Mt/fhi'lia.] STAPHYLINID^. 181 



about half tlic leiigtli of tliorax, very obliquely truncate towards the 

 suture ; bind body rather obtusely narrowed, longer than the anterior 

 parts of the body combined, sometimes dusky with the apical half of each 

 segment rufous; legs yellow. L. 2|-3 mm. 



Marshy places, in moss, &c., also by sweepin<j. and occasionally in wooded and not 

 marshy localities; not nnconiniou ; London district, general; Lewes; (Uiinvilli'S 

 Wotton ; Isle of Wight; Midland districts, widely distributed; Laiigwortli Wood, 

 Lincoln; Hartlepool; Northumberland district ; Scotland, widely distributed, Solway, 

 Tweed, Forth, Clyde, Tay, and Moray districts. 



This very distinct species resembles a small Conurus in appearance, 

 and may at once be distinguished by its rufous colour ; the only other 

 rufescent species is M. gntca, which, besides being of a much more 

 slender and narrower form, is apparently a littoral insect, and, moreover, 

 is exceedingly rare. 



In conclusion it may be useful to quote i\Ir. Matthews' comparative 

 remarks on the four smaller species, and to point out that his measui-e- 

 ments are larger than those usually given, as he has as nearly as possible 

 given the lengths of the insects when alive, and they contract very 

 much after death. 



M. minufa may be known by its longer and broader thorax and 

 elytra, and long slender antennae. 



M. Masoni is the smallest of the known species, and is easily 

 recognized by its sooty black legs and antennas and very short elytra. 



M. infuscata is distinguished by its very short and narrow thorax 

 and elytra, rather long and slender antennae, and the usually fuscescent 

 appearance of all parts of its body. 



M. gracilis is larger than either of the foregoing, and dijffers from 

 all in its robust and shorter antennae, which are distinctly incrassated 

 towards the apex. 



GVMNUSA, Gravenhorst 



According to the tu-sal system this genus l)elongs to the Aleocliarina, 

 all the tarsi being five-jointed; in the structure of the mouth organs, how- 

 ever, and in its general form, it bears a considerable resemblance to 

 MylUena, although it is a question whether this is not more apparent 

 than real ; the labial palpi are long and projecting, and to a certain 

 extent setiform, but they are stouter than in A/yllieua, and are made up 

 of three joints, the first of these being very long, five or six times as long 

 as the other two together, and the second and third being very short ami 

 about e(jual in length ; in Myllama they are more slender and only two- 

 jointed ; the posterior tarsi have the first joint more elongate than in 

 Mylhena ; the sexual characters of the genus Gymnusa are exceedingly 

 peculiar, anil besides this, as pointed out by Mulsant and Rey, the 

 genus is tlie only one among tlie Ahocharime that has a di.stinct 



