78 STAPHYLiKiD^. \_IIomalota. 



the thorax is smooth, in others impressed at base, in others with a broad 

 central channel; the head too is occasionally furnished with a channel or 

 impression; small specimens resemble H. gregaria, but that species may 

 be at once distinguished by the more close and even punctuation of the 

 hind body and the elongate first joint of posterior tarsi; it comes 

 exceedingly close to the following species, Avith which it was included, 

 until they w^ere separated by Scriba. 



K. volans^ Scriba (Metaxya volans, Muls. et Eey, Atheta lialopMla, 

 Thorns., var.^melanocera, Thoms.). One of the most variable of all the 

 species, some of its varieties being so closely allied to elongatida that it 

 is doubtful if it is a separate species; the antennae, liowever, arc a little 

 shorter and more slender, with the joints rather more narrowed towards 

 base of each; it is as a rule smaller; the rnider plate of the seventh 

 segment of hind body in male is broader, and in the female the upper 

 plate is not at all emarginate. L. lf-l| mm. in the type form; some 

 varieties are smaller and some larger. 



The type form has the antennoe obscurely ferruginous, the thorax a 

 fourth broader than long, elytra a third longer than thorax; legs reddish 

 yellow. 



Dr. Sharp enumerates the following varieties: — 



a. Smaller than type, narrower and more piirallel, Avith thorax longer 

 and rather more narrowed behind; antennae and legs dusky yellow. This 

 var. is rather rare, and appears to be confined to Scotland. 



/S. Rather larger and more robust than the type, Avith the antennae, 

 legs, and elytra more brightly coloured; this var. and the type are the 

 commonest forms, especially in the south. 



y. Like P, but still brighter in colour with more transverse thorax ; 

 rare, but generally distributed. 



8. Broader and more depressed than the type, black with the antennae 

 pitchy and slender; head small and thorax more transverse one-third 

 broader than long. Yery local, damp places on the Scotch hills. 



The sculpture of thorax, &c., also varies very much, so that many more 

 varieties might be formed; the extreme variation of this si)ecies seems to 

 show that some of the other very closely allied species may be simply 

 varieties one of another. 



K. clavipes* Sharp. Black, rather shining, finely and closely 

 punctured, with the elytra pitchy black; head narrower than thorax some- 

 times smooth, sometimes with a small channel or fovea; antennae pitchy 

 testaceous with base paler, second joint a little longer than third, 4-10 

 nearly equal in length but gradually broader, eleventh nearly twice as 

 long as tenth ; thorax nearly as broad as elytra, about as long as broad, 

 with an indistinct impression at base, from which proceeds a short channel, 

 often obsolete; elytra about as long as thorax, sometimes scarcely as long; 

 hind body with segments 2-4 finely and densely punctured, fifth and sixth 

 more sparingly, apex paler. Legs pitchy testaceous. L. 3| mm. 



