) 



(Sub-Gen. Rheochara, Er ) 



There is considerable difficulty concerning this sub-genus, which, 

 according to Midsant and Key, contains but one European species, A. 

 sjmdicea, the other apparently closely allied species, A. procera, being 

 referred, in accordance with the views of Erichson, to Oealea, on the 

 ground that there is no visible supplementary joint to the palpi ; the 

 absence of this would of course be conclusive, but, if such is really the 

 case, it seems strange that it has ever been classed under Aleorhara, 

 except perhaps through its close resemblance to A. spadicea, which may 

 have caused a mistake. In the catalogue of Heyden, Eeitter, and 

 Weise both species are placed under Aleocl/ara : the species are so ex- 

 tremely rare in Britain that it appears doubtful whether we possess them 

 both ; the slender legs and antennse and Ocalea-\ike aj^pearance will at 

 once separate them from all other species of Aleoc/iara. 



A. spadicea, Er. Elongate, finely pubescent, shining pitchy-black, 

 witli the thorax and elytra chestnut brown or rufo-piceous, the lattei- 

 being lighter ; head large, finely and sparingly punctured, antennte 

 rather long, slightly thickened towards apex, ferruginous with the first 

 joint lighter, joints 2-3 elongate of about equal length, 4-10 gradually 

 a little shorter and thicker, but the penultimate joints are only slightly 

 tivmsverse, last as long as the two preceding, pear-shaped or oval ; thorax 

 transverse with sides rounded, as broad as elytra, distinctly punctured ; 



