Homaluta.'] staphylinid^, 107 



and sparingly punctured ; thorax half as broad again as long, a little 

 narrowed in front, rather finely and not closely punctured, with a more 

 or less distinct impression in middle of base ; elytra longer than thorax, 

 brownish, rather closely and finely punctured ; hind body black and 

 shining, segments 2-4 sparingly but plainly punctured, 5-6 impunctate 

 or nearly so ; legs yellow. L. 3-|— 3^ mm. 



]\lale Avith the apex of upper plate of seventh segment of hind body 

 truncate, and crenulate, the crenulations being more in number than in 

 the xanthoptera group. 



At siip of trees, in decaying fungi, dead leaves, &c. ; rather common throushout 

 the country. Scotland, common, Solway, Forth, Dec, and probably other districts. 



XX. trinotata, Kr. (Atheta sorialis, Thoms.). A very common and 

 distinct species, black, with yellowish elytra, Avhich have a dark, more 

 or less Avell defined, triangular patch at scutellura, and another one each 

 side at apical angle ; head black, finely and indistinctly punctured, 

 antennte black or pitchy with lighter base, slightly thickened towards 

 apex, joints 1-3 moderately long, fourth broader than third, 5-10 dis- 

 tinctly transverse, eleventh stout, as long as the two preceding 

 together ; thorax half as broad again as long, with sides nearly straight, 

 gently rounded in front, finely and not closely punctured, with an in- 

 distinct impression in middle of base ; elytra fully a third longer than 

 thorax, finely and rather closely punctured ; hind body shining, seg- 

 ments 2-4 finely and rather closely punctured, fifth distinctly but more 

 sparingly, sixth very sparingly punctured ; legs yellow. L. 3 mm. 



Male with the posterior margin of seventh segment of hind body 

 finely crenulate, the crenidations being terminated on each side by a small 

 sharp tooth. 



In haystacli refuse, decaying sea-weed, dung-heaps, &c. ; especially fond of foul 

 straw ; abundant throughout the kingdom. 



K. hybrida, Sharp. Closely allied to the preceding ; the colour, 

 however, is not so well marked, the black being pitchy, and the elytra 

 obscure yellow Avith the markings indistinct ; the antennoe are more 

 slender, and less thickened toAvards apex, Avith the terminal joint longer 

 and more pointed ; the male characters also are different ; in that sex 

 the penultimate joint of the antennae is plainly longer than in the 

 female, being about as long as broad, and the seventh dorsal segment of 

 the hind body has the hind margin non-crenulate ; from H. xanihopus it 

 may be separated by its shorter and more transverse thorax, broader and 

 less parallel form, and the male characters. L. 3 mm. 



Very rare; Edinburgh (Sharp). 



H. xanthopus, Thoms. (suhlinearis, Kr., siibreda, Muls. et Eey (?), 

 Atheta xantliopus, Thoms.). A pretty and brightly coloured species, more 

 parallel and narrower than the tAvo preceding, to Avhichitbears some resem- 

 blance ; the colour is black Avith the elytra yellow marked with three rather 



