Mycdoporus.'] staphyliniu-E. 215 



palings, by sweeping, &c ; local, but sometimes plentiful ; London district, not 

 unconiuioii and very gonenilly distributed ; Isle of \Vi;^ht ; Devonsliire ; Kepton ; 

 Wallasey, near Liverpool j Northumberland distriet, rare; not recorded from Scot- 

 laud. 



M. punctus, CtaII. In shape and general appearance much resem- 

 bling M. lucidus ; it is, however, a little broader, as a rule, in the middle; 

 the colour is more or less brightly red, with the head and the base of the 

 segments of hind body more or less broadly dark ; the elytra are some- 

 times dusky towards apex and at sides ; the hinder parts have a distinct 

 bluish iridescent reflection, which is not, however, so strong as in M. 

 lucidus ; head alx)ut as long as broad, antenn;e brownish with the base, 

 and usually the apical joint^ lighter, penultimate joints transverse ; thorax 

 strongly narrowed in front with the usual punctures on margin, and two 

 distinct accessory ones on sides of disc, placed longitudinally ; elytra a 

 third longer than thorax, with three series of punctures (consisting of 

 €-7, 8-10, and 10-12 punctures respectively, beginning from the sutural 

 series), with an accessory series which appears to be very variable between 

 the first two ; hind body rather strongly and sparingly punctured, 

 smoother on centre of second segment ; legs reddish, with the posterior 

 cox^e, and sometimes the trochanters and femora, dark. L. 4i-5 mm. 



The sexual characters do not appear to present any marked peculiarity. 



In dead leaves, &c., also by sweeping; rare; Croydon, Leith Hill, Forest Hill, 

 Wimbledon, Micklebam, Shirley, Reigate, Cbobbam, Sanderstead, Parley Downs, &c. ; 

 Reptou, Burton-ou-'I'rent ; Sherwood Forest, by sweeping, also out of faggots ; Scotland, 

 rare, Tweed, Forth, and Clyde districts. 



Ttl. lepidus, Grav. (hrunneus, ^Marsh, humeralis, Mots.). Much 

 narrowei", less fusilorm, and more parallel-sided than any of the preced- 

 ing ; very variable in colour, sometimes being entirely pitch-black, at other 

 times having the elytra of an obscure red colour, and at others entirely 

 reddish-brown with the elytra lighter ; head about as long as broad, 

 antennae dark, or ferruginous testaceous, with base lighter ; fourth joint 

 subquadrate, penultimate joints transverse ; thorax not so strong!}^ 

 narrowed in front as in some of the other sjjecies, M'ith the usual punc- 

 tures near margin, of which the apical ones are placed near the margin, 

 and two or three accessory punctures at sides of disc ; elytra a third 

 longer than thorax, with three series of setigerous punctures (consisting 

 of 6-8, Q-S>, and 8-10, respectively), M'ithout accessory series, but occasion- 

 ally wdth one or two punctures between rows ; hind body rather strongly 

 and sparingly punctured ; legs lighter or darker testaceous or pitchy red. 

 L. 3f-4 mm. 



The sexual characters offer no peculiarity, the female only havino- the 

 seventh ventral segment of hind body more evidently rounded at apex 

 than the male. 



In moss, flood refuse, &c. , and at roots of grass in marshy places ; rather common 

 and widely distiibuted throughout the country from the southern counties to the 

 extreme north of Scotland. 



