Tachinus.] staph ylin id js. 205 



first four joints pitchy or reddish, penult imatc joints not transverse ; 

 elytra twice as long as thorax, finely and thickly punctured, with the 

 reticulation between tlie punctures distinct ; hind body rather strongly 

 l^unctured, much narrowed behind ; legs dark pitchy red. L. 5i-6 mm. 

 Male with the seventh dorsal segment of hind body with four blunt 

 lobes, the intermediate ones projecting beyond tlie others, sixth ventral 

 segment broadly and rather deeply excavate and emarginate and furnished 

 on each side with three-toothed lobes, seventh segment deeply excised 

 with a long recurved lobe on each side, very conspicuous from above, 

 and unless carefully examined, very likely to be mistaken for lobes pro- 

 ceeding from the dorsal segment ; female with seventh dorsal segment 

 furnished with four lobes, the central short, the lateral very much longer 

 and stronger. 



In haystack refuse, dung-heaps, &c. ; common and generally distributed throughout 

 the kingdom. 



V. hicolor, Grav. Resembles the type, but has the sides of thorax 

 broadly testaceous, and the elytra entirely testaceous with the suture 

 and apical margin black ; it appears to occur with the ordinary form. 



T. marg-inellus, F. This and the two succeeding species are at 

 once distinguished from all the others by their much smaller size : T. 

 collaris is easily known by the reddish thorax and elytra ; T. niargineUus 

 and Jaticollis closely resemble in miniature T. I'CilMiyf'S and rujipes ; T. 

 marginellus is black, or pitch-black, shining, with the base and sides of 

 thorax, and the apex of elytra, and a band on the same near side margins 

 reaching from shoidder to apex, testaceous ; the intra-marginal band is 

 always obscure in mature specimens; the punctuation of the upper surface 

 is fine and close ; the antennae are rather longer than the head and tliorax 

 united, black with base reddish, penultimate joints not transverse; the 

 thorax is not broader than elytra ; the elytra are half as long again as 

 thorax, finely and thickly punctured, and not shagreened between the 

 punctures; hind body short, witli a long seta on each side of the two last 

 segments ; legs lighter or darker red. L. 3|-4 mm. 



Male with the seventh dorsal segment of hind body furnished with 

 four teeth, the intermediate rather broader and more prolonged than the 

 lateral ones, sixth ventral segment sharply emarginate with a strong 

 impression before excision, and with the lobes of the excision truncate, 

 and pectinate, seventh segment deeply excised, with long, triangular, 

 sharp, somewhat recurved lobes ; female Avith the seventh dorsal segment 

 furnished with four spiniform lobes, the intermediate being a little shorter. 



In dung, decaying fungi, &c.; common and generally distributed throughout the 

 kingdom. 



T. laticollis, Grav. Very like the preceding, but rather broader, 

 with the base of thorax a little wider than base of elytra ; the colour of 

 the sides of thorax, and apex and sides of elytra, is more obscure and less 

 pronounced ; the elytra also are a little shorter and more convex ; the 



