Homalota.'] staphylinid.e. .91 



or less obscurely testaceous, with the hasc in citlier case lighter, third 

 joint shorter than second, G-10 plainly transverse ; thorax almost Avider 

 tlian elytra, slightly broader than lonj,', finely punctured, and obsoletely 

 channelled in male ; elytra very short, apparently only abuut half the 

 length of thorax, finely, plainly, and somewhat rugosely jiunctured ; 

 hind body shining, narrower at base than apex, sparingly punctured 

 towards base, apical segments impunctate ; legs lighter or darker 

 yellowish, femora sometimes pitchy. L. 1-1 1- ram. 



Male with apex of seventh segment distinctly produced, and broadly 

 truncate. 



Saudy places, at roots of grass ; rare ; Sheerness ; Deal ; Hayling Island ; Portland, 

 1886 (J. J. Walker); Weyiuoutb ; Leasowe, Liverpool ; " uiulor sea-weed and stones 

 at South Shields and Marsdeu in March" (J. Hard\) ; not recorded h-uni Scotland. 



Section III. 



Hind body parallel ; thorax quadrate or subquadratc; five or six 

 penultimate joints of the antennae strongly transverse. 

 This section may be divided into the following groups: — 



8. Convex, or but little depressed species (p. 91), 



9. Very fiat species (p. 93). 



Group 8. 



The species comprising this group are very rare with the exception of 

 H. circellaris, which is one of our commonest insects ; with the exception 

 of H. a-<jra they are rather brightly coloured, being mostly of a reddish- 

 testaceous or brownish-yellow colour. 



K. circellaris, Grav. (Geosiiba circellaris, Thoms.). Reddish yellow 

 or reddish brown, with the head and a more or less broad portion of the 

 hind body darker ; head rather long, ovate, a little narrowed in front, 

 almost impunctate ; antennae testaceous, joints 1-3 elongate, 4-5 about as 

 long as broad, 6-10 transverse, eleventh as long as the two preceding ; 

 thorax subquadrate, about as broad as elytra, feebly impressed at base, 

 closely and indistinctly punctured ; el}- tra very transverse, plainly shorter 

 than thorax, closely and rather strongly punctured ; hind body with 

 segments 2-4 finely and rather thickly punctured, 5-6 almost impunctate ; 

 legs yellow. L. 2f-3 mm. 



Male Avith a distinct elevation on each elytron near base, sixth 

 segment of hind body with a raised tubercle before apex in middle, hind 

 upper margin of seventh segment with two indistinct tubercles, under 

 plate considerably produced beyond upper. 



Both marshy and dry places ; under stones, moss, bark, &c. ; very abundant 

 throughout the kingdom ; one of the most distinct and couimouest species. 



K. eleg-antula, Bris. (Aleuonota elegantula, IMuls, et Key). Reddish 



