Aleochara.] staphylinidj:. 21 



elytra transvorso,, about as lout,' 'as thorax, rather strongly and ru^^osely 

 punctureil ; hind body soiuowhat p irallel-sided until near apex, pitcliy 

 black, with the intersections of segments more or less plainly, and the 

 apex, lighter, front scgiui'uts transversely grooved at base, the grooves 

 being rather thickly punctured, apex of each segment and the wliole of 

 the last segments more sparingly punctured or almost smooth; legs reddish 

 testaceous, posterior tarsi elongate. L. 4:^ mm. 



Male with the dorsal plate of seventh segment of hind body 

 simple or obsoletely denticulate, ventral plate strongly produced ; sixth 

 segment sinuate in middle of posterior border, and with a smooth space 

 in front of sinuation, which is wanting in the female. 



Very rare; Cumberlaud (J. J. Brewer); sent by Mr. E. W. Janson to Dr. Kraatz, 

 and returned by him labelled, " Ab Aleocban^ spHdicea vix dislincta." There is a 

 specimen in Dr. Sharp's collection without uame or locality. 



A. procera, Er. In the description given of the insect on which 

 A. 2^1'ocera was introduced as a British species, ]\[r. Kye (Ent. Ann. 

 1865, p. 49), says, "It resembles A. spadicea, but is larger, with the 

 head more rounded, the thorax a little shorter, and impressed at the 

 base, with the anterior angles more rounded, and the segments of the 

 abdomen more thickly punctured at the base ; " the characters, how- 

 ever, which appear to distinguish A. procera, viz. the more transverse 

 penultimate joints of the antennae and the almost smooth hind body (v. 

 Muls. et Itcy, 1. c. p. 477), are not mentioned: as Mr. Eye's descriptiun 

 will apply to a larger variety of ^. spadicea, it seems very probable th ifc 

 we do not possess A procera at all, but, as I have not had the op^xjr- 

 tunity of examining the very few specimens taken, I must leave the 

 point unsettled. 



Reigate (Linnell) ; Scalby Beck, Yorkshire (W. Hey) j Scarborough (R. Lawsou). 



(Sub-Gen. Polystoma, Stephens.) 



The species that form this sub-genus are distinguished by their 

 parallel form, less transverse thorax, and duller appearance ; the thorax 

 and elytra are, as a rule, thickly clothed with whitish pubescence ; they 

 are found on the sea-shore under decaying sea-weed and other refuse. 



Hind body rather sparing^ly punctured; size larger. 



Elytra strongly punctured ; upper surface of hind body 



rather shiuing A. GTIISEA, Kr. 



Elytra finely punctured ; upper surface of hind body dull. A. ALGARUM, Fauv. 

 Hind body rather thickly punctured ; size smaller . . . . A. OBSCUKELTjA, Grav. 



A. grisea, Kr. (nitidula, Thorns., obsciirella, Thoms. nee Er.). 

 Elongate, rather depressed, clothed with fine and thick whitish yellow 

 pubescence, of a somewhat leaden black colour, with the f I'ont parts rather 

 dull, and the hind body shining ; head coarsely punctured at sides, 

 antennse pitchy, with joints 2-3 equal in length, 5-10 gradually broader, 

 the latter being strongly transverse 3 thorax not much broader than lojig, 



