74 STAPHYLiNiDiE. [Homolota. 



are shorter and tliicker in proportion, by tlie shape of the thorax, and 

 lighter colour. 



Group 3. 



The species belon.Ljing to this group are larger than the preceding, and 

 have the antennae .-lightly thickenel towards apex ; as Dr. Sharp 

 observes, they have much the habits of some of tlie Tachyusse ; in fact 

 two of the species that formerly belonged to the group, viz. H. lahills 

 and H. ccerulea, are now separated off under the genus Onypeta, wdiich is 

 placed next before Tachyusa. 



K. littorea, Sliarp {Metaxya meridionalis, INIuls. et Rey, Atheta 

 cyrtonotii, Thomson). Black, with the elytra brownish and apex of 

 hind body yellowish ; head distinctly narrower than thorax, obsoletely 

 and not very closely punctured ; antennae pitchy with basal joint 

 lighter, rather stout, a little thickened towards apex, third joint a little 

 shorter than second, fourth than third, 4-10 becoming very gradually 

 and almost imperceptibly shorter, eleventh ovate nearly twice as long as 

 tenth ; thorax slightly transverse, narrower than elytra, very thickly and 

 finely punctured and pubescent ; elytra longer and broader than thorax, 

 rather broader than long, with fine punctuation and delicate pubescence ; 

 hind body black and shining with all the segments, but especially the 

 apical ones, thickly and closely punctured ; legs dirty ycllow^ L. 2| mm. 



Male with the under plate of the seventh segment considerably 

 produced, narrower than in female. 



Local ; a southern species ; alwnys fouud on the coast under tidal refuse, in muddy- 

 places, &c. Sheerness; Deal; Worthing; Littlehamptou ; Brighton; Lyuiiugtou ; 

 PortsniouLh, &c. 



K. imbecilla, Wat. (Mefaxya marina, INIuls. et Rev). A very 

 distinct species by reason of its colouring, and the development of the 

 posterior segments of the hind body ; head nearly black, rounded, 

 narrower than thorax ; antennae long, testaceous, the length of each joint 

 greater than its breadth, joints 1-3 elongate, three and five rather 

 longer than four, 5-10 nearly equal, eleventh as long as the two preceding 

 together ; thorax pitchy, slightly transverse, a little narrowed behind, 

 finely and rather thickly punctured, with an obsolete impression at base ; 

 elytra chestnut-brown, rather longer than thorax, densely and not very 

 finely punctured ; hind body somewhat coarsely pubescent, all the 

 segments finely and thickly punctured, the sixth much longer and some- 

 what more sparingly punctured than the rest, pitch-black with seventh 

 and apex of sixth segments reddish yellow ; legs yellow. L. 2| mm. 



Male with the iinder plate of seventh segment of hind body considera- 

 bly produced and its hind margin gently rounded ; in the female it is 

 broadly and distinctly emarginate. 



Local but not uncommon in the south, in decaying sea-weed on or near the coast. 

 Chatham, Sheerness, Whitstable, Rochester ; Southsea, Hythe, Shoreham, Lymingtou, 

 Southwold, Littlehamptou, Brighton, Falmouth ; Hartlepool (W. G. Blatch). 



